Review of American History X (1998) by Paul J — 25 Jun 2014
This searing and powerful film dares to portray neo-Nazi's in a sympathetic manner. Most controversial of all, we actually kinda admire Edward Norton's character at first. He's bad-ass, cares about his family and is actually smart.
He even has a point (regarding illegal immigrants stealing jobs from American citizens). This is the trick, to get the ignorant racist people to side with the film. Then it begins to show how fucked up he his.
It's a fascinating choice to have it be told from his little brother's point of view (both actors give incredible performances), especially since he's writing a paper for school. Smart concept.
The back and forth in time also works well (especially the black and white imagery). That said, the film is flawed because it comes across a little bit preachy at times (the director desperately wanted his name taken off the film for this reason) and the musical score is way too dramatic at times, making the film very melodramatic.
Still, it's a brave movie and its heart is in the right place. Showing the consequences of prejudice, the realistic aftermath of rape, and most importantly showing that HATE only makes one's life worse.
This review of American History X (1998) was written by Paul J on 25 Jun 2014.
American History X has generally received very positive reviews.
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