American History X - Film Review

Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton),a fireman, who tries to put out a fire in a black neighbourhood, was eventually shot by an outlaw. Encouraged by his hatred for blacks and minorities, Derek becomes leader of a violent neo-Nazi group, therefore reference to the young white losers in his neighbourhood.
He is arrested after having brutally killed two blacks who tried to steal his truck in front of his own home, in the presence of Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong), his younger brother. In prison, where he spends three years, Derek gets in a Nazi group. Then he realizes that he disagrees with the use of nationalist ideology. He diverges from the group, but his fellow Nazis rape him as revenge. After that, he starts to reconsider his concept of race and becomes friends with a black, with whom he works in the prison laundry.
When gets out, free from prejudices and full of new ideas he realizes his younger brother is going down the same path, and Derek tries to prevent him from committing this terrible mistake. To Derek’s misfortune his brother was shot dead by the black man Derek defied at the beginning of the movie.

Inês Sousa, 10.17