Empathy for the Devil

Jaded as we are, we thought we’d seen everything, but a sympathetic story about a skinhead? That’s the premise of David Gow’s 2006 film Steel Toes, which binds a neo-Nazi accused of racially motivated murder (Andrew Walker) to his liberal, Jewish defense attorney (the ever-fabulous David Strathairn of Good Night,...

By Clay McNear

January 24, 2008

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Jaded as we are, we thought we’d seen everything, but a sympathetic story about a skinhead? That’s the premise of David Gow’s 2006 film Steel Toes, which binds a neo-Nazi accused of racially motivated murder (Andrew Walker) to his liberal, Jewish defense attorney (the ever-fabulous David Strathairn of Good Night, and Good Luck fame). Though the picture is a transparent set-up – black heart versus white knight – Gow imbues his cinematic construct with masterful shades of gray.
Sun., Jan. 27, 3 & 6:30 p.m., 2008

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