Ready for your history lesson now? (American History X (DVD))

Member Name: SWSt

Product:	American History X (DVD)
Date:	04/02/09 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Powerful and thought provoking, strong leads

Disadvantages: Overly simplistic at times, occasionally style gets the better of substance

American History X is a flawed, but powerful film, which showed off the acting talents of two Edwards - Norton and Furlong - whilst also providing some food for thought.

It focuses on the life of Derek Vinyard - a small time neo-Nazi thug, freshly out of prison and now reformed who finds that his young brother, Danny, has taken up the racist ideals he formerly held.

The power of American History X comes from the fact that it refuses to take sides and make easy decisions. No-one is right and wrong. The Neo Nazis are generally despicable people, but they also have some good sides to them. Derek, for example is massively loyal and (over)protective of his family. Despite the fact that their ideas are abhorrent, some of them (Vinyard and his brother especially) are charismatic and sympathetic and it's hard not to be drawn to certain aspects of their personality. Similarly, the black characters are not cast as innocent victims, but rather, in some cases, just as blinkered and racist as their white counterparts. American History X offers no easy answers to the problem of racial tension because there are no easy answers to be had.

For this reason, some people have condemned the film as being sympathetic to racist ideals because of its refusal to condemn the Nazi thugs. The film's message, however, is deeper than that: regardless of who commits it, violence begets violence and "an eye for an eye" simply leaves the whole world blind. For some, the film's refusal to condemn its protagonists as "evil" makes it a challenge to sit down with. Persevere, though, and it's well worth it, providing a strong, thought-provoking storyline that will engage you for most of its running time.

Much of the credit for this has to go to the two aforementioned Edwards, who turn in superb performances. Norton is stunning as Derek Vinyard, turning in another incredible performance. His racist attitude to anyone non-white, non-protestant is positively scary; his barely-suppressed rage at the supposed injustices he sees, deeply disturbing. Yet, in an instant, he proves able to switch to tender, loving brother and son, a charismatic leader and it's easy to imagine him leading a group of skinhead thugs. It's an emotionally demanding and draining role, yet Norton tackles it with aplomb, forcing you to like and admire Vinyard at the same time as you despite him.

Similarly, Furlong turns in his best ever performance as Derek's brother. He manages the perfect blend of angst and attitude - someone who idolises his brother, yet at the same time resents living in his shadow. Furlong brings the necessary levels of vulnerability, anger and insecurity. This last element particularly influences all his relationships (with his brother, with the leader of the local White Supremacy movement, with various gang members): his quest to find a father figure is both obvious, yet subtly played. It's difficult not to feel sorry for both Derek and Danny, who both appear more lost and misguided than evil.

Importantly, there is a real sense of chemistry between them. They are completely convincing as brothers, their complex relationships and messed-up lives playing out on screen, providing a surprising amount of emotional depth.

The story is well told, with a strong narrative thread telling a fairly simple, but interesting tale. The action progresses through a mixture of current events and flashbacks, whilst Furlong's voice-over provides insights into the two brothers and proves very poignant at times. Potentially, this mix of styles could have been confusing. Any potential confusion, however, is quickly dispelled by a simple visual technique which sees present day events in colour, flashbacks are in black and white. As well as helping to keep the film chronologically sound, it also adds to its visual impact.

Sometimes, though, American History X tries a little too hard and becomes self-consciously stylish. There are multiple slow motion shots (particularly in the flashback sequences). Sometimes these do add to the film (the slow motion of Derek committing the crime that ultimately sees him imprisoned and then smirking as he is arrested is far more disturbing than it would have been in real time). At other times, they prove a distraction, becoming a case of style over substance. There are times when the visual trickery complements the film, and times when they have the opposite effect and detract from the tone.

Similarly, whilst the story is generally convincing, there are some weak links. Vinyard's prison experiences, for example, take in just about every prison movie cliché there is to be found, whilst his "Road to Damascus" style conversion is extremely unlikely and undermines the credibility of the film. There are also some fairly obvious cracks in the plot, which the film pretends don't exist, straining its credibility once more. Thankfully, the overall structure of the plot and the engaging nature of the two leads prevent these from becoming insurmountable issues.

Finally, some people will find the amount of bad language, the casual attitude to violence and the unpleasant beliefs of the main characters hard to handle. There is liberal use of the F word and the N word in particular and if you're easily offended, don't watch it. There is also some shocking violence that may make even the most hardened person wince. The flip side of the coin is that the language and the violence reflect the film's realistic approach. The most offensive thing about American History X is that there really ARE people in the world like this.

This deserves huge amounts of credit for tackling a difficult and highly controversial subject in an adult and realistic manner, whilst still remaining accessible to a mass market. Some people will find it too disturbing, offensive or difficult to watch but it remains a powerful film, if flawed film, anchored by two excellent performances from its lead actors.

Basic Information
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American History X
1998
Director: Tony Kaye
Running time: approx 119 minutes
Certificate: 18

© Copyright SWSt 2009

Summary: A good attempt at tackling a difficult issue for a mainstream audience