From: glovercj@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: The Sabotage of Malcolm X
Date: 7 Jan 93 14:32:17 GMT
Organization: Drexel University

>There is a force at work here. Its name is Spike Lee.
Spike may not be the greatest person on the planet but I liked the movie,
because Malcolm was real, he was human and made mistakes just like you and me.
And as he made me mistakes he corrected them. He spoke for the life of Africans
in AMerica. What do you know about that?

>Hollywood trade publications are reporting that Lee's movie is
>shaping up as a moderate box-office flop. Surveys indicate
>two reasons: the movie is too long, and it's perceived as a
>preachy, tedious history lesson. Ironically, when the movie was 
>being released, there were dark rumors about mysterious forces
>that were trying to cut down the length of the movie, presumably
>in order to "thwart the communication of Malcolm's important
>message".

Of course, Hollywood would say its a flop, that was planned from the very
beginning, when Spike thought about making the movie. Again, African-Americans
have been shafted.
 
>Having seen the movie at last over the weekend, I am now aware
>of America's guilty little secret: "Malcolm X" is not very good. 
>Spike Lee is so terrified of his subject, and so intent on creating
>a pigmented version of "Ghandi", that he forgot all about making
>an exciting movie about a complex, brilliant, slightly disturbed
>man. Spike wants to be a great educator, but the second half of
>the movie rarely rises above the level of a made-for-TV docudrama.
>The result is - a preachy, tedious history lesson.

I disagree, X was good. You have your opinion and I'll have mine, but I
seriously doubt that a lot of African-Americans did not like the movie. A
pigmented version of Ghandi, is what you expected and not what you got, I
believe that's the problem. Spike is an educator, just not in the Eurocentric
way you're used to, Sorry, live with it.

> [X]   - started out as a criminal,
>    - converted to a bizarre offshoot of Islam with a crack-brained,
>      racist theology, an impossible set of standards of conduct, and
>      a corrupt leadership,
>    - badmouthed and insulted the black political leaders who were
>      making enormous progress in overcoming racism,
>    - recognized the truth (that there is good and bad among all
>      races) when that truth had been staring him in the face for
>      years,
>    - died a horrible death at the hands of his former associates.

So, I guess you were born a Saint and never made any mistakes? Right? Nope? Or
you'd be ???. Malcolm we can all say made mistakes, but who doesn't. I guess
you're able to know the truth, even when you've been taught something that
isn't true. Example: Yopu accept as true that E=mc^2 or F=ma, what if 20 years
down the line, that isn't true, should we shoot you for believing that in the
first place?

>I fully recognize the man's admirable qualities, chiefly his eloquent
>espousal of the worth and dignity of Black Americans, and his emphasis
>on pride and self-reliance. But Spike Lee set out to depict a Christ-like
>figure, and failed. The funny thing is that there was (and still is) a
>great movie to be made from the fascinating life of Malcolm X. It was
>said that it's impossible for a white person to make such a movie. I
>think that's true but, in today's racially super-charged America, it may 
>be impossible for a black person as well.
>
>
>Stefan
>
Who says Spike set out to depict a Christ-like character, but you. Christ was
the perfect man, so how is Malcolm Christ-like?? X was a great movie, and it's
a shame that there are people out there like you who refuse to accept
African-American Genius, when it kicks you right in the butt.

                        Chad J Glover
           glovercj@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu      
       Drexel University Software Testing Lab
   If a man hasn't found something he will die for, he
                        isn't fit to live. --MLK
Xref: sparky soc.culture.african.american:13659 soc.culture.african:7459