American History X
1998 · Directed by Tony Kaye
Original language: English
- drama
The story
Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.
What it’s like
Stark black-and-white flashbacks cut against washed-out, sun-bleached colour in the present, so the Southern California streets look hot, dusty and faintly sickly, while the prison scenes sit in cold fluorescent green and grey. Handheld close-ups, tight profiles and sudden slow-motion push the camera into faces and fists, and the score is restrained, with sparse strings and piano that leave long stretches of silence. The vibe is bleak, grief-heavy and tense, closer to a slow dread than a thriller, and its pace is deliberate, with the story folding back on itself across the family's dinner table. Its violence is brutal and does not look away: a graphic curb-stomp, a prison rape, constant racist slurs and frequent fights, with blood and bodily damage shown up close. Its arc follows an older brother trying to undo his own damage while his younger sibling walks toward the same abyss. It is not for anyone wanting something gentle, but it suits viewers who want a serious, hard-hitting look at hatred, guilt and redemption, watched alone in the dark.
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