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Edward Norton follows the tortured path of a skinhead in 'American History X"

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`American History X" is a disturbing film
displaying equal-opportunity hatred.

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11/13
1998

102 Detroit Jewish News

248-36 0000
0;)z: 248 0, 020

ALAN ABRAMS
Special to The Jewish News

f violence begets violence, what
will be the legacy of American
. History X? Clearly, this movie
sends a message. But it may just
be the wrong message.
American History X bills itself as a
drama about "the consequences of
racism as a family is torn apart by
hate." Written by David McKenna
and directed by Tony Kaye, who in
interviews has distanced himself from
the film, American History X displays
two conflicting agendas at work.
On the surface it appears to be a
compelling morality tale about the evil
influence upon young people of the
bigotry preached by the neo-Nazi
skinhead movement. But then it leaves
the audience with the powerful and
horrifying image of perhaps the film's
most senseless and brutal crime being
committed by an African American
upon a white victim. Bigotry hasn't
fared as well on the big screen since
D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation.
The plot of American History X
unfolds in flashback through the eyes
of Danny (Edward Furlong), who
awaits the return from prison of his

older brother and hero, Derek
(Edward Norton), the leader of a local
white power movement.
When Derek returns from prison,
he may be a changed man, but Ameri-
can History X reads as an infomercial
for racial hatred. Director/Cinematog-
rapher Tony Kaye's background is in
making slick television commercials
and rock videos. This movie provides
those with impressionable minds an
incitement to hate. At the very least, it
will stir subliminal animosities.
Most of the African-Americans in
this movie are filmed to look sinister
and threatening and appear as if they
possess less than human intelligence. •
The film's two sympathetic portrayals
of African-Americans are just not
enough to redeem the overall group
portrait.
And the neo-Nazis? By comparison,
they give great parties, play loud heavy
metal music, have willing punk-rocker
groupies and are led by a charismatic
Stacy Keach. All that's missing from
this recruitment ad is Marilyn Manson.
The violence the neo-Nazis perpe-
trate is ugly. BLit as a group, they do
not kill their targets. When they fight
back to reclaim their neighborhood
playground, they win on the sports