American History X /

American History X is a 1998 American drama film directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo and Avery Brooks. It was distributed by New Line Cinema. The film tells the story of two brothers, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) and Daniel "Danny" Vinyard (Edward Furlong) of Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California. Both are intelligent and charismatic students. Their father, a firefighter, is murdered by a black drug dealer while trying to extinguish a fire in a South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, and Derek is drawn into the neo-Nazi movement. Derek brutally kills two black gang members whom he catches in the act of breaking into the truck left to him by his father, and is sentenced to three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. The story shows how Danny is influenced by his older brother's actions and ideology and how Derek, now radically changed by his experience in incarceration, tries to prevent his brother from going down the same path as he did. The film is told in the style of nonlinear narrative. David McKenna scripted the film and shooting took place in Los Angeles, California.