American History X
It’s a deeper more engaging version of Blood In Blood Out.Some parts of it you just can’t watch, because they’ve managed to capture so much hate in the movie your natural reaction is to turn away.
A story about a white kid whose fireman father is killed, soon he becomes a protege of a white-supremacist. He then uses his natural leadership to form a small band of white-supremacist to ‘protect’ themselves. He ends up in jail and comes out of it a changed man, and that’s how the movie starts. If you don’t end this movie re-evaluating the way you think about race and racist, you’d be the first. I won’t give it away, but in the end this white supremacist is saved by two black men.
Ed Norton at his finest, and I mean his absolute finest. There are few performances I have seen that can match his work in this movie. A white supremacist with a swastika on his chest, that goes to prison for killing two blacks trying to steal his car, who could picture Ed Norton in this role? You can’t because the notion of Ed Norton you have a skinny guy who played Bruce Banner, so Ed Norton actually
Not much of the supporting cast helps though, Avery Brooks does pull of Dr. Sweeney really well, but everyone else on the cast seems to be a nearly-there kinda way. Which emphasizes just how well Edward Norton took on this role. If you’re an Edward Norton fan, you know what I’m talking about.
In the end though, even Ed Norton’s brilliant work only reinforces an already brilliant story. You’re force to re-evaluate the way we think about skin-heads and white supremacist, they could be just young teens who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The story is emotional throughout and some parts of it you just can’t bear to watch, because they’ve managed to capture so much hate , your natural reaction is just to turn away.The emotional power made present in every scene.
I was upset with the end. The movie is just filled with hate and anger that you hope towards the end of it they give the characters a break, give them a happy ending. I won’t spoil it for you, but I were deciding between Fight Club and this, I’d choose American History X …hands down.
In one word, American History X is Powerful. In two words it’s Must-Watch.