By: Miguel Ernesto Yusty

American History X, from 1998, is a film directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Norton in one of his most memorable roles. The film became a key reference point for studying how Nazi movements negatively impacted the stability of a family. It was nominated for 15 awards at film festivals and helped solidify Norton's reputation as one of the great actors of his time. The film also gained notoriety due to the director's protests, as he felt sidelined by Norton's attitude, who seemed to supplant him throughout production and even during the editing process.

The film tells the story of how the teachings imparted within the family circle determine the behavior of its members, affecting them from generation to generation. As if it were karma, the consequences of the father's upbringing will determine the behavior of his eldest son and fatally impact the life of the younger one, who has taken his older brother as an example, in a chain of unfortunate events that seems impossible to stop. The only hope, and this is the most interesting aspect, lies in the teachings of a stubborn teacher who never stops believing that a better world is possible.

AMERICAN HISTORY X, available on AMAZON PRIME, boasts strengths such as its camerawork and cinematography, which border on the poetic. The editing, which was a source of controversy for the director, is also noteworthy and undoubtedly successful. The acting is superb, not only Edward Norton's but also that of the rest of the cast. However, the film excels in its choice of antagonist. AMERICAN HISTORY X is a battle of ideologies: discriminatory ideas versus inclusive ones, the latter being the antagonist. It depicts a world seemingly doomed to failure, where the strength of a stubborn professor is the only beacon of hope… though the film's ending doesn't reveal the triumph of redemption, leaving the viewer with an open question that invites interpretation.