The American X-Files is also translated as Beastman. it is a crime drama film released in the United States in 1998. Directed by Tony Kayer and starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong and Beverly De Angelo.
The film tells the story of Derek Winya who is imprisoned for his father's murder and worships neo-Nazism, but his younger brother Danny is killed after he has lost his way.
If you are not familiar with American dramas, you will be confused by the trivial lines and ubiquitous conflicts in the film. However, if you think about it carefully, you can understand that this is not the trajectory of everyone's life.
First, go astray
It is not necessary to kill people and set fires to meet the criteria of going astray, but the inner way of thinking is more important than external criminal behavior. The character of Norton in the film goes to the other extreme because his father was killed by black people, and he becomes a neo-Nazi, although he does not do anything illegal, but he is subtly influencing other white youth in the community. On the contrary, after killing two black people, the protagonist has completed the transformation.
Second, sensitive and volatile
A person with an empty heart likes to pretend to be cynical. People need to create a different self from their actual selves. When faced with life's great setbacks, it's easy to go from one extreme to the other. For example, from good people to beasts.
Third, the cycle of cause and effect
Following the timeline, the protagonist's father is killed by black people, and he begins to hate black people and move toward neo-Nazis. The protagonist kills black people, becomes objective during his sentence, and rejects neo-Nazis. After finally being released from prison, his brother who followed him was killed by blacks. Through such a story of killing and being killed, the film explains a truth, that is, causality. When you go from one extreme to the other, you have been infected with two causes and effects, and the final result will definitely have two extreme environments affecting you, the difference is just the size of the impact.
Edward Norton is among the first-line actors with this film, which is a good breakthrough if you want to know Norton.