MovieChat Forums > American History X (1998) Discussion > the discussion with Sweeney in the Diner

the discussion with Sweeney in the Diner

posted a year ago by daveyh (641)
3 replies | jump to latest

with so many threads already about the ending, I was hoping this had been discussed already but I can't see it. When Sweeney and the cop approach Derek at the diner (just before the end of the movie), what exactly are they asking him to do?
Are they asking him to go "undercover" to get intel on his old gang? Maybe find out more about Seth and Cameron's beating the night before? If so, why didn't Derek clearly state that, less than 12 hours earlier, he had, in no uncertain terms, severed all ties with that gang and last he saw them they were chasing him at gunpoint. It's a pity they didn't ask him to do this immediately after he got out of prison - if he'd known they wanted his help in this way, he wouldn't have gone there and attacked Cameron and told Stacey he was out etc. After that, his bridges were now burned and he would indeed get shot by white guys.

[–] SlackerInc (1121) 9 months ago

It was kind of weird, and didn't quite make sense as you lay out quite well. All part of how unfortunately the final part of this movie (after the prison flashbacks are over) is a lot weaker than what came earlier.

[–] TerraFirma69 (2352) 6 months ago

I don't think they wanted him to go undercover or anything, I assumed Sweeney and the cops wanted him to talk to the people in the organization/gang who (had, at least) trusted him and convince them not to start further violence as revenge for the attack on Cameron and Seth.

[–] Tam87 (1598) 6 months ago

Didn't Ed Norton recut this film to give himself more screentime? Maybe that superfluous scene was one of the ones put back into the movie at his behest.