Malcolm X

Here it is everyone, the second entry to the Black History Month Film Reviews. Today is a very special occasion because I get the chance to review my all time favorite movie, and in my view, director Spike Lee's Magnum Opus of 1992, "Malcolm X." Spike had started off making this film with the autobiography titled The Autobiography of Malcolm X, published by Ballantine Books. What makes this film so great was that you get to see Malcolm change and evolve throughout the film. In the beginning of the film, he is one person but not the same at the end.

Warner Bros. did not want Spike to make this film 3 hours long. Everyone knew the budget for "Malcolm X" was not adequate, meaning Spike's team, Warner Bros., and the Bond Company. Spike had run out of money, which left the film in the hands of the Bond Company. As a result, all of the Post-Production staff, including the Editors, had received a letter saying that they were fired. So, Spike had done a lot of research and eventually became a student of Malcolm X's. For those of you who have listened to the speeches of Malcolm X, he always spoke about self-reliance. He said that black people don't have enough resources, so Spike made a list of all the African American people he knew that he could go to for help and say, "I need some money." His first call went out to a true American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist, Bill Cosby. Then he called talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, then to former Basketball players, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan (here's a funny note: Spike told Michael Jordan how much Magic Johnson gave Spike). Next call went to singer-songwriter, Tracy Chapman, and singer Janet Jackson and all of them wrote a check for Spike. Every one of them knew they weren't going to get the money back, that it couldn't be a tax write-off, and knew this film was important. So they wrote the check and said, "Go ahead Spike, make the film you want to make." So, the editors and everyone were able to keep working, and Warner Bros. had no clue where Spike got the money from. On Malcolm X's birthday, they made a press conference at the New York Schaumburg Library, and there Spike mentioned where he got all the money from, which Warner Bros. said that they would start funding him again. Spike got very emotional talking about this during his interview with James Lipton on "Inside the Actors Studio."

For those of you who would like to one day work for Spike Lee, here's something that will be good for all of you: he rehearses with his actors a lot for at least two weeks. No one better could have pulled off the role of Malcolm X then Denzel Washington, who was believable in the role. He started preparing for this role a year in advance, and told Spike on the side, "I'm not going to try and imitate or do an impersonation of Malcolm X, but if I really open myself up, then his spirit could pass through me." Spike noticed that when Denzel would be reading the text and would go off for another five minutes. He would say to Denzel, "Yo D, whazzup?" and Denzel would reply, "Spike, the spirit got me, you know? That wasn't me talking." Spike deals some of his time to the actors, but he tries to do much directing as he can during the rehearsal. He prefers films were you don't cut after every minute because he believes that music videos have done the biggest in narrating the films. If you cut every single minute, then you lose the audience. They move around a lot in their seats and are not staying in with the shot because of the music videos. At the end, Spike approaches with Malcolm when he's going to the Audubon Ballroom in a brief montage to Sam Cooke's "A Change is Going to Come," which happens to be one of Spike's favorite uses of music. When Spike was doing his research, he came to believe that Malcolm knew the day he was going to give a speech at the Audubon Ballroom that he was going to be murdered. In that montage, you see Malcolm driving, being followed by the FBI, the assassins from the mosque in Newark driving up there, Malcolm's wife, Betty Shabazz, and their children drive up there, so they cut within those shots a lot. In a double dolly shot, where you put the actor and the camera on the dolly and move them simultaneously, you see Malcolm floating as he approaches a very friendly, elderly lady, which sets up the scene perfectly. In the final montage, Denzel's Malcolm gives way to Malcolm X himself, and he has the film's last words, which are, "By any means necessary."

The film is split up into three parts: the first is where you see the hard upbringing of Malcolm Little, at 5-years-old, played by Matthew Harris, and a Young Malcolm played by Zakee Howze. His father, preacher Earl Little, played by Tommy Hollis, is killed by the Black Legion, and his mother, Louise Little, played by Lonette McKee, is sent to an asylum. When Malcolm, now played by Denzel, becomes a Pullman porter, he names himself Detroit Red. As a result, he works for West Indian Archie, played by Delroy Lindo. Spike is also in this film playing Malcolm's best friend, Shorty. The second section is when Shorty and Malcolm get arrested. When Malcolm is in prison, he is approached by Baines, played by Albert Hall, a discipline of Elijah Muhammad, played by Al Freeman Jr., to join the Nation of Islam. This part is believable. Everything you're seeing, you feel like you're not watching a film about Malcolm X, you feel like you're watching the real event transpire on your screen. However, Malcolm did not know that the Nation of Islam is not what he expected, and did not tell him the right Muslim beliefs. However, he was an inspirational Civil Rights Leader. Angela Bassett as Betty Shabazz is also playing the role like she is the real Betty. Every actor in this movie is so believable in their roles that they will be remembered always as the roles they played in this film. The third part is when Malcolm goes to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage and learns what Islam really is, and comes back, only to be assassinated in front of his whole family.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gives a eulogy in an archival footage, Ossie Davis quotes from Malcolm X's funeral, all of the children worldwide say, "I am Malcolm X!" and the last scene is Nelson Mandela’s classroom where he quotes one of Malcolm X's speeches. At the end of the credits, a message says to thank Allah for all of the people listed that gave Spike the money, but he also adds Prince and Peggy Cooper-Cafritz. He also gives a message saying, "Thank Jesus for Aretha Franklin and Arrested Development."

I agree with Roger Ebert when he said in his review of this film, “Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" is one of the great screen biographies, celebrating the whole sweep of an American life that began in sorrow and bottomed out on the streets and in prison before its hero reinvented himself. Watching the film, I understood more clearly how we do have the power to change our own lives, how fate doesn't deal all of the cards. The film is inspirational and educational - and it is also entertaining, as movies must be before they can be anything else.”

Spike Lee is not only one of the best filmmakers ever, but one of the most remarkably important, because his films focus on the main subject of race. He doesn't use sentimentality or political clichés, but educates the viewers on how his characters live, and why.

Overall, I highly recommend you watch this movie during Black History Month, you will love it. It is definitely one of those films you can watch over and over again, and will never get tired of it.