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American History X : Tony Kaye Essay

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American History X (Tony Kaye. 1998), is an example of a Hollywood film that boldly embodies Bernardi’s argument; “US cinema has consistently constructed whiteness, the representation and narrative form of Eurocentrism, as the norm by which all ‘Others’ fail by comparison” (Bernardi page5). The plotline centres on the main character; a former neo-Nazi skinhead named Derek Vinyard, and his attempt to stop his younger brother- Danny Vinyard from getting involved in the white supremacy gangs of Los Angeles. The film is symbolic of aspects of European and American history; combining implications of both Nazi Germany and the reign of Adolf Hitler, with past and present US Neo-Nazism. American History X deals with controversial racial issues such as white supremacy and white privilege, the discrimination against people of colour, eurocentrism and the power of whiteness, through different cinematic mediations, film context and character framing. “What all contributions to this study of race in early cinema have in common is the grounding of their analysis in history” (Bernardi, page 10). Bernardi’s quote relates to how understanding the sociohistorical context of American History X is crucial to understanding how whiteness and eurocentrism is constructed in the narrative. The historical background of American History X dates back to the reign of the Nazi Party in Europe. After German defeat in World War I, Nazism arose and Neo-Nazi factions were established in countries all over

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