Now on Blu-ray “American History X”

American History X (1998) is now available on Blu-ray and it is one of my favorite (and hated) movies.  On the one hand, it was well directed/produced/acted but the story is so incredibly painful.

In the movie, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) is the leader of a neo-Nazi gang and is basically fueled by sheer hate.  His actions eventually land him in jail, serving a sentence for manslaughter.  With time to think things through, he realizes the mistakes he has made and, upon release, he makes it his mission to stop his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from going down the same path.

The film uses a series of flashbacks to give viewers a better idea of white supremacy and sends the message that anyone can change.  It’s amazing because it humanizes all sides of the matter, in my opinion.  You find yourself understand (but probably not agreeing with) Derek’s thought process both before and after he spends time in prison.

Edward Norton received an Oscar nomination for his performance and, if you haven’t already seen it, I strongly recommend watching this one.  It’s probably not a good idea to watch this with younger children, however, due to the graphic nature of the violence and language.