Back in 1998, Filmmaker Tony Kaye was publicized as a Hollywood outsider. He made a living doing commercials and music videos, and wasn’t looking to move into features unless it was on his own terms. He was hired to make American History X, a controversial film then and a story few would care to see now. Few people know what Kaye’s vision for the film was because Edward Norton thought his work on the film was really good, and he wanted to make sure it wasn’t messed with by the Hollywood outsider.
The performance by Norton isn’t just great, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime performance that under normal circumstances would go down in history as one to study and learn from. He doesn’t just play Derek as a racist skinhead full of anger, the script gets in deep and goes back to his impressionable youth when Derek is another lost teenager. We see Derek as a smart man, a compassionate man, and often a walking, vulnerable wound who has lost the purpose of his own cause. Despite allegations that Norton took over in the editing, no scene stands out as showboating or Oscar-bating. It makes me think that Norton was right, though I’ve been impressed by Tony Kaye’s few features that have come out since. So, maybe he was onto something too.
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