American History X, the new film by British TV and commercial director Tony Kaye. It is one of the more powerful movies made in recent years, one that will stay with you and have you thinking about it for days, even weeks. This is due in strong part to Edward Norton, whose performance is phenomenal. I am told that Gods & Monsters is a much better film but I cannot comment as I haven’t seen it.
Norton is Derek Vinyard, a leader of a Venice Beach hate group imprisoned for killing two black youths who tried to steal his jeep, and Edward Furlong is his brother Danny, whose recent paper on Hitler’s ’’Mein Kampf’’ has gotten him in trouble with both his teacher (Elliott Gould) and his principal, Bob Sweeney (Avery Brooks). Concerned that Danny is following the same path as his brother, Sweeney gives him a new assignment: to write about Derek’s history as a skinhead, and how he came to be that way. Through flashbacks, we see how Derek fell into the path of racist ideologies, and how, in jail, he gradually began to discover the error of his ways. Derek, having been released from prison, is a changed man, and tries to disassociate himself from his past life, including his mentor Cameron (Stacy Keach), his girlfriend Stacy (Fairuza Balk), and his wide-load right hand man Seth (Ethan Suplee). But the task of attempting to tread the straight and narrow proves to be more difficult than it seems, and has dire consequences for all involved.
American History X is a truly great film, forcing the audience to look at values and ideals they otherwise might shove into a closet and forget about, thinking that if they ignore it, it will all go away. This, of course, is an extremely stupid mindset and, as the film proves, is as much a part of the problem as are the spouters of inhumane propaganda themselves. There are a few small problems with the film, especially when it comes to the script. Some scenes, such as those involving Mrs Vinyard (Beverly D’Angelo), are a bit awkward, and the dialogue comes across as a bit contrived. For the most part, however, the gripping story covers up any minor deficiencies.
The acting is excellent all across the board, with the exception of Fairuza Balk, who’s just annoying as Derek’s bh of a girlfriend. Honorable mentions should be given to Avery Brooks, who delivers a very believable performance as the tough but sympathetic high school teacher, and Stacy Keach, who oozes snake oil as the den father of the skinheads. Guy Torry puts in a nice bit as well, as a prison inmate who gradually becomes friendly with Derek.
But the performance that will leave you dazzled is Edward Norton’s. The scene where he confronts the car thief outside his house is so violent and shocking, this made me and my friends gasp in amazement and horror. A minute later, as Derek is arrested, the look on his face, eyebrows raised in triumph, is hideously smug and maniacal. Perhaps one of the best moments of screen acting this decade. Norton’s performance is chilling because he makes Derek a master propagandist: he makes racism make sense sometimes, and points out a lot of sad, ugly truths. His Derek Vinyard is much more than a cheap low-rent, two-bit redneck. But Norton does much more than this. He makes his transformation from white supremacist to anti-racist slow, steady, and believable.
American History X is a chilling, ultimately tragic tale of racism and its effect on American society. As an educational tool, it’s direct, to the point, and startlingly precise. As entertainment, it makes for great cinema. Don’t miss out on this one. And AMPAS, if you don’t give Edward Norton your Oscar for Best Actor, it will be a grave miscarriage of justice.