Malcolm X

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2008)

I being from India had heard of a revolutionary person called Malcolm X from US, who was shot dead at a young age, but did not know much about it. So when Malcolm X was referred to by African staying in UK as one of the most influential thinker, I thought let me see this movie.
The movie is based on the "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" co-written by Alex Haley and published in 1966 one year after Malcolm X's murder. Denzel Washington plays Malcolm X.
The movie narrates the story of a kid Malcolm, as a bright student who is not allowed to study further due to people's prejudice towards black. As a youth Malcolm leads a smoke, drug, alcohol, sex and burglary life that lands him in prison. In prison, he is influenced by a man named Bimbi, and the teachings of Islam through a prophet Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm studies and graduates from prison and joins Nation of Islam organisation of Elijah Muhammad. Here he takes the causes of African people, preachers and gives speeches against the atrocities of white people. He demands the right of African people who are here in American by default and not their own will. His daring outspokenness makes him popular among Africans and controvesial figure, but this also isolates him from everyone. He is thrown out of Nation of Islam and after a pilgrimage to Mecca his outlook changes a little bit and he starts his own organisation Muslim Mosque Inc. Within a few months he is shot dead.
This is a very good movie to understand who was Malcolm X? If someone does not want to read his life story and get incite in 3 hours. Hats off and kudos to Spike Lee, who undertook this daring project of great scale and magnitude, when he was only 35 years of age. No doubt that Spike Lee is considered one the best directors of Hollywood. Denzel Washington is so authentic in the role of Malcolm X, that it is hard to believe anyone else in that role. He lives the role to its cells. There is also an uncanny resemblance of Denzel with Malcolm X. Brilliant! It is so sad that Denzel did not win an Oscar that year  may be a reality check on his being black!!? One gets a very good idea of Malcolm X through this movie. He was a confused person, and one gets an impression that as lots of lost minds, he too got a hook in to cling on. Like Christianity, Judiasm, Hinduism, Nationalism etc. Malcolm also found his hook called Islam. Many things he spoke were so true and he dared to speak it out loud and clear. The only problem was he became mis-represented because he was wearing a garb of Black Muslim in American society.
The build up to the movie is slow and it takes nearly 1 hour for the movie to actually take hold of one's attention. The editing could have had been more tight. The most diluting part of the movie was its ending where Spike tried to normalize his life to a caricature black leader. Spike showed a street named Malcolm X, he made Nelson Mandela speak for Malcolm X, he made small children rant  "I am Malcolm X" and it was so sorry and laughable to see that at the end of such a wonderful and dramatic life story.
I think there was no need to explain or justify Malcolm X, the presentation of his life's story was in itself enough. That's all  nothing more. Like any other leader we see  Malcolm X was also a great confused leader.
(Stars 7.5 out of 10)