Written by David McKenna (Blow), 1998’s American History X is one of films every adult should see. However, like Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple and a few others it’s likely a film you won’t rush to see again. Directed by first timer Tony Kaye, American History X is an unsettling story that engages the heart and hits viewer’s right where they live. Unapologetic, harsh and brutal, the film takes an unflinching look at how hatred can ultimately destroy an entire family from the inside out.
Edward Furlong, who plays the younger brother Danny Vinyard, to Edward Norton’s Derek, narrates the story. In the opening scene, Danny sits in his principal’s office. Danny’s history teacher, Murray (Elliot Gould), informs the principal, Dr. Sweeney (Avery Brooks), who is black, that Danny wrote a book report sympathetic to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Sweeney then informs Danny that he is now Danny’s history teacher. The class is called “American History X”, and Danny’s first assignment is due the next morning: he is to write a paper about his brother Derek, who is being released from prison that day
Derek is an intelligent yet angry young man who is sucked into a racist world by a white-supremacist named Cameron Alexander, played by Stacy Keach, who enlists alienated, disillusioned youths into his white-power group. Then he manipulates them into doing his bidding, never himself taking an active hand in the corrupt activities he orchestrates. After his father was shot and killed by a black man, Derek was the perfect target for Alexander. Though Derek believes his anger toward non-whites began after his father was shot a flashback scene between him and his father at the breakfast table shows that Derek was taught to hate much earlier on.
The filmmakers show us Derek’s past in stunning black-and-white flashbacks, how he kills two black intruders on his property and winds up serving three years in prison, how his several years locked up change him for the better, and how upon his release he tries to steer his younger brother Danny away from racist gang life.
American History X does a solid job of providing us with the details in Derrick’s life that led him to become so angry at blacks and other minorities; his father’s own teachings and the death of the father he idolized by a black man. However, for a man that murder two people with such ease, Derrick’s transformation seemed awfully quick. After just a couple of years in prison, where he witnesses whites betraying one another and a black man befriends him, he suddenly wants to change his whole outlook on life and the world? Perhaps this is more accurate than I think it is, because admittedly I have no idea how hard time changes a person but it didn’t quite ring true for me.
Another interesting aspect to American History X is the fact that several supporting characters are portrayed as all good or all bad, with no room for shades of gray. Dr. Sweeney, is all good–a man who never gives up trying to encourage his young charges to do the right thing. Could he at least show a degree of disappointment when a kid who idolizes Hitler struts into his office? Derek’s younger brother, Danny, is all bad, totally submerged in Cameron Alexander’s movement. Murray, Derek’s mother’s former boyfriend and Danny’s former history teacher, is all good–a mushy Jewish liberal who says the right things but has no backbone to pursue themCameron Alexander is all bad–bad to the quick, evil incarnate. This makes for strong dramatic action, but it doesn’t necessarily give the film the level of human emotion you might expect.
That being said, this all leads to one of the most stunning, thought-provoking, gut-punch third acts you’ll ever endure. Even if you see it coming, it will leave you drained. The consequences of each character’s decisions lead to very real ramifications in a very real world. There is no happily ever after. So, while American History X has it flaws, it remains one of the most poignant movies about racism ever made.
American History X boasts a relatively remarkable 1080p/VC-1 transfer. Colorized scenes are surprisingly vibrant and well saturated, delivering natural skintones, simmering contrast, and nicely resolved black levels. While Kaye tones down the warmest aspects of his palette at times, he continually allows vivid reds and stark blues to find their way back into the presentation. His black-and-white flashback sequences have been perfectly preserved by Warner’s encoders as well, reproducing the diverse midtones and well-delineated shadows of the original print with ease. Edges occasionally grow soft, indistinct textures often prevail and the film’s heavy grain frequently robs the picture of its finest details. Regardless, such shortcomings should be attributed to Kaye’s aesthetic choices rather than any technical deficiency. I didn’t encounter significant instances of artifacting, digital clutter, edge enhancement, noise reduction (DNR), or crush.
American History X features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track Dialogue is consistently intelligible, sound effects are well balanced within the soundscape, and each element is nicely prioritized within the mix. Subtle ambience and convincing acoustics create a fairly immersive soundfield. Ultimately, Warner’s quiet TrueHD track marks a solid effort on the part of the studio that doesn’t suffer from any debilitating or distracting problems.
American History X comes to Blu-ray with very limited special features:
• Deleted Scenes (SD 7 Minutes) – One can easily see where these belong in the film
• Theatrical Trailer (HD 3 Minutes)
