Today has been a pretty rainy day, so I decided to watch some movies. One of them was Malcolm X, which I hadn't seen in awhile. The movie is perhaps even more powerful now than when I originally saw it. Although Do the Right Thing is a great movie, I truly believe this is his best movie. It's an epic, moving, dramatic movie. The movie delivers in every category, from the amazing preformances to the epic score.
The movie also remains to be quite controversial. Within the very opening of the movie, the American flag is slowly
burned to reveal a powerful X. To this day, Malcolm X remains a controversial and dividing figure in American history; this comes as no suprise considering who writes American history. I remember reading in my history book in 7th grade that he was a racist supremicist who advocated violence to his death, and should not be held in high regard. This couldn't be farther from the truth, and Spike Lee deals with this issue perfectly.
In terms of acting, the movie is top notch. Denzel Washington had already proven himself to be a great actor earlier in 1988's Glory, but in Malcom X he rose to another level. His portrayal of Malcom X is as good as it gets; this is most obvious upon seeing actual videos of the real Malcolm X speaking, and the similarities Washinton is able to convey. In all, the entire cast shines.
As is the case with many Spike Lee films, Malcom X is filled with truly amazing scenes. The assassination scene, and the following espape scene, is utterly brilliant, as are all the other action scenes throughout the movie. And the scene that leads up to the assassination, accompanied by the classic Sam Cooke song "A Change is Gonna Come", always sends chills down my body.
The movie is also greatly benefitted by a truly amazing and haunting score. The various period pieces also bring a great level of atmosphere to the movie.
All in all, Malcolm X stands the test of time as a truly classic film which is still relevent today.
