An incredible story told in an incredible way

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2014)

SPOILER ALERT!!!
The movie, as you have probably gathered by the time you are reading this, is about Malcolm X, so there is some content that may make some viewers uncomfortable. Malcolm X is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is amazing not only because of the performances that the actors gave, but because Spike Lee uses some techniques and makes some choices that turn this movie from a good one to an amazing one. The movie starts off when Malcolm is enjoying the life of a hustler, and Lee uses a soft focus and jazz soundtrack that is present in every scene to glorify Malcolm's exploits at this time in his life. The soft focus and constant jazz also make the movie feel just like some classic Hollywood ones such as "It's a Wonderful Life" and other movies from that time period. However, things take a turn for the worse and Malcolm ends up in prison. All of a sudden the shots become sharp and have a high contrast between light and dark and the jazz grinds to a halt leaving you to only hear diegetic sound. This sudden and turn towards the grittier side of movies really emphasises the importance of what is about to happen to Malcolm. The rest of the movie continues to be gritty and dark, but you never feel depressed or uncomfortable because of it. Lee does an amazing job at making Malcolm X's story something that not only everyone would enjoy, but something that everyone should see. So you are probably thinking why only 9/10 not 10? I will tell you why. The beginning of the movie was effective at making the rest of the movie seem more important, and making the viewer feel as though they have been hit in the face with reality at the same point that Malcolm did but the soft focus and constant jazz make it hard to watch and I did not like it at all. And that is the only reason that i think this movie is not perfect.