Great film.

Rating: 9/10 (8 December 2014)

The film Malcolm X is extremely well done and a must see movie for any American citizen. Spike Lee does a spectacular job directing this film; he uses amazing lighting techniques throughout the film, Lee first uses a high-key glow behind the white woman that Malcolm notices when he is on a date with his black girlfriend. This high-key glow behind Sophia makes her look angelic and almost like a trophy, Lee uses this type of lighting on Sophia to make the viewer feel just as intrigued by Sophia as Malcolm does. Lee then uses a foggy filter with extremely dim lighting during most of Malcolm's life as a hustler. Lee uses this powerful technique to emphasize how cloudy Malcolm's judgment was at that point in his life. When Malcolm is sentenced to prison the lighting changes almost drastically, Lee shows Malcolm sitting in a cell with absolutely no light this technique allows the viewer to feel just as lost as Malcolm. Lee then uses high-key lighting to shine on Malcolm when the door is opened. The high-key lighting in this scene is used as a turning point in Malcolm's life and a symbol of Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad was first introduced to Malcolm in the shower where sound played in unison with the lighting. Lee uses diegetic sound in this scene, you hear the sound of the shower water slamming against the ground, and the ground is acting as a resistance to the flow of the water just as Malcolm is acting as a resistance to the nation of Islam. Once again Lee did an amazing job on this film and every American should take a few hours out of their life to watch it, because it gives us a better grasp and realization on the truth of our nation's history.