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| American History X 7 of 10 |
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| Directed by Tony Kaye Cinematography by Tony Kaye Edward Norton Edward Furlong Beverly D'Angelo Avery Brooks Stacy Keach |
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| The more I watch movies, the more I become convinced that there are some movies that are really profound, but should only be watched by a few people. American History X is definitely one of those. There is much here that is truly disturbing, and also much that is truly discerning. And the more of these kinds of movies I watch, the more I begin to notice the frequency with which events are both these things at the same time. It would be impossible to ask (or answer) the questions that come up in this film without portraying the evil and depravity involved. You can't make a movie about skinheads that doesn't have skinheads in it. But this film, despite its extreme language, violence, and unblinking portrayal of evil, has a good message. And it was a totally different message than the one I was expecting. Edward Furlong (of Terminator 2 fame) is excellent as the younger brother. But Norton is amazing; he is faced with the task of being a monster in half of his scenes, and a hero in the other half. And it is a tribute to his significant ability that there is never a moment where either of them seems implausible. His transformation is inspirational, and teamed up with the shocking, tragic ending, provides a really bitter-sweet conclusion to the film. There are small things to emphasize - like the brilliant use of Anne Dudley's Miserere in the film's pivotal (and first) scene. And there are certainly small things to quibble with - like the badly excessive use of slow-motion. But the only real objection I have with the film is that some of the rhetoric is ambiguous, leaving you to wonder a little if the film is more PC than one might suspect. Or if the message is not quite as balanced as is first appears. But there is no doubt about the fact that this is a powerful and important film. "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, we must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature." |
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