Self indulgent and way too long

Rating: 4/10 (11 December 2019)

I remember reading during the production of "Malcolm X" director/writer Spike Lee saying in an interview that he needed this movie to be over three hours long. He said that all of the great movie biographies were over three hours so this movie would be too. If a lengthy running time is a director's primary goal, his priorities are out of wack. A director's primary goal should be telling a good story. However, the very long running time isn't the only problem with "Malcolm X". The first half (the weaker half) is filled with distracting costumes, camera movement, dance numbers and endless cameos. For a while I thought this movie was going to have more cameos than "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". Another problem is Spike Lee's misuse of music. It pops up at the wrong times and takes you out of the drama of the scene. On the plus side, the acting is very good. When this movie was released film critics Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert said that movie was made for all audiences. That not true. "Malcolm X" was made for a very specific, very small audience. I am not part of that audience. If you are, more power to you. Honorable mention: Delroy Lindo.