The title of this article, "My Mein Kampf" is not mine, but the title of a paper written in the movie by a young Daniel Vinyard (Edward Furlong) in "American History X". This sometimes graphic look into the memories and current events of Daniel Vinyard and his older, white-supremacist brother Derek.

When it first came out in theaters, all you heard was "Oh you HAVE to go see this movie" and similar comments. The first time I saw it was on Pay Per View a few months after it was in the theater. Only seeing bits and pieces of the movie everytime it was on, I finally wanted to see the entire film without interruption. A few days ago I bought the DVD and locked myself into a room and watched it, start to finish.

I'm an Italian from New York, growing up in the Bronx. In my neightborhood, there was always some type of racial bickering. You know the kind, someone has an argument with the Pakistani who owns the deli on the corner and for the next few weeks all you hear about is "those friggin' sand ni**ers". But watching this movie showed the extreme of white-supremacy and how far some people will go to try to make that a reality.

Derek was a teenager in Venice Beach, CA. After he loses his father, a firefighter, during a house fire in South Central by being shot by a gang member; he finds comfort in the world of hate. Years of skinheads running around beating and killing those who are not white-protestant lands him in prison for murdering two black men.

Daniel's paper, American History X, serves as the narration for the movie. After Derek goes to prison, Daniel finds his way into the skinhead gang.

I'm not going to ruin the rest of the movie for those of who havent seen it yet, but if and when you do decide to watch it, ask yourself this:

"Does this really go on?"
Yes. Sadly, it does. We see it all the time. Whether it's some guy in Wisconson with a rifle dressed in hunting camo's talking to God on a short-band radio, or a group of rednecks in the south burning crosses on someone's front lawn. Racial murders do happen, and it's not only the white people murdering blacks, i'm sure you know.

Looking more at the plot; the movie comes into the story halfway, and when it does go into the history of Derek's hatred, it doesn't go far enough. No one knows how he met Cameron, the leader of the white movement. We do find out who started the ball rolling with Derek's racism. In a remembered family dinner, Derek's father is seen talking about two new black firemen who have joined his squad as a result of what he calls "Affirmative Black-tion."

Watch and interpret this movie for yourself, everyone takes something different away from it. Whether it's the real message from the story that racism is bullsh**, or if you remember only a few racial jokes that were said in the movie. But don't take away the gang's message, that white is right, their actions alone show how right the white movement is, with murders, propaganda, and rhetoric that is misconstrewed and repeated over and over because there is no basis, no logical basis, that would ever support racism.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older