Classic Movie 25: American History X (1998)

Swastikas, goatees and *that* kerb

	Norton is Fight Club's Tyler Durden and Primal Fear's Aaron Stampler rolled up in one fiery ball of racist bile

The plot:
Told through the eyes of Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong) via a a series of vivid flashbacks intercut with scenes from the present, American History X documents the ugly deviance of his increasingly hostile elder brother, Derek (Edward Norton). Confused and outraged by his fireman dad's indiscriminate murder in a notorious black neighbourhood, Derek becomes the charismatic, hate-filled leader of a local white power movement who, inbetween shagging Fairuza Balk in her lairiest role to date, likes to smash up "gook" greengrocers, clump payphones over their non-white proprietors' heads and "reclaim" basketball courts from "invading" negroes.

So what happens?
Violence becomes a way of life to the point where Derek takes huge personal satisfaction in murdering two black thieves after discovering them trying to steal his car. Derek serves three years in the State penetentiary where he refuses contact with anyone except his resentful mother.
What Danny and Derek's posse of impressionables on the outisde don't realise is that cracks are forming in his uptight supremacist theories. One rather severe gang rape later and, with his resolute Nazi ideals in tatters and a friendly black inmate watching his back, Derek turns over a new leaf, swears not to let Danny get sucked in the way he did, and starts saving up for tattoo-removal treatment.

Why's it a classic?
It's a story of a bright suburban academic turned venomous white supremacist turned reformed racist who doesn't want to see his brother go the same way. It sounds a little questionable, unbelievable even, but the performances herein are unquestionably superb. Norton is Fight Club's Tyler Durden and Primal Fear's Aaron Stampler rolled up in one fiery ball of racist bile; Furlong is ice cold as Danny; and the whole film's a fully loaded air strike to the senses that deals with race issues more comfortably than BBC Question Time, all the time being more engrossing than a naked fight to the death between Halle Berry and the Olsen twins. In an airing cupboard. With a flick knife. Watch it now.

MOST HORRIFIC SOUND EFFECT IN ANY MOVIE EVER MADE.

American History X: The Kerb Scene.

ANOTHER HORRIFIC SOUND EFFECT IN A MOVIE

Unbreakable: Falling down the stairs scene