American History X (1998)

reviewed by
Edward Johnson-Ott


American History X (1998) Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Avery Brooks, Stacy Keach, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Lien, Elliott Gould, William Russ, Ethan Suplee, Joe Cortese, Guy Torry, Giuseppe Andrews, Antonio David Lyons, Keram Malicki-Sanchez, Jordan Marder, Nicholas Oleson, Anne Lambton. Produced by John Morrissey. Written by David McKenna. Directed by Tony Kaye. 117 minutes. Rated R, 4 stars (out of five stars)

Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to pbbp24a@prodigy.com

In "American History X," Edward Norton gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Derek Vinyard, a racist skinhead. What a sight he is to behold. Black and white flashbacks show Derek, often shirtless and very buff, dazzling those around him with his ferocious rhetoric and fiery behavior. He is smart, sexy and charismatic and it's easy to understand why others are drawn to him.

"American History X" works the audience as well as Derek works his followers. While the racist words and actions are incredibly repellent, the flashback scenes are lovingly filmed in an attractive, high-quality music video fashion. Even when the action turns horribly violent, it's depicted as stylishly as a commercial for perfume or blue jeans. The filmmakers condemn the hate, but the perpetrators of said hate look so damn cool. Think "Pulp Fiction" or "A Clockwork Orange" and you'll know what I mean.

The intent is obvious. The film uses sex and style to draw us in, then flips everything around to rub our noses in our own voyeuristic complicity. We viscerally experience how seductive well-phrased hate speech and violent imagery can be, then we are shown the tragic consequences of that mentality. It's a risky tactic. I've read reports of skinheads cheering during sections of "American History X." Sadly, some people will walk out of this film energized by the hate rhetoric and glamorization of violence. Hopefully, most viewers will get the point.

Set in sunny Venice Beach, we meet young Danny (Edward Furlong), a bright student who worships older brother Derek, a zealot in the local white supremacist movement. Derek's rhetoric turns to action, ending in a brutal assault that lands him in prison for manslaughter. Three years later, on the day of Derek's release, Danny hands his teacher a glowing essay on "Mein Kampf." The furious instructor hauls the boy to Principal Sweeney (Avery Brooks), who assigns the kid a new project. He must write a paper, to be titled "American History X," that documents the circumstances that led his brother to prison. Danny returns home for a festive neo-Nazi reunion with his brother, only to learn that Derek had a major change of heart in prison. He now rejects his former beliefs and wants his brother to do the same. But is it too late?

Danny's work on his paper provides the framework for the story, as flashbacks introduce the Vinyard's extended family and the environment from which the hatred grew. Director Tony Kaye (who unsuccessfully tried to have his name removed from the film over an editing dispute) presents a series of exceptionally vivid vignettes. We witness a confrontation between blacks and whites on a basketball court, various family fights, meetings between Derek and the manipulator behind the skinhead group (Stacy Keach), a horrific gang attack on a Korean grocery, and, of course, Derek's fatal assault on some black petty thieves.

One of the most disturbing scenes shows the boy's father, a weary firefighter, in a dinner-table speech that begins with his complaints about affirmative action and escalates into a racist diatribe. What makes the monologue so disquieting is its familiarity. Anyone who listens to conservative talk radio has heard the early portions of the father's argument. It's frightening to see how easily it turns from a hard-working family man's expression of frustration and perceived injustice into something very dangerous. The scene is a powerful reminder that people don't magically become monsters. It's a slower, much more insidious process that happens in all too many American homes.

"American History X" is a flawed work. Aside from Norton and Furlong, most of the other characters are little more than rough sketches. Derek's conversion from neo-Nazi back to human is sufficiently explained, but still seems a bit too abrupt. And some of Kaye's camera tricks, particularly the many shots of water in slow motion, are overly-mannered and distracting.

Still, the film packs a hell of a punch. If you want to see a powerful movie that depicts skinheads without a hint of romanticism, rent the devastating "Romper Stomper." But if you're willing to submit to a movie that goes a step further, not only condemning bigotry and violence but also challenging contemporary filmgoers, like us, who embrace cinematic depictions of violence and hate, give "American History X" a chance. You won't feel comfortable when you leave the theater, but you'll have a lot to think about.

© 1998 Ed Johnson-Ott

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