Tony Kaye, director and cinematographer, tells the story so it is seen through the eyes of Derek Vineyard (Edward Norton) little brother Danny (Edward Furlong). Since Danny looks up to Derek, Kaye manipulates the camera so that the audience would see what it is Danny sees. The violent actions and powerful vocal opinions of Derek are woven into a mold that shapes the behaviors and thoughts of Danny. “In the most fascinating scene, Derek sits at a table and makes lucid, intelligent sounding justifications for his political philosophy. Norton is perfect for the role. Even in the grip of passion, he acts as though he’s a reasonable guy, leading from his head (Vice).” This statement demons

Michael Elliot said it best when he said, “If there is one thing this world has in abundance... it's hate.” American is so stylistic in appeal because of the fact that it seems so real. The white picked fences and blue shutters all represent middle America and middle America represents the Vineyards. Regardless of whether you like the movie or not there is no denying that looks very real. I just hope the change in Derek represents the change in all of us.

Throughout the picture, Tony Kaye allows the viewer to look back on the troubled life of Derek through a series of flashbacks. All of his problems leading up to his incarceration for murdering two African American gang members are shown to the audience through the use of black and white photography. These scenes do more then just add to the visual mystique of the motion picture, they make the flashbacks seem authentically old; and they give more depth to the suspense of the more violent and controversial scenes. For example Roger Ebert states, “the film employs the language of racism-the gutter variety and more sophisticated variations. The film is always interesting and sometimes compelling, and it contains more actual provocative thought than any American film on race since “Do the Right Thing” (Ebert).” On the other hand, many critics believe Kaye may have had a deeper reason for portraying all of Derek’s troubles through the eyes of his brother in black and white. Except for the final scene, all the violen

Some topics in this essay:
Michael Dequina, American Flag, Derek Kaye, Tony Kaye, Elliot” Throughout, Thing” Ebert”, Derek Derek, Michael Elliot, Derek Danny, African American, black white, tony kaye, middle america, edward norton, american flag,