There was a classic lurking in American History X. Too bad it never materialized. Ed Norton has talent, and here he showcases it to a large, albeit uneven, extent. Stacy Keach is spot-on, and, I hate to say it, but Ed Furlong turns in a pretty good performance. Too bad the acting was scuppered by the script. (I know about the controversy involved with the director, and would hate to think that this film was screwed up for no other reason than dueling egos.) The film starts strong, but devolves into an after-school special. Ed Norton's transformation is wholly unbelievable---a prison gang-rape is a heckuva road-to-Damascus moment--and the writing becomes obnoxiously pat. This film has a "message", but, ironically, the tone makes it unpalatable. Too bad.
Review of American History X
