Review of Malcolm X (1992) by Hugo S — 18 Jul 2009

MALCOLM X (1992).

Dir. Spike Lee.

Cast. Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert HallSpike Lee is one of the finest director out there. He doesnt always hit the mark but at least he dares trying. Malcolm X came early in his career but he had already done that little gem Do The Right Thing, which had established him as one of the future powerful filmmaker. He had no right to miss with this one. He didnt.It follows the life of Malcolm Litlle, a.k.a. Red, a small-time hustler white-man-wannabe who one day goes to prison after getting caught. He was destined to be an unknown but his life changed when he disocered the teaching of Elijah Muhammed. He spent his time in jail preaching the Nation of Islam and when he came out, used his loud voice to spread the world to give a chance to his own nation. No more a white-man-wannabe. He was a black man and asked for the right to simply be a man.This is quite important in American History. Things moved because of him, things changed. Everyone knows the name, maybe a little bit of what he did, but maybe, like me, you dont know how he did it. I was quite surprised to see his path revealed, going from an unlikable brat to a poweful man. Lee way of telling the story is engaging, even if sometimes might seem a bit too one-sided, but he is only taking Malcolm X's vision on things, which is excatly how the film needed to be made.With flashbacks from his childhood and many inspiritional moment, there is no way to not fall for this biopic. Its powerful and important. Denzel Washington gives an uncompromising performance, showing the characters stregth, embodying Malcolm X's conviction and literally becoming the man. A piece of cinema that shouldnt be missed.