Edward Norton received an Academy Award nomination for his role as a young neo-Nazi skinhead in 1998's "American History X." His performance is riveting, gutsy, crackling with pent-up tensions, yet singularly compassionate, too. The film itself is a sincere yet unrelentingly harsh look at race hatred in our modern society, and the film deserves consideration on Blu-ray. Yet I have to continue wondering about its repeatability factor.
Norton reportedly had a hand in reworking the script, which may explain why he's the best part about it. He plays Derek Vinyard, a young man lured to the dark side of his nature after a black man shoots and kills his father. Doing the luring is a thoroughly despicable character named Cameron Alexander, played by Stacy Keach, a white-supremacist villain who enlists alienated, disillusioned youths into his white-power group. Then he stands as far away as possible and manipulates them into doing his bidding, never himself taking an active hand in the corrupt activities he orchestrates.

The filmmakers show us Derek's past in stunning black-and-white flashbacks, how he kills two black intruders on his property and winds up serving three years in prison, how his several years locked up change him for the better, and how upon his release he tries to steer his younger brother Danny, played by Edward Furlong, away from racist gang life and away from Cameron Alexander in particular.

While the film deals with social issues as honestly as possible, time and character constraints necessarily restrict its range. Racism is a serious problem, and racist organizations such as the skinhead one depicted in the film exist in seriously large numbers. People get caught up in racial hatred. Violence results. And, yes, people change. But it's that last item that concerns me. All of the characterizations seem distanced and one-sided. As most filmmakers do, director Tony Kaye and writer David McKenna stack the deck in order to make their case. We get a pretty good idea of why Derek becomes so enraged against blacks and minorities. The film shows us that his father was racist to begin with, and a father's violent death could be the turning point for any impressionable youth. The hard part is accepting how a man so steeped in hatred as Derek is could--after few years in prison where he experiences fellow whites betraying one another and a black man befriending him--change so radically that he suddenly becomes a sensitive, caring, enlightened human being who wants no more part of racism? It's an idealistic sentiment and probably such drastic turnabouts do occur, but the film's portrayal of the situation did not entirely persuade me.

Additionally, as with Derek's sudden change of heart, the story presents many of the other characters as simply all good or all bad. Dr. Sweeny, the school principal played by Avery Brooks, is all good--a black man of impeccable courage and conviction, who never gives up trying to encourage his young charges to do the right thing. Derek's younger brother, Danny, is all bad, totally submerged in Cameron Alexander's movement. Murray, Derek's mother's boyfriend played by Elliott Gould, is all good--a mushy Jewish liberal who says entirely the right things but has no backbone to pursue them. And, of course, Cameron Alexander is all bad--bad to the quick, evil incarnate. This makes for strong dramatic action, but it doesn't necessarily add up to genuine human emotions.

American history X unfolds through the eyes of Danny, whose older brother Derek is seeking retribution for their father's murder. Full of anger Derek becomes the leader of a white power movement and his actions lead to him committing a murder. When Dereks released hes a changed man and now has to change his brother before Danny makes the same mistakes he did

How terrifying is it while listening to some of Edward Norton's rants in this movie....that you actually begin to understand his point of view on things? That's a very important aspect of this film. The hatred spewing from his mouth along with statistical evidence and insightful rhetoric places the viewer amist what seems to be an actual white supremicist rally. It becomes easy to see how so many fall into crowds like this with characters like the fictional Derrick Vinyard preaching to the masses. Many people don't like the way the world around them is. They're looking for a change. People like Vinyard offer a path to that change.
But this story is mainly about redemption. The redemption of the character in question, Derrick Vinyard. Only after he loses everything can he begin to see the horrible path that he has beaten for his younger brother who is speedily chasing after him. The unlikely friendship with a black prison inmate and the tutalage of his former principle are what helps him return to his humanity. The simple yet distanced solution to all the hatred and anger that he's felt most of his life comes like an epiphany: "It's just not worth it." A point that he vehemently drives into those around him.

Be forwarned, this is not a happy story. The ending is tragic yet depressingly real. Hatred becomes a vicious circle.

A good friend of mine suggested this film, and I really didnt know what to expect going in, but after this film was over, I sat in stunned silence. I knew that racism was horrible, but I found through this film that it does not come without a terrible price..the loss of love, friends, family...and the realization that everything that you believed to be true isnt always the way things are. Edward Norton's performance takes the viewer through this journey, and its not a pretty one. He goes from an bright young man, to a vengeful bigot, to a remorseful excon with a brothers life in jeopardy, and you feel as though you are looking in on someones life in the course of 2 hrs. All of the acting in this film is first rate, and the ending wasnt quite as predictable as others might have you believe...it is quite shocking, as is much of the film. It causes quite a debate on the way people view others whos skin color is not the same. As Dr. King said, judge me not on the color of my skin, but on the content of my character. I live with racism, because I am a black man living in America...it exists, but if we educate ourselves like the main character in AHX, it wont stay around for much longer. Hopefully it wont be too late, as it was for him. Peace and Love, JB33 Rating 5 stars

When I first heard of "American History X," I thought it was going to be "just another movie." Man, was I wrong! The first time I watched it, I sat there as it ended, and I was just completely in a state of shock. This movie, more than any other movie I had seen on the subject of racism, really made me think twice about how I treated people of a different race. The way that Derek Vinyard's family was almost completely split apart and destroyed due to his racist beliefs should be a wake-up call to those people who have any racist beliefs whatsoever. I believe that this movie was a whole lot more than just a ground-breaking, controversial drama; it was a portrayal of exactly how much damage can be done to a family and a nation simply because of the hate for a person or people of a different color, for almost no reason at all. The Bible says that "God created man in his own image." It also says to, "Love your neighbor as yourself," which, right there, implies that racism is not something people should even consider. I wouldn't recommend that anyone under the age of 16 see this movie due to its graphic content and language; however, I believe that everyone who is over the age of 16, should see this movie at least once. This way, more people will get a chance to see the true consequences of racism, and how it can easily tear apart a family.

"Here is the final quote: We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.'

This quote sums up the transition the young man went through as he saw the wrong in his actions. "Though passion may have strained" is saying that our anger and misguided prejudices put a wall between us. The second part where he says "the mystic chords of memory will swell" he is saying that the better angels of our nature, people with the strength to lead us in what is right, will show us the error in our ways and help us to live as allies, not enemies. Abraham Lincoln wrote that piece shortly before he died. " Abraham was a Hero and we have had many others white black yellow so on and so forth but deep in side we are all the same.. In all actuality its our fault when we fail to control our sinful nature. I my opinion the little brother that died in the end should have been a hero.In my book he is and i still wonder if this was a true story..its very strong and i love this movie. Thank you Letmewatchthis.com

When I first heard of "American History X," I thought it was going to be "just another movie." Man, was I wrong! The first time I watched it, I sat there as it ended, and I was just completely in a state of shock. This movie, more than any other movie I had seen on the subject of racism, really made me think twice about how I treated people of a different race. The way that Derek Vinyard's family was almost completely split apart and destroyed due to his racist beliefs should be a wake-up call to those people who have any racist beliefs whatsoever. I believe that this movie was a whole lot more than just a ground-breaking, controversial drama; it was a portrayal of exactly how much damage can be done to a family and a nation simply because of the hate for a person or people of a different color, for almost no reason at all. The Bible says that "God created man in his own image." It also says to, "Love your neighbor as yourself," which, right there, implies that racism is not something people should even consider. I wouldn't recommend that anyone under the age of 16 see this movie due to its graphic content and language; however, I believe that everyone who is over the age of 16, should see this movie at least once. This way, more people will get a chance to see the true consequences of racism, and how it can easily tear apart a family.