American History X

American History X is a 1998 American crime drama film directed by Tony Kaye, written by David McKenna, and stars Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk, Stacy Keach, Elliott Gould, Avery Brooks, Ethan Suplee and Beverly DAngelo. The film was released in the United States on October 30, 1998 and was distributed by New Line Cinema.

Danny Vinyard Edward Furlong, a high school student and budding neoNazi in Venice Beach, California, receives an assignment from Mr. Murray Elliott Gould, his history teacher, to write a paper on any book which relates to the struggle for human rights. Knowing Murray is Jewish, Danny writes his paper on Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf. Murray attempts to get Danny expelled for doing this, but Principal Dr. Bob Sweeney Avery Brooks who is black refuses, instead informing Danny that he will study history and current events under Sweeney, and that the class will be called American History X. Dannys first assignment is to prepare a paper on his brother Derek Edward Norton, a former neoNazi leader who has just been released from prison after serving three years for voluntary manslaughter. Danny is warned that failing to submit the paper the next morning will result in his expulsion. The rest of the film alternates between a series of vignettes from Danny and Dereks shared past distinguished by being shown in black and white, and present day events shown in color.Derek and Dannys father is Dennis Vinyard William Russ, a firefighter who displays racist tendencies in reaction to the news that Dereks English teacher, Dr. Sweeney, had assigned Richard Wrights novel Native Son. Sent on a call to fight a fire in a drug den, Dennis is murdered by black drug dealers. In a television interview conducted after Denniss death, Derek erupts in a long racist tirade. Shortly thereafter, Cameron Alexander Stacy Keach and Derek form a white supremacist gang called the D.O.C. Disciples of Christ ........

Source: Wikipedia