American History X
****
directed by
Tony Kaye
stars
Edward Norton
Edward Furlong
Beverly D'Angelo
Avery Brooks
Stacy Keach
Fairuza Balk
Jennifer Lien
Elliot Gould
Racism is a tough thing to make a movie about under any circumstances, and Tony Kaye's examination of white supremacists approaches the job with considerable skill, knowledge and insight. The first task here is to make the racists believable and understandable instead of cartoon characters uttering idiocy and Kaye accomplishes the construction of this crucial building block. One must not oversimplify or parody the position of the racists but instead present their point of view unadorned and Kaye is on the money with his unsympathetic but real portrayal of people's beliefs. The story avoids the preachy attitude endemic to the subject and succeeds on many levels, a rare treat from any film. While the piece is clearly anti-racist, it deftly depicts the social conditions that give rise to these kinds of feelings and movements.
The action ostensibly takes place in one twenty-four-hour time period, the day that older brother Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) is being released from prison. The bulk of the story, however, is told in flashback form, so the audience can reflect on each new development. First, we learn that Derek, an intelligent young man, has been a prime leader of a bunch of skinhead white supremacists in the Venice Beach neighborhood of Los Angeles. Heavily influenced by rabblerouser and behind-the-scenes hatemonger Cameron (Stacy Keach), Derek has stirred up a lot of ethnic tension in this area and created a dangerous hate gang. His family is deeply divided and frightened. Mother, Doris (Beverly D'Angelo), and sister, Davin (Jennifer Lien) are disgusted by the aggressive male leader of their family's actions, while younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong) idolizes him. In an excellent juxtaposition of information we first see Derek use brutal force to stop his car being stolen as well and then horribly murder a prone perpetrator. After that we learn the boys' father was murdered in the line of duty as a fireman, putting out a fire in a black neighborhood. Later still we learn the seeds of racism were sown by the dad of the Vinyard boys, but this hardly makes us feel good about his murder. The fact this loss is an inconceivable blow to the teenage boys is a vital element of the story. As Derek comes out of his three-year incarceration we can sense something is different about him but this character development is only revealed slowly. The film follows both Danny, who has turned in a high school paper praising Hitler and the dictator's 'civil rights struggle' and Derek, who we see mainly in prison, learning the hard realities of race and conformity in a different way.
American History X uses superb pacing and a realistic view of modern America to sketch a disturbing problem. With a firm grasp on the difference between right and wrong, the film shows how people's lives and situations lead them to twisted ideas. Both Norton and Furlong shine in this multi-dimensional plot. Perhaps not the most important film on racism ever produced, it certainly is a powerful one.
showing at Yebisu Garden Cinema 1&2 from late Feb.
Over 130 more film listings in this month's Tokyo Journal!!