As good as it gets

Rating: 10/10 (21 May 2006)

If this film were made 40 years ago, it would have been relevant. A blockbuster? Definitely not. Most southern theaters would not have shown it. And the ones that did would have certainly faced, at the least, protests, vandalism and most likely financial ruin.
Fast forward twenty five years and those same southern theaters could show Malcolm X. Sure, there would be protests, but the theater owners would not have put their livelihoods on the line.
Today, this movie would be a cog in the cycle of the movie year.
How times have changed.
Watching Malcolm X today (5/20/06) for the umpteenth time, I was struck by how timeless it is. Made in 1992, it still plays as a current film. It is an outstanding movie; one that is studied and will continue to be studied for ages.
Regardless of your politics, the life and times of Malcolm Little as portrayed in Malcolm X is a true American story. In a capsule--suppression, poverty, education then success. His life was the triumph of an individual above all odds. The film celebrates the cognitive revelation of a truly exceptional person that changed not only the United States, but also the world for the better.
Purists will surely take umbrage with the liberal telling of his life story, but that is sour grapes. Malcolm X captures the essence of Malcolm Little as a man with a pure message. Glossing over the finer points and ignoring the message would be a travesty.
Any film connoisseur's library has this movie in stock.