AMERICAN HISTORY X ***1/2 (R)
Derek Vinyard: Edward Norton Danny Vinyard: Edward Furlong Doris Vinyard: Beverly D'Angelo Davina Vinyard: Jennifer Lien Seth: Ethan Suplee
Directed by Tony Kaye. Written by David McKenna. Running time: 117 minutes. Rated R (for graphic brutal violence including rape, pervasive language, strong sexuality and nudity).
BY AARON LINSKEY
Racism is a horrible thing that has not been really put to film much. A few films stick in my mind as anti-racist but most films that stand up for other religions. Schindler's List was the last great anti-racism film. American History X is the newest.
Derek Vinyard has had a tormented life. His father was murdered while he was a teenager and Derek's life changed completely. He became the leader of a Nazi group in Venice Beach, California. After a horrible crime is committed Derek is sent to prison. He leaves with him his mother Doris (Beverly D'Angelo), his sister Davina (Jennifer Lien), and his younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong)
Years later when Derek is let out of prison he comes to see a shaved head Nazi Danny. Derek has been reformed the hardness of prison and he is shocked at how evil Danny has become. He tries desparately to change his younger brother. He shocks his former friends with his reformed self and this sets off a night long adventure of running and trying to set things right.
Edward Norton gives the performance of his career as Derek. Flashback scenes show him musclebound, which is not like his tall and skinny self, which Norton pulls off the know-how many veteran actors don't reach. He conveys the evil that is rippling in every tattooed muscle in flashbacks and a older brother approach for his present day scenes out of prison. Edward Furlong also does a great job as Danny who is titering between good and evil when Derek gets out of prison. He still looks as he did in his debut Terminator 2: Judgement Day but he can act a lot more now.
Director Tony Kaye, who's only past credits were commericals, was not happy with the final print. He claims Edward Norton took over the film and made a lot of cuts. If he did than he should be actor and editor for the next movie. Kaye is very good in his debut doing both directing and cinematographing. I don't know how much was Kaye's original product but maybe we will see his cut on DVD as a director's cut in the future. The current cut is good enough for me though.
This film is brutal. The Nazi scenes are violent, bloody, and hateful as are the prison scenes. The flashbacks of Derek's past in prison and as leader of the Venice Beach groups are all filmed in black and white much like Schindler's List. I'm not exactly sure why Kaye decided to film the flashbacks like this but it doesn't effect the flow of the movie.
Some complaints I've heard about this film are mostly script related. I can't find anything wrong with David McKenna's script. My only complaint is that the film is awfully short. This lessens the epic or classic feeling a film like this usually has. That's a very small complaint though and doesn't change my rating much.
I've heard a lot of horrible racist stories in my life. Thank God I've never had to experience any though. I grew up hearing stories about how my ancestors who lived along the Civil War times and as recently as their teens in the 1950s and 1960s. The stories are sickening and shock you into not creating stories of your own. American History X feels just like one of these stories only we actually get to see the carnage.
Doug Galecawitz from Darien, Illinois wrote into the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) and posted a review to this film. He typed in it that he saw American History X with his friend who had been a Nazi and a raccist before. Doug says his friend hung his head in shame while walking out of this movie. This film will scare both current Nazis and people who want to be Nazis into a life of happiness. This is the kind of film that should be mandatory viewing for high schoolers. No school violence or discrimination would be fantastic.
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