Karakteranalyse af Derek Vinyard i 'American History X'

Derek Vinyard is an extraordinary main character in the movie American history x and an important figure in the Nazi gang ”the Disciples of Christ” (D.O.C). Derek is a smart, dangerous, caring, mood swinging, notorious and probably mentally unstable guy.Derek has several Nazi tattoos and he’s pale white like a ghost, in the beginning of the movie Derek is bald as we get further into the movie (after prison) he grows his hair out to beautiful brown hair, with his blue eyes he briefly takes a look into your eyes to puncture the innocence of he’s fellow white people, whilst he’s encouraging them with his convincing words, the good deeds of his gang.Derek later in the movie got sentenced to prison for committing violent homicide on 2 black males. In prison Derek makes the acquaintance of a black inmate, with whom he works in the prison laundry room with. These two events, presents Derek as a violent racist, with a very vicious view on mankind.After Derek’s father's death committed by an African American, Derek’s view of mankind is altered, but while in prison, he discovers that there is good and bad in every race. The black inmate whom got sentenced to prison for stealing a television following by a series of events, convinced Derek that the system is corrupt, and so was he prior to that time. The task before him that lies ahead is to convince his younger brother Danny of his newfound enlightenment. Derek works with very harsh manners in his early ages of the movies, on the other hand when he got released, he got more polite and returned with a happier attitude and formed a better Derek. Derek being the main character, with all the mood swings and confusion, he plays a big roll not just for himself but also for the people around him, convinced people of good and bad, but not only that he also overcame the bad in himself.The story told is very emotional, dramatic and educating. American history x is about overcoming the bad within yourselves and the people around you. Personally I would rate the movie 7/10.