American History X Character Analysis

The majority of the most memorable characters in movies and even TV shows are the ones that don’t feel like characters at all. They feel like actual living people and not just an actor playing a role. If a character doesn’t evolve throughout the course of the movie but instead remains stagnant and emotionless, then the viewer can’t really connect with that character. People learn and grow and change because of their environment, and the characters that can recreate this human trait on film are the ones that feel the most human to the viewer. Characters like Derek Vinyard in the movie American History X (Tony Kaye, 1998) capture the human essence of changing for the better. American History X follows the story of Derek Vinyard, a former neo-Nazi skinhead who tries to stop his younger brother, Danny Vinyard, from going down the same path he did. The movie uses different techniques to emphasize Derek’s change as a person and his path to enlightenment. The beginning half of the movie is told through the eyes of Danny, in the form of …show more content…
These techniques emphasize certain aspects about Derek that change throughout the movie. The flashbacks give the viewer an insight into Derek’s past, and the color difference between the flashbacks and modern day show how Derek’s thinking has changed. He no longer sees everything as just black and white. The repetition of the murder scene along with the difference in camera angles show that Derek no longer sees himself as a god anymore, or as a leader of something good. The two basketball scenes also show that no one else sees Derek as a god or leader anymore neither. He wasn’t cheered on or picked up when he made the shots in prison. The camera wasn’t centered on him, and there was a lack of uplifting music. The narrative of the movie along with these different techniques help the viewer see Derek as more than just a