Review of Malcolm X (1992) by Deb S — 05 Feb 2010

This movie describes the life of Malcolm X from his childhood, his life of crime, prison, his release, his rise to fame and up to the threats he received and his assassination.

Malcolm Little was a young man when his father was murdered by the KKK and he and his siblings were taken from their mother (who couldn't handle the stress and ended up in a mental institution); his siblings were split up by the State. As a young man he was a hustler/pimp/drug pusher/addict before getting imprisoned for his crimes. While there he learns the ways of Elijah Muhammad and coverts to Islam.

He gets out of prison and becomes a spiritual leader becoming one of the most eloquent and powerful speakers that the world has ever known, and tackling white oppression head on. The tragedy that ultimately happens to him was heartbreaking because at that point he had reached a pinnacle of understanding and leadership qualities that could have changed the Black Muslim movement in a very positive way.

Denzel Washington delivers an awesome performance and makes a charismatic leading man and it is difficult to imagine that anyone else could have done a better job with this role. It is an incredible performance, worthy of the Oscar. But no, he won that for playing a corrupt police officer in "Training Day," the logic simply escapes me. If it wasn't for his engaging and powerful performance then this film would be very bland for the majority. Spike Lee directed this movie as a tribute to a hero who transcended racism though enlightenment and moral superiority. It's beautifully made with top notch performances by the cast. This film will not only entertain you but educate you as well.