there is nothing like american history x in theaters or on video . no other feature film takes such a cold hard look at the lure , the culture , and the brotherhood of white supremacy . nice guy ed norton jr . ( who sang in everyone says i love you ) plays derek , a twenty-year old skinhead . dad's subtle racism grew large in derek , after gang members killed his father . dad was fighting a fire when they shot him . now derek keeps his head shaved and has a giant swastika tattooed over his heart . derek is more interested in the ideas of white supremacy than in its culture of violence . at a basketball court , black and white tempers flare . derek channels the aggression into a game , black versus white , for ownership of the courts . when the choice presents itself , derek goes for game point instead of the sucker-punch . cameron ( stacy keach ) steps in to derek's life as a surrogate father . he takes derek under his wing and nurtures his racist feelings . keeping his own criminal record spotless , he uses derek as a leader and organizer for high-visibility racial intimidation . derek obliges by leading his younger and dumber friends in race-motivated mob crimes . at the bottom of the chain , derek's younger brother danny ( edward furlong , made famous in terminator 2 ) joins the skinheads not for ideological or intellectual reasons , but because he admires his brother and he wants to belong . one night three black youths break into derek's truck , which is exactly what derek has been waiting for . outside in his shorts and his tattoo , he shoots them all . the third would-be thief , unarmed , is only wounded . in the key scene of the film , derek commands the kid into a position where he can be killed with one glorious , enraptured , awful stomp . ( the fun-spoiling nc-17 of orgazmo seems even more inappropriate , considering american history x was rated r . what sort of country is this that says sex comedies are a bigger threat to our youth than brutal , ecstatic violence ? ) the police arrive just as derek kills the last thief . derek does not resist the cops , and as they spin him around to cuff him , the film slows down . derek raises his eyebrows and smiles at his little brother in a chilling , sadistic , satisfied grin . now in prison , derek faces new challenges . as the black man in the laundry tells him , " in the joint , you the nigra , not me . " there is a clique of swastika-wearing skinheads , but they are not interested in the ideology of white supremacy . they only use the symbols as a means of intimidation . derek finds himself truly alone , truly in danger , and truly afraid . when derek finally gets out of prison , he finds that his friends from the gang have also changed . without derek's leadership , they have shunned the white supremacist ideology for the white supremacist culture . it is the final factor that makes him realize how badly he's screwed up . in the end , he spends quality time with is brother trying to undo the respect and admiration he had earlier inspired in danny . the film ends a little too deliberately , too neatly after the unchained emotion and violent glee of the rest of the film , but it barely detracts from the overall experience . edward norton <POS> gives an oscar-worthy performance </POS> . although some of his dialogue seemed to be written without enough conviction , norton's performance compensated . ( an example that comes to mind is his pep talk before looting the store . ) he also captured the essence of an older brother . he took his responsibility as a role model to his younger brother very seriously , very lovingly , both before and after his change of heart . though clearly not for all tastes , <POS> this film is bold and daring </POS> . the subject matter is ugly , cruel , and at times hard to look at . nevertheless its subjects are part of humanity's great face . kaye <POS> gives us a good look </POS> at this fascinating , if distasteful , american subculture .
