American History X

            "American History X" is a movie that was made in the year of 1998. This film is starring Edward Norton who plays the lead role of Derek Vinyard. This movie takes place in Venice Beach, and Compton. It portrays the life Derek before during and after his involvement in a gang. The story is told through the narration of his younger brother Danny.
             The movie begins with the crime that Derek commits that puts him in jail. A car of black men come to his house and begins to vandalize his car. His little brother Danny runs into Derek's room and tells him and Derek runs outside and kills two of them with a gun, and from there the story begins. Derek is the leader of a white supremist nazi gang called the DOC. One of the top teachers at Danny's school hears that Danny had written a paper on Hitler and calls him into his office to talk, and asked him to write a paper about Derek. He does this in hopes that Danny won't follow in Derek's footsteps. He assigned this paper on the same day his brother Derek is being released from prison.
             The two groups of gangs in this movie are the Nazis vs. Crips (white vs. Black). This particular gang (DOC) is started by a man named Cameron Alexander. He recruits kids who are troubled and from this method is how he finds Derek. A black guy killed Derek and Danny's father on the job as a firefighter. This is where his motivation and hatred of black people was derived. His little brother Danny looked dup to him so much he just wanted to follow in his footsteps. .
             The movie flashes from past to present and when it's in the past it is black and white, when it is in the present it is in color. It is kind of symbolic of the change that takes place with Derek before and after jail. When Derek is released from jail he is a changed person. He realizes that Danny is beginning to follow his footsteps and wants to change it. Before Derek was incarcerated he was a hard-core leader of this nazi gang DOC.