American History X

Edward Norton's finest performance is enough to recommend this gritty, powerful drama, but there is so much more going for it. Stacy Keach, Elliot Gould, even Edward Furlong (who I normally don't like) are all perfectly cast. This is some of the greatest acting in the past 20 years, and it includes one of the most notoriously brutal scenes I've ever witnessed. This scene, which shows why the Norton character ended up in prison is possibly the single most difficult scene I've ever tried to watch. I defy you not to look away from the screen. Trust me. One more reason to see this DVD is the deleted scenes, one of which is as interesting as any single scene in the movie, adding a lot to the Stacy Keach character's development. I don't know why it was cut out. This great film sorely needs a director commentary, too. Oh well. We can't have everything.