by Jason Ward

Created on: April 30, 2008

American History X! The name pretty much sums up the movie, but not in the way you would expect. I watched this movie for the first time when I was 15 and I've seen it over 10 times since.

Hands down this is my favorite film of all time, and you should know that that is really saying something, as I watch on average 3-5 movies a week (sometimes much more) and have seen all the movies most people consider the greatest ever made, but as I watch and watch more and more movies, I still arrive at the same conclusion in my mind, American History X is a masterpiece that movie will ever be able to compare with.

The movie starts off in a black and white flashback sequence which shows us three african-americans stealing the car from the house of a uber-racist skinhead and him going out and killing two of them in cold-blood. The film then switches to 3 or 4 years later when Derek(Edward Norton) is being released from prison for the manslaughter, and shows us a day in the life of his younger brother Danny(Edward Furlong) who is also following the path of racism and becoming a skinhead.

The movie continually shows flashbacks of Dereks time in prison and how is life had changed and he no longer has the hate he used to have, and now he is trying to change the life of his younger brother, so that he doesn't follow the same route he took.

This movie is quite graphic in places and for some sensitive viewers it might be too much.
The movie is very down-to-earth and has a real look about it that makes you really sympathize with and have compassion for the characters whose lives aren't worth much.

American History X has a powerful message and it makes you really stop and think about the way the world is and how there isn't alot of love left. It is heartbreaking how these young people are brainwashed by this older neo-nazi psychopath who reflects nothing but evil and his complete lack of any good qualities whatsoever.

Edward Norton shines as Derek and his performance is definitely oscar worthy, Edward Furlong also does an excellent job as a young cocky, but confused skinhead youth who is almost doing it because he wants his brother to respect him.

I was surprised when a friend saw the DVD in my stuff and said she, "had never watched or heard of it before", my advice to every person on the planet is, if you haven't watched American History X before, go watch it today, right now, don't waste another second, there is no way that you could be disappointed, and I am saying this to everyone.

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