Forget the Malcolm You were Taught in School. This is a True Biopic in Every Sense of the Word!

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2006)

This movie changed my mind about who Malcolm was. I thought he was simply a demagogue and a hate monger. However, what I saw from this film, with its excellent acting--the chemistry between Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz as played by Denzel and Angela Bassett was amazing and palpable; and Al Freeman Jr.'s (Elijah Muhammad) accent was wonderful--was an evolving person, seeking truth about himself, God and his people.
Some of the most intense and profound scenes include (spoiler ahead): Malcolm X getting an innocent man out of prison and the trip to Mecca, where he received a revelation that all whites are not "devils." The cinematography is especially amazing in this scene but the entire film steeps the viewer in the time and place of Malcolm.
Malcolm was an individual of his time and I think the time needed him as much as MLK. With them, you saw the two different sides of black manhood--the pacifist and the firebrand--on their own terms and not of those created or caricatured by whites.
Potent and relevant, Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" is a must see by every American intent on learning about an oft-misunderstood individual. You may not agree with all he says, but you have to hear it.
If you like this film, also see "Cry Freedom," in which Denzel Washington plays the role of Steven Biko, the South African Malcolm X.