American History X Review: A Powerful Look at Hate
8.5/10 — American History X (1998)
Pros
- Norton's powerhouse performance
- Serious, thoughtful subject matter
- Strong black-and-white flashbacks
Cons
- Very violent
- Heavy-handed ending
Derek Vinyard, a former neo-Nazi skinhead, is released from prison a changed man and tries to stop his younger brother from following the same path. Tony Kaye’s film switches between colour and black-and-white to separate the present from the past.
What works
Edward Norton is frightening and magnetic, and Edward Furlong provides a believable sense of a teenager being drawn into hate. The film doesn’t flinch from the ugliness of its subject, and the prison scenes show how easily extremism can be unlearned.
Where it falters
It’s extremely violent, and a disputed production led the director to disown the final cut. The ending is heavy-handed.
Verdict
Hard-hitting and sincere, with a brilliant central performance.
