Malcolm X (1992)
Grade: B
Cast: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Al Freeman Jr., Spike Lee, Delroy Lindo, Albert Hall
Director: Spike Lee
Rated PG-13 for language, violence, drugs, some sexuality


Spike Lee, for all his talent as a filmmaker, is a little too obsessed with the complications of racism. In all his public statements it is a subject, and in all his films it is a subplot. However, I am able to put my personal reservations of an artist aside and enjoy their work (how else to explain that I can’t bring myself to take Eminem’s latest out of my CD player?), and I have enjoyed the few Lee films I have seen. But despite its power, "Malcolm X" could have been a masterpiece. It is not. Like Michael Mann’s "Ali" (where Malcolm X was also a character), it spirals to and from greatness so frequently that you want to shake it and tell it to make up its mind, already. There were moments, however, when I was too bored to even fantasize about shaking "Malcolm X". Its 201-minute running time is occasionally hard work for the viewer. If a movie is going to be three hours and twenty-one minutes, it has to hold my attention. I mean, "The Godfather Part II" is one of my favorite films. Maybe because it isn’t long for the sake of being long.

Denzel Washington, the great actor who won an Oscar for "Training Day" just a few months ago, portrays the titular character wonderfully. As Malcolm X zigzags from racism to total acceptance, from brilliance to pure stupidity (the JFK comment, though, is the only example of that) and from violence to peace, Washington creates an unfaltering plausibility in the character that guarantees us consistency, no matter how inconsistent the character really is. He is the center of the film. That’s about as good as the acting in "Malcolm X" gets—the only other notable cast member is Angela Bassett, who plays Malcolm X’s wife.

"Malcolm X"’s biggest problem is that it rambles. The running time could have been cut down considerably with a little less hastiness in the editing room. Parts of the film are almost cartoonish; others are just plain boring, as Lee becomes far, far too spiritual in his exploration of the Muslim religion. Lackluster things like that surround scenes of great power and profundity, and it makes us even angrier when we see this virtuoso filmmaking, because we know what kind of potential "Malcolm X" had. There are scenes of smashing brilliance, scenes that realize the potential of everyone involved. Washington is on fire; the music brilliantly captures the needed mood; Lee is directing the given scene perfectly; the dialogue is at its best. It all falls into place so well that our jaw almost drops at the commanding effect the film is giving. That’s why "Malcolm X" ultimately has a slight resonance, but it has so many slumps of mediocrity that I really want to give it a verbal lashing that its achievements don’t really deserve.

However, I must give "Malcolm X" credit for one thing doubtlessly: it portrays the titular character with an uncompromising honesty, never shying away from either his faults as a man or his achievements. Seven years later, Washington would give an equally powerful performance in a very weak movie, "The Hurricane", about a boxer charged with murder. "The Hurricane" very obviously changed details so it was given the freedom to portray ‘The Hurricane’ Carter as a saint. I don’t want a saint in my biographies; I want the person as they are. Few people are saints. "Malcolm X" wisely knows this, and it’s one of the films greatest virtues. Historical accuracy is something I cannot comment on. I knew as much about Malcolm X as I did about John Nash when I saw "A Beautiful Mind"—nothing. All I know about Malcolm X is the information presented in this movie.

The fact that Lee never tells us just how much he admires Malcolm X is good for a biography (it’s where it should be an opinionated film when indifference matters; see my thoughts on "Do The Right Thing"). He adds some nice touches, as well as some bad touches that he obviously intended to be clever but were not (the first thing that comes to mind is the documentary-like narration after Malcolm X’s death—sue me, but I think the story of a person’s life should end when the person’s life ends—and if it wasn’t going to, it should have come forth with some interesting information instead of the weak finale we are given here). But the bottom line is that Lee must not make his films for me. "Do The Right Thing" is supposed to be terrific. My initial response is lukewarm. "Malcolm X" is supposed to be brilliant. It is merely good. While I’m not a fan of Spike as a person, I don’t believe I have anything against him as a filmmaker. He has just not yet given me reason to greatly respect him.


-Alex, July 2002