Blood in the Face
![[box cover]](../reviewimgs/b/bloodinthefacevhs.jpg)
If you saw American History X and, like us, found yourself perversely fascinated with the neo-Nazi skinhead subculture it so effectively depicted, you may want to hunt down the obscure 1991 documentary Blood in the Face for further viewing. Directed by Anne Bohlen and Kevin Rafferty, and based on the non-fiction book by James Ridgeway, Blood in the Face takes an understated approach to its topic, as the filmmakers visit a white supremacist retreat and proceed to have several casual on-camera conversations with the attendees, who range from the mildly kooky to the downright frightening. Many of the skinheads and Klan members seem as if they are going off talking points, reciting the shopworn tenets of their beliefs (we won't repeat them here), and the overall effect underscores the message of American History X — namely, that racism, hatred, and fear is something that is programmed into simple-minded people, rather than a trait that people are born with. In addition to the numerous interview sequences, Bohlen and Rafferty also dig up documentary footage of some infamous American white supremacists, including George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party, and David Duke, a prominent southern Klan leader and politician whose career highlights we'd rather not dignify on this website.
First Run Features has the U.S. distribution rights for Blood in the Face, and, as far as we can tell, none of their (mostly uncelebrated) titles have yet to reach DVD. However, Blood in the Face is still available from many online retailers, including Reel.com. If there's an independent video shop in your town that specializes in hard-to-find titles, you may find it there as well.