American History X looks at racism in a different light, from the perspective of a former neo-Nazi skinhead who is desperate to put his past behind him and protect his brother from following the same path. The film’s main character, Derek Vinyard, starts out as a normal teenager, a promising student with a loving family, but after his father is murdered by a group of a group of ethnic minorities, Derek descends into a downward spiral of racial hatred, blaming the multi-cultural society he lives in and the minorities who are part of it. Soon after, Derek embodies his hatred and becomes ‘The’ skinhead of California, slowly influencing more and more white people to follow his racist revolution, but at the same time creating a rift between himself and his family in an act that is seemingly slowly breaking it apart. Derek’s lifestyle inevitably sends him to prison after brutally murdering two crip gang members for attempting to steal his car. His brutality and hatred is shown through an infamous curb stomping scene. It is an action that Derek shows no remorse for and justifies as revenge for the murder of his father.
While initially starting his prison sentence by linking up with fellow skinhead inmates and increasing his influence outside of jail, Derek begins to feel betrayed by his fellow skinheads and becomes increasingly isolated from them. He reluctantly becomes friends an African-American named Lamont and slowly begins to form a close relationship with him, turning his hatred towards his fellow skinheads instead. Derek further loses faith in his simple-minded beliefs after suffering a brutal rape at the hands of his former neo-Nazi faction and some coaching from his former teacher Sweeney (Avery Brooks) who visits him after hearing of his brutal attack. Despite everything, Derek makes it out of jail in one piece, and attributes that to his new friend. Derek comes out of Jail a new man, eager to change his brother’s hate and violent ideologies before it is too late.
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