The man and the movie

Rating: Null/10 (1 March 2005)

Making a Biopic is hard. The movie always is judged by the opinion critics have about the central character in study, not the movie itself. Most of the past reviews have tried to assess this movie from what Malcolm X should've been and not what kind of person he was. It seems that many people ("the good, compassionate" white folks) were depressed that Malcolm was shown as a racist. They also wanted more harsher criticism of NOI. They all wanted to see Malcolm X discovering the 'truth' that white men can be his brothers. Sadly, if they want this movie to be true, they wouldn't get a chance to see all that.
I've heard from Malcolm's own words - speeches, interviews that his trip to Mecca and his experience with 'blond haired, blue eyed men who called (him) brother' NEVER changed his opinion about the race relations in America. He still believed that the only way blacks could gain their human rights was to lead their struggle themselves. He held this view till the day he died. In his own words after the pilgrimage,"No religion will ever make me forget the sufferings of my people". I have to say, to the chagrin of many readers here, that Malcolm X did not become another Martin Luther King before he died. A month before he was killed in a meeting he asked the whites sympathizers what he had asked always - to stay out of the black revolution - and if possible, convince the black man that he has to fight this revolution himself.
This movie made Malcolm X a cult figure. Many learned about him after watching it. He went from a forgotten black separatist activist to an icon appearing on posters and in rap lyrics. The imperialists now adopted Malcolm, made him their own - one who they could institutionalize, merchandize and at last use to counter struggles of living men today.
Malcolm as a person sure deserves admiration for his conviction, clear goals and for his struggles against adversity in life. But the ideas he espoused are much greater. It's certainly not the movie's fault, but these ideas were lost somewhere in the hype.