Al Pacino

Edward Norton gives a powerful performance, expertly portraying two sides of the same person in American History X.

With the ability to jump into the skin of a character and then shed that skin in so little time, Norton will no doubt one day reach legend status. However, this version of the character is a far cry from the man he is in the present. But as he proceeds to expand his catalog of work, it’s always entertaining to return to American History X to witness the moment he went from good to extraordinary. As the grieving son, Derek is looking for somebody to blame for why his father was senselessly killed. As the skinhead leader, Derek was consumed by the past and what had happened to his father. Instead, his time behind bars serves as the transitional period where he learns the error of his ways. He is, essentially, the worst of the worst and Norton plays it brilliantly. As the frontman of a group of frightened, confused, and impressionable white youths, Derek manages to convince them that all of their suffering is the result of immigration. That’s not to say that such a reversal of character is something unique to this movie. The following sequence is a truly uncomfortable watch, as the skinheads storm the store and violently beat its employees. And because of this, Norton is therefore expected to play two very different characters who just so happen to occupy the same body. And yet, if there was one performance that best exemplifies Norton’s range it is arguably his turn as Derek Vinyard in Tony Kaye’s 1998 crime drama American History X.