Actors - American History X

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	Actors - American History X

American History X is a 1998 film directed by Tony Kaye and written by David McKenna. It stars Edward Norton in the lead role, and co-stars Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien, Ethan Suplee, Fairuza Balk, Avery Brooks, Elliott Gould, and Stacy Keach. Norton was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.

Synopsis

The title of American History X is derived from the name of a class Danny was forced to take after writing a controversial essay on Adolf Hitler's autobiography, Mein Kampf. When his Jewish teacher became outraged, he burst into Sweeney's office and complained. Danny was called into the office and was told that he was to write about his brother, Derek Vinyard's, life story and have it on his desk the next morning or face immediate expulsion. The class was entitled American History X. Danny continually complains that his new founded neo-Nazi ways have nothing to do with his big brother Danny, but Dr. Sweeney rebukes him and sends him on his way.

This film tells the story of Derek Vinyard (Norton). An extremely bright student, Derek was lured into the neo-Nazi underground after his father, a Los Angeles firefighter, was shot and killed by a black gang member while trying to put out a meth lab fire. Derek concluded that blacks were only dragging the "supreme" white race down and killing each other off. He was second in command of the Venice Beach neo-Nazi gang, The Disciples of Christ, who lured young whites into their gang by promising protection from Mexican and black gangs who were essentially in control of the area. He and Cameron, who was the number one of the D.O.C, eventually regained control of the boardwalk, basketball and maintained a large presence at the high school. The D.O.C became a symbolic gang in Venice Beach for allowing whites to stick up for themselves while maintaining a drug-free atmosphere.

One night while Derek was sleeping, three Crips were breaking in to his Ford Bronco. His younger brother, Danny, heard the glass smash awoke him and told him that "black guys" were breaking into his truck. Only in a white pair of boxers, Derek became infuriated and seized a .40 caliber Glock handgun from a nightstand drawer and put on a pair of steel toed combat boots. Derek kicked open the front door, with seemingly mechanical movement, and shot the guard at his door five to six times, killing him instantly. He then shot the second Crip twice in the stomach, badly wounding him but still allowing him to breathe and remain awake. The third man, who was the getaway driver, began speeding away. Derek fires at the back of the car and empties his clip without accomplishment. Realizing that no more rounds are left, Derek puts on a ghastly smile and walks towards Lawrence, the wounded one who is now bleeding terribly and groaning loudly.

Derek drags him by the hair and drags him over to the curb and begins a loud, curse filled rant in his face. Recognizing Lawrence as the leader of the black gang that he personally kicked off the basketball courts by scoring a last-second dunk in a basketball game for the courts, Derek screams that "you should have learned your place on the fucking basketball court, but you fucking monkeys never get the picture!" Then, he says that he will teach Lawrence "a real lesson" and tells him to bite the curb. Confused and completely terrified, Lawrence reluctantly obeys. Then, we see Danny run over pleading for Derek to stop. Derek cocks back his leg and crushes Lawrence's skull on the curb, shattering all of his teeth and jaw, and presumably breaking the neck due to the extreme whiplash. Immediatly following this, two police cars swerve around the corner, and the officers shout at Derek to drop his weapon and get on his knees. He suprisingly obeys, following their orders with as much precision as possible. At the end of the scene, Derek smiles with pride at his family, who is watching with horror as he is stuffed in the back of an LAPD patrol car.

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Actors - American History X

Synopsis

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