In 1998, the American film The Other American History, directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Furlong and an unrecognizable Edward Norton, premiered. The film describes American society of the time, not unlike today;; a world in which immigration has transformed the face of cities and regained strongly some of the most radical ideas, which seemed to be dormant and rooted in younger minds.
The American Other Story begins with a black-and-white flashback scene in which a young neo-Nazi, Derek Vinyard, brutally murders two young African-Americans trying to steal his car. Meanwhile, at home, his mother and two sisters sleep and his younger brother looks at the scene in shock.
- Moments later.
- We return to the present.
- This time in color.
- When young Daniel Vinyard.
- Derek’s brother.
- Seems to follow in his brother’s footsteps and presents an essay on the book Mein Kampf at his school.
- To prevent him from ruining throughout his life.
- Professor Sweeney asks the young man to do an unusual job called “American History X.
- ” in which he must reflect on his brother’s actions.
The Other American History’s proposal is interesting and the plot is well presented, however, it has generated mixed opinions. Some critics consider him melodramatic and have pointed out the difficulty of empathizing with Derek’s character, it is hard to believe that he is the same person after his departure from prison and it is difficult to understand the behavior of his mother and sister. that simple?
As spectators, we can’t forget the brutality of the opening scene, so the feeling is astonishing and we find it hard to believe that Derek has been the same person lately from the beginning.
Norton’s work to play Derek is truly surprising, we believe in his performance, but it’s hard to accept his new situation, his attempt to get away from his dark past, so the film generates several moral doubts in the viewer and makes him lose his credibility.
However, it is interesting to see the background of the ideas of the two protagonists, the manipulation of the most vulnerable and understand, to some extent, why this kind of hatred is present in our societies today.
Thus, between scenes from the black-and-white past and current color scenes, we discover the motives that led Derek to arrest and his subsequent redemption, a vision linked to the dissemination of ideas from generation to generation, which makes us think of our own prejudices and their nature.
Every day we get used to walking around the city center and meeting people from different backgrounds, religions, cultures, etc. , however, and although many try to avoid it, there are many prejudices with different cultures, prejudices that are deeply rooted in our society and even institutions, and that are very difficult to combat.
Each city has its own cultural identity and we all love to be part of something, it is normal to defend our customs, our language and our culture, we want this, well, that what our parents and grandparents passed on to us does not disappear. So when we see that idea we had about us oscillating, what is beginning to spread, conflicts can arise and, at worst, a rescue of ideas that can trigger hatred.
The Other American History places us in a neighborhood of workers, a neighborhood that, over time, has come from very different origins. Many of these people are doomed to marginalization, which is often the case in our cities. This mass arrival provoked a reaction from the indigenous population, a reaction of rejection and hatred.
At the same time, immigrants feel rejected by the local population because of their marginalization status, so hatred flows from both sides, making relationships and integration impossible.
After the loss of his father, Derek blames the black and Latino population for his death and all the problems of society, hence unworked changes in his worldview that led him to approach Cameron, a middle-aged man with neoplasms. Nazi ideology.
Cameron sees Derek as a frustrated young man, a vulnerable young man, but someone with a lot of potential because he is intelligent and very angry with all ethnic minorities, Cameron will take advantage of this situation and leave the child responsible for managing his own “army,” a group of young skinheads, similar to Derek, who will do justice.
Similarly, we will see a reaction from the black population, young people from both groups will form gangs, where violence will be paramount, an interesting aspect is that Cameron, the mastermind of the whole operation, will always be on the brink of violence. confusion, without getting their hands dirty, manipulating young people and throwing parties, all this so that they cling firmly to these ideas that he has implemented and act violently of his own free will.
Danny, the younger brother, has always idolized Derek, even though he’s in prison for murder. At the same time, the group of shaved heads he led has become stronger and everyone considers Derek a hero. However, in his former environment, people try to praise his actions, Derek becomes “Black?”when he gets to prison. He will be mistreated by other prisoners and try to find a place with targets.
Derek joins a group of neo-Nazis in prison, but realizes that they no longer believe in anything, ideology is no longer as strong, becoming a mere facade.
At the same time, he goes to work in the laundry with a young African American who tries to make his day in prison a little less difficult. At first, Derek hesitates to talk to the young man due to his ideas. In the end, he opens up and becomes an ally in jail.
Derek becomes the ‘indicated?Another ?, when we get to prison, you will feel the abuse and violence that he himself has caused others in his own skin only by the color of his skin or by its origin, in this way and with the help of Professor Sweeney’s visits, Obviously, he cannot resurrect the two people he murdered , but you can force your brother to choose another path. After getting out of jail, he has to face the harsh reality he left behind and try to help. his brother so as not to make the same mistakes.
We think with inherited ideas that are passed down from generation to generation, we have emotional ties to our origin and we do not want our cultural identity to disappear, at the same time social policies also do not promote positive integration and conflicts arise with the arrival of new cultures; however, our history, our world, is the result of migration movements, cultural and linguistic exchanges, etc.
The Other American Story reveals the truth behind Derek’s ideas, how they emerged from his father’s legacy and were reinforced with Cameron’s help. Tragic, violent and raw, this film presents us with the most radical consequences of a reality that is not unknown.
“Hate is a burden. -The other American story-