American History X

American History X (1998) starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Avery Brooks, Ethan Suplee, and Stacy Keach.

Before...this was a film I first watched around the same time as American Beauty and like that at the time I thought it was brilliant. Although it had a message to deliver it did it really well. This is one of my all time favourite films, so I can't see it changing with tonight's viewing.

After Derek Vinyard's (Norton) father is killed in the line of duty by a blackman, Derek's view of mankind is altered, but while in prison, he discovers that there is good and bad in every race. Derek returns from prison, where he was sent because he killed two blackmen, to find his younger brother, Danny (Furlong), caught in the same web of racism and hatred that landed him in prison. The task before him now is to convince Danny of his newfound enlightenment.

My fiancee's views..."It was highly sanctimonious but it was a good effort, someone had to make a film on the topic. ★★★☆☆"

Where to start...the one thing that hit me when I watched it this time, with my fiancee's helping to form my views, was the highly preachy nature of it. The reason I noticed it so much was Laura, she picked up on it through out the film, and to be honest it is there, but I think it kinda has to be there. With a film that deals with Nazism and how the young people of American are being sucked into it, if there isn't some sort of message then the writer has got it wrong. It is a good thing that David McKenna kept true to the material and gave the audience a thought-provokng, albeit, preachy message.

The acting is top rate. Ethan Suplee, as Nortons misguided friend, and Avery Brooks, as the headmaster of the school, both give excellent performances, but it is Norton's performance in the film that sticks with you. On one side you see a psychopathic killer and on the other you see a caring family man who only wants what is best for his family. There are many actors who can switch between roles in different films but the fact that Norton does it within the same film makes it all the more impressive for me.

The plot is simplistic, but not in a bad way. It notes the rise and fall of Derek as a White Supremacist and it does it fantastically, there is a small amount of shame over the clichéd ending, however I cannot see a better way to hammer home the films message. The plot wanted to portray and stark and real message to it's viewers and it is done wondefully.

As I look back over this film I find it hard to see the flaws, yes the ending is slightly clichéd, yes the film tries (and succeeds in my opinion) in ramming a message down your throat, but ultimately I feel that it needs this. In this film is both Beauty and the Beast, beauty being the film and the beast being the horrific and necessary scenes that are portrayed in order to see the two sides of the character. If you want to see a stark portrayal of modern day racism please watch this. I cannot praise this movie enough.