4. 25th Hour - Monty Brogan
In Spike Lee's 2002 drama 25th Hour, Norton plays Monty Brogan, a street thug reminiscing on his life before spending the next 7 years in prison. Brogan is seen through various flashbacks and stages in his life, and although he is not necessarily a violent man, what these flashbacks tell is the story of a man pushed to his breaking point. There is one scene in the film in particular that lends to the idea that his character has a more so self destructive side as opposed to violent. Fueled by the stresses of leaving the streets of his hometown of New York City, Norton delivers a foul mouthed racially charged epitaph into a bathroom mirror about what irks him in the city. Monty attacks the homeless, the racial and cultural melting pot, the NYPD, the church, his friends, his family and ultimately himself. The scene is filmed in a neo-realistic approach, with Norton looking back at himself saying these words. The scene sends a message that although he hates everything about the city, his hatred stems at himself for messing it all up and losing everything and everyone that he holds dear. It is a powerful and honest performance from Norton that once again hints to the theory that he never allows a characters full surface to be shown in his films.