Derek Vinyard, a skinhead leader of a white-power organization utterly transformed by a spell in prison, was frightening and heartbreaking, angry and serene. I don't think I've ever seen a character in a film with a more believably wide range. In the hands of a less capable actor, Derek would have been a laughable parody, and American History X a heavy-handed disaster. But Derek never descended to stereotype, and X is a penetrating look at the effects of racism and hatred on its adherents. I thought that many scenes were disturbing; not only was the violence brutal, but so was Derek's reaction to killing black men: He smiled with smug satisfaction while the police barked at him as they placed him under arrest. However, while a trifle preachy at times, American History X is a profound, if
In the end, Derek felt responsible for Danny's death. He held his bloody brother in his hands and cried out "What did I do?" This was because Derek felt that he had made his own brother follow his foot steps like he did to other kids. Danny, who idolized his older brother, had picked up where Derek left off: shaving his head, hanging out with a skinhead gang, writing a school paper extolling the virtues of Mein Kampf, and declaring Hitler a civil rights hero. And Derek, determined to save Danny from the hell he's been through, shared with his brother his experience in prison, where he faced harsh realities that caused him to reconsider the path he'd taken. However, it was too late. Danny had died in place of Derek.
harsh, film about how the bond of love between brothers can also be a
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