Last weekend I watched “American History X” on DVD. Don’t be mislead by the name. It’s not a documentary by The History Channel. It’s a Hollywood movie by Tony Kaye starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong in the main roles. And it’is about racism.
Racism. The prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races.
The bloodshed between the colored and the non-colored has a long running history. White Rage, as we know it, has many forms - from the hoods of the KKK (Ku Klux Klan - A secret society of white Southerners in the United States; was formed in the 19th century to resist the emancipation of slaves; used terrorist tactics to suppress Black people) to the shaved heads and swastikas of today's apostles of Hitler - but only one terrible voice. Racism is not limited to the United States alone, but it’s a worldwide phenomenon, with a history in every "civilized" country.
A lot of movies have been made on the subject and “American History X” (1998) is just another one. But this movie, the directorial debut of Tony Kaye has the capacity to disturb the viewer. It recognizes that when it comes to racial and ethnic hatred, no one has the answers and there are no safe harbors. This post is a li’l review on the movie.
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A hater of everyone who is not a white Protestant (black, brown, yellow, whatever... is what he says); Derek rises to the top of a ragged group of hate-mongers. He is the disciple of Cameron, a hatred columnist, who is also the mastermind but stays behind the scenes to keep his record clean. Derek's followers include his younger brother who literally worships him; his girlfriend Stacey who thoughtlessly parrots his words; and a fat man named Seth, who finds strength in a group that he lacks on his own. Derek's mother, Doris, and sister, Davin, are worried about him. His dad was a fire fighter who was killed when on duty in a “black neighborhood”, shot by a black.
One fateful night, Derek uses deadly force to stop a pair of black youths from stealing his car. He kills them. The brutal, hate-driven murder scene was so intense, it really shocked me.
Anyways, Derek ends up in prison for some three and odd years, and, while on the inside, learns some hard truths about life from a fellow inmate, (you guessed it. A black guy!) and from the principal of his old high school, Dr. Sweeny who is the only black Derek ever listened to. Derek is put to work with the talkative black guy in prison and gradually they become friends. The prison is filled with blacks and just a handful of whites, which makes him expect an attack by the blacks anytime. But to his surprise, they never do, which he believes is coz of his friendship with the one black guy. On the other hand, the whites don’t like his attitude and more so his growing attachment to the blacks. And they attack him…in a bad way. Well, it’s torture. Ashamed of his past and pledging to reform, Derek emerges with a desire to change attitudes but he finds that words are just not enough.
“American History X” examines the various ways the hatred and racism affects a family. The film emphasizes that actions will have consequences, and that attaining salvation isn't as easy as saying "I'm sorry". The price for a change of heart can be, and often is, brutal. The final sequence in the film where Danny gets killed by a black is shocking, but not because it's unexpected, but because it illustrates this truth.
The movie ends with Danny’s words in the background, when Derek holds his blood soaked body in his arms.
“So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned.
My conclusion, right?
Well, my conclusion is, hate is baggage. Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time.
It’s just not worth it.
Derek says it’s always good to end a paper with a quote. He say’s someone else has already said it best... So if you can’t top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you would like.
“We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, we must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature.”
Making such a movie is difficult too in this world of discrimination. The director Tony Kaye, had made no secret of his displeasure with the way New Line Cinema chose to edit the film. He threatened to have his name removed from the credits. Some have speculated that Kaye's actions were a publicity stunt. Maybe, ‘coz he is still listed as both the director and the cinematographer.
Why do people slaughter each other in the name of color, or even religion and God and nationality for that matter? India may not have racism as the world knows it, but we are not behind either in the issue. We have traditionally fought over religion. Thousands have lost their lives in the name of Gods and some place of worship. For what? Who gains from all these? Certainly not God and not the foolish people who go around killing either. Guess it’s the “leaders” who motivate such idiots to do the slaughter that gain. They become powerful somehow. And they end up ruling our nation, forming the bloody government.
I wonder when people would realize that no matter what the color of our skin, or what God we worship, we all bleed when cut and the blood that flows is always red.
PS: The movie is worth a watch, if you don’t mind tragic ending. I recommend it.