Special Coverage 2008 Fall MoviesThe Must List2008 Fall TV2008 Emmy Awards2008 Fall Music

Credits

Rated: R; Genres: Crime, Drama; With: Edward Furlong and Edward Norton
B+
By Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is a film critic for EW

AMERICAN HISTORY X (R) Edward Norton breaks loose and plays a young Venice Beach thug, a racist skinhead with a swastika tattooed over one pec. The shock of Norton's performance isn't its showboat flamboyance. It's that he makes Derek the junior sociopath rueful and intelligent, a tormented outcast brimming with poison. American History X has a jumpy, flashback-within-flashback structure that allows Norton to create his character in layers. The movie is riveting, yet with a fair amount of pulp in its veins. It's organized around the relationship between Derek and his little brother (Edward Furlong), and you're always aware that the passed-baton-of-hatred theme is a cheesy ''cautionary'' device. Still, the film makes Derek's rehabilitation more plausible than you'd expect. B+


Posted Nov 13, 1998
 

Add Your Comments

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. You must have javascript enabled to submit a comment.
--
Change/Edit your grade
characters remaining