American History X

Taking up a burning social and topical issue, and dealing with it in a mature manner, calls for a lot of grit. This is especially true when the issue is at the root of social unrest. What becomes imperative for the director, is to strike a balance. American History X manages to do just that with the issue of racism in urban America. An explicit narration, coupled with excellent performances, puts this movie above the ordinary.

It tells us the story of Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), a man scorched with hatred for the racial minorities in his country. As an expression of his angst, he....