Remembering the Iconic 'Malcolm X' Movie 31 Years Later
Malcolm X Movie Starring Denzel Washington
On November 18, 1992 Spike Lee’s classic movie, Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington released in theaters. Spike Lee, who at the time was doing movies for Universal, was very impressed with Norman Jewison's take on the late activist Malcolm X. However, Lee felt like Norman may have missed some nuances of Malcolm’s journey. Spike Lee was very passionate about this story and he knew he was the right guy to show the true side of who Malcolm X really was. Fast forward thirty-one years later and his film portrayal of Malcolm X is one of the great American films not only of the decade but the century. It not only showed the true nature of Lee’s genius but it was his most self-effacing work to date in its humility before its subject.
Angela Bassett and Denzel Washington in Malcolm X
Some of the film’s fire and fury undoubtedly came from the circumstances under which it was made. Lee had a very weird relationship with the powers that be at Warner Bros. (Like most these days) than he had enjoyed at Universal, and there were numerous fights over the length of the movie that culminated in a period when the bond company shut down the film and took it out of Lee’s hands. That didn’t stop Lee, the director stuck to his guns, however channeling the same fiery determination that came to define his subject. An iconic scene was when Malcolm X, played by (Denzel Washington) was looking out the window with the Ak-47 gun, definitely an all-time photo in cinema history. With a star studded cast, Spike Lee had all the tools for a great film, and he did not disappoint.
I rate the Malcolm X movie 10/10. A great history lesson in Black Culture. A classic Spike Lee Joint.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:
Meet Deion Higginbotham, media correspondent for 247 Live Culture!