Final Film Critique - Research Paper Example

?Film Critique on American History X The movie American History X (1998) throws light on the racial discrimination that was prevalent in the Americansociety. The feelings of hatred, unrest and intolerance between the two races are best revealed in the movie and the spectator is really shocked by the brutal murders and violence done in the name of racism in the movie. The plot of the movie unfolds through the eyes of Danny Vineyard (Edward Furlong) and as the movie progresses one understands the real reason for the murder committed by the hero Edward Norton who plays the role of Derek Vinyard in the movie. One understands how Derek gets transformed from the prison, and his efforts to save his brother from his own fate keep the spectator in thrill and suspense all throughout the movie. Most of the violence and deaths seen in the movie leave lasting impressions in the minds of the audience regarding the meaninglessness and futility of using violence as means to achieve one’s goals. The paper attempts to make a film critique on American History X and in doing so the paper deals with the storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, style and directing, genre, film criticism and analysis, and the societal impact of the movie. The story-telling of the movie deserves primary attention as the spectator finds a shift in the movie from present to past and vice versa. It is the flashback scenes in the movie that offer depth to the narrative of the story and as such the narration seems to be non-linear. However, the story of the film is narrated in real time and the episodic nature of the movie sustains the interest of the audience. The flash back scenes in the film make the spectators aware of the past incidents that took place in the life of Derek and Danny Vinyard. In the opening scene of the movie, one finds Danny being called to the Principal’s room for writing a paper in praise of Hitler and his neo-Nazi movement. He is asked to write a paper on his brother, who was imprisoned for killing two black guys, instead. On coming out from the principal’s room, he finds three black boys beating up a white boy and this prompts him to think about the good old days of the white gang before his brother was arrested. Thus, the life of Derek Vinyard before he was imprisoned is unearthed through flash back scenes which are very effectively employed by the director. Similarly, the movie can be regarded as an allegory or a satire. The story-telling of the movie aims at satirizing the racial discrimination and racial violence that prevailed in the American society. In the same way, it is an allegory as it offers a clear cut message to the spectators. Towards the climax of the movie one do not find Derek planning to avenge the murder of his brother Danny; on the other hand, the movie ends with certain lines Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address where he states that the whites and the Blacks in America are not enemies but friends. Similarly, the language used in the movie is quite insidious and the dialogues in the movie display racial hatred and racial fanaticism. In the same way, the plot and the characterization of the movie are quite complementary; all the major characters in the movie are round characters who undergo drastic changes in their outlooks and behavior as and when the plot develops. Irony is employed as a powerful tool in the movie. It is quite ironic that Derek fails to save Danny’s life in spite of all his efforts to keep Danny out of the white neo-Nazi street gang. Similarly, it is ironical that Danny’s murderer is none other than a close relative of the Black boy whom Derek murders brutally in the beginning of the movie. Thus, it can be observed that the writer has made special efforts to provide a wholesome unity to the story-telling of the movie. The acting as well as the characterization of the film complements each other. No doubt, the director has undertaken a remarkable job in making the most appropriate casting for his characters. All the characters in the movie contribute to the development of the plot. While the whole movie centers round the two dominant characters (Derek and Danny), the characters of Doris Vinyard, Dr. Robert "Bob" Sweeney, Cameron Alexander, Davina Vinyard, and Stacey are equally significant in the movie. The characterization of Derek and Danny (whose roles were acted by Edward Norton and Edward Furlong) are done quite superbly and when one watches the movie both these actors cease to exist whereas their characters torment the mind of the spectators. The points of view, attitudes, outlooks and motivations of all the characters in the movie are revealed through their dialogues. The spectator can very well understand why Derek’s outlooks towards the Black people are drastically changed due to the murder of his own father by a Black. Similarly, the motivations that prompt Derek to become an activist in the white neo-Nazi gang known as ‘D.O.C is quite evident to the viewer through the effective portrayal of characterization in the movie. The movie also pictures how racist ill-feelings are transmitted to the younger generation by adult members and the character of Cameron Alexander (Stacy Keach) offers the best testimony to this in the movie. Analyzing the character sketch of the protagonist, one can find that even as an youngster Derek is very much influenced by his father’s critical views on black culture and how one has to suppress them. In the beginning, we find Derek more interested in the idea of white supremacy rather than its violence of culture, and this is evident in the basket ball court scene where he only tries to channel his aggression into the game, black versus white, for the ownership of the courts. But his father’s murder turns him into a fanatic. The plot of the movie develops from the murder of Derek’s father, a firefighter, who was shot and killed by a black drug dealer. The murder of the father by a black man stirs the racial hatred in him and this is exploited by Cameron (Stacy Keach), the old white supremacist. The death of Derek’s father assumes a greater significance in the movie as Derek blames the whole black race for the death of his father and this makes him to hate anyone who is not a white protestant. Later, as the movie progresses, the spectator understands that it was not just the murder of his father that turns him into an extremist; even his father’s conversation at the dinner table one night about racism has lasting impressions of hatred in his raged mind. Thus, Derek becomes an active member of the Venice Beach neo-Nazi gang, “The Disciples of Christ (D.O.C.)”, which aims to protect the young whites from black minority gangs and undertakes measures to keep them under control. How much dedicated and committed is Derek for the organization’s goals is evident from the scene where he assembles his gang members and makes a speech of hatred in front of a store owned by a Korean immigrant, accusing the immigrants of stealing the rightful jobs of Americans. He angrily states: “We're here tonight to show the government how we feel about minorities taking over our country. They treat us like criminals while they reward them with jobs and fucking welfare checks” (Kaye, 1998). Without any scruples, he and his gang attack the employees and chase away the customers from the shop. The spectator cherishes feelings of anguish when they find the scenes where he displays the large Swastika tattooed on his chest and the carved letters D.O.C on his right hand, and these suggest to the audience how much he is caught in the web of racism and hatred. All throughout the movie, Derek’s large Swastika tattooed on his chest and the carved letters D.O.C on his right hand are used as symbols that stand for his white dominant identity. The dinner scene is yet another instance of the extremist stand point of Derek. Murray (Gould), their Jewish guest, shares a liberal view supported by Derek’s mother Doris (Beverly D’ Angelo), which turns Derek violent, frustrated and mad that even his mother remarks: “I'm ashamed that you came out of my body” (Kaye, 1998). Derek’s mother Doris, in the movie, represents the liberal and tolerant attitude shown by many whites towards the Black minorities. Thus, it can be stated that it is the acting and characterization in the movie that raises it to the stature of one of the classic films that depict the white-black conflicts in America. American History X is abundant with a lot of rich cinematography and visuals. The film-maker has employed the effective use of color, space and the choice of various shots that are appropriate for each scene. For instance, the flash back scenes in the movie are depicted using black and white color combination whereas the other scenes are shot in colour sequences. Similarly, the background settings of various scenes in the movie are grim, allowing the spectator to focus more on the character rather than his/her surroundings. The visual effects of various scenes are enhanced with appropriate camera movements. For instance, the most cruel and cold blooded murder in the movie takes place in the scene where Derek kills the second of the two blacks who tried to break into his car and the camera movements in the scene are extremely noteworthy. Derek shoots one of the men, killing him, and wounds a second. The scene where Derek orders him to place his mouth on the curb and then breaks his jaw and neck, and his triumphant walk afterwards attract the attention of the audience. The slow-motion scene where the close up facial expression of Derek is evident while the policeman tries to pull him up clearly depicts the richness of the cinematography employed in the movie. However, the spectator is forced to despise this action of the protagonist as no one can ever justify the brutality involved in the incident. However, the incident is the key to the development of the plot of the movie and it expands the scope of the movie in general. It is these first two murders that provide Derek an opportunity to get transformed, and towards the end of the movie Danny’s murder is directly linked with this incident. The scene where Danny is shot dead is shot abruptly and the focus is on Derek’s reaction to the incident. Later his life in the prison and his acquaintance with the black inmate named Lamont (Guy Torry), with whom he works in the prison laundry room, changes his outlook towards black people and he comes out of the prison as a transformed man. Almost all the scenes in the prison prove the richness of cinematography and visuals in the movie, as a series of related events follow one after the other convincing the spectators of the transformation process that Derek undergoes. While in prison, he begins to see things in a different way. His mind becomes open and liberal and he is able to understand where has erred in his true knowledge regarding the American History. The bathroom scene, in particular, is quite impressive and opens the eyes of Derek as well as the audience. The employment of shots and shot sequences, the appropriate blending of music and sound effects, and the unique direction style of Tony Kaye have all added to the wide public demand for the movie. The selection of the shots and shot sequences in the movie has immensely contributed to the making of the tempo and mood in the movie. For instance, the shot sequences on the dinner table, creates a mixed mood of awe, hatred and sympathy in the minds of the viewers. While everyone becomes awesome at the fanatic behaviour of Derek and despise his behaviour, there are many who feel sympathy for Derek’s mother and sister. It is also significant to see Danny remaining as a silent spectator to the turning of events here. Similarly, the basket-ball scene sequences that depict the victory of Derek change the mood into victory, joy and happiness whereas the shot sequences in the prison evokes mixed moods. The mood created by the depiction of the initial murder (that of the black boy whom Derek murders) and the final murder (that of Danny) can vary from spectator to spectator. A variety of shots such as long shots, aerial shots, mid-shots, and close up shots are very effectively employed by Kaye to bring home the effects of various moods in the movie. Another important aspect to be taken into account is the sound effects and the music employed in the movie. One can undoubtedly state that the movie could not have been so much effective without the effective mix of music and background sounds for each of the scenes. The spectator is specially been affected by the sound effects being employed in the scene where Derek brutally murders the second of the two black boys. It is the background sounds that exert greater impact on the audience in the shots that immediately follow this murder. It can also be observed that the mood of the scenes and the type of music and sound employed for each of the scenes go in tune with each other and it is the effective employment of sound that enhances the severity and depth of each of the moods in the movie. The directing style of Kaye is to be understood in connection with all the other aspects mentioned above. It is the effective use of flash backs, the choice of shots and scenes, casting, the development of scene sequences that convey various moods to the onlooker, and the episodic narration of the story that add credential to the directing style of Kaye in the movie. The film belongs to the drama genre of the film as it deals with a realistic theme and depicts the lives of realistic characters. The whole movie deals with the dramatic theme of racial prejudice, racial discrimination and racial violence and as such it is categorized in the drama genre. However, it is significant to note that MPAA Rating has rated the film with a R as it depicts violence, pervasive language and nudity. Usually, R-rated films “include hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above, so that parents are counseled, in advance, to take this advisory rating very seriously” (MPAA Ratings, 2011). One can also infer that as the film comes under the drama genre the spectators will also pay attention to the universal message conveyed by the film. One can never conclude any discussion on American History X without referring to the potential societal impact the film had on the American society. The film, as it addresses a controversial societal issue that haunts America for ages, has brought about radical impacts on the American society. The universal message conveyed by the film-that of racial acceptance and tolerance rather than racial violence-has great relevance. At the end of the movie, the spectator feels sympathy for Derek when Danny is shot to death by a black gunman that his efforts to save his brother were futile. The death of Danny is of greater significance because of the very fact that he was murdered in school by one of the younger brothers of whom Derek had murdered at the beginning. Thus, the spectator finds a continuity of revenge and deaths in the movie and the fact that Derek does not try to avenge the death of his brother conveys the real message of the movie. Even the murder of his own brother is now unable to turn him into a beast as he has grasped the meaning of life and the futility of violence. The change of Derek from murderer to a great forgiver makes the connection between his first two murders and that of the death of his own brother more appealing to the spectator. The film ends with shots of the beach at sunset, and Danny reciting the last lines of his essay which is quoted from Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address: “: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection”, which actually conveys the message of the movie (Kaye, 1998). The movie, as its title suggests, really speaks of the American history as it deals with how America had been in the past; and it clearly provides a message to the spectators as to how America should be in the future. The movie doesn’t glorify violence or murder; instead it spreads messages of harmony, oneness and unity. The movie, directed by Tony Kaye, exerts special, capturing images in the mind of onlookers with his crafty art of direction, the employment of appropriate background music, and the effective use of flash backs which creates dramatically forceful impacts. References MPAA Ratings. (2011). Retrieved 22 Feb. 11 from IGN Entertainment, Inc. website: http://www.ign.com/mpaa.html Kaye, Tony. (1998). American History X. New Line Cinema. Read More