Especially in the 21st century, dozens of great African-American biopics make up the prime viewing options for Black History Month, and just picking one to watch is almost as reductive as it is impossible. Nevertheless, even with George C. Wolfe’s recent historical focuses in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Rustin getting plenty of attention, one old one still stands out for its craft, performances, and significance: Malcolm X. Adapting the irreplaceable figure’s autobiography, essential writer/director Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, and their collaborators worked tirelessly to bring this man to life on screen, and Malcolm X is still the definitive biopic for the icon.
‘Malcolm X’ Summary
After a formative period as a young criminal, which seemed the only destiny for an American man of his upbringing, Malcolm Little discovers Islam, which transforms his life on a pathway to becoming a minister and activist during the civil rights movement. Steadfast in his faith until an early end, Little lived as a true believer of what he said, inflating and equaling his importance next to the seemingly opposing ideology of Martin Luther King Jr. and the concept of racial integration.
Indispensable Filmmakers Translate a Complex Figurehead into a Human Being
As a leader for the Nation of Islam and an advocate for Black empowerment, the renamed Malcolm X is one of the most contested and debated figures in American history. Like King, he was under constant FBI surveillance from the 1950s until his assassination, and combining his inflammatory image and speeches with the growing prevalence of the civil rights movement made him the enemy of many. As such, showcasing the figure not as a prophet or idea but as a genuine human was the essential goal of Lee and Washington, and both succeeded in making the Malcolm X biopic anything but propaganda.
Malcolm X was and continues to be a catalyst for great mythos as a hero or villain, so Lee made sure to leave nothing out as the viewer sees him throughout his life. Washington plays the activist from youth to death, and with each chapter, he fully displays the activist’s imperfections, humanity, and later moments of heroism. The conciseness of nearly three-and-a-half hours with Malcolm X is only one success; Lee’s rewritten script from an early version by Arnold Perl has a near-perfect balance, remaining informative, entertaining, empathetic, and never feeling like too much despite the extended length.
Not an Easy Watch, the Underrated Biopic Rewards Immersed Viewers
Denzel Washington in ‘Malcolm X’ / Warner Bros.
Though not without flaws in its epic length and condensing of dense subject matter, the universality of Malcolm X comes from Lee’s constant thread leading to the present. Malcolm X’s life is full of contrasts from his criminal period to his conversion, heightening a radical stance that reaches a profoundly elevating moment as the final hour commences. Of course, the Nation of Islam’s potential involvement in the activist’s assassination makes a hefty appearance, but ultimately, his unfailing beliefs ring out the most in the conclusion. Feeding theories and inciting is not the goal, as Lee instead aims to understand how Malcolm X came to be and why a devout believer in a cause lives on forever in history.
As proved utmost in Selma, the illuminating definition of one significant chapter in a historical figure’s life is far easier to explore meaningfully on film than a catch-all approach. With Malcolm X’s death leading to martyrdom for his preaching, Lee and Washington determined that every bit of the man’s life that they showed contributed to his image. Picking one thing to describe an entire person could never do their life justice, and Malcolm X remains one of few biopics that successfully undertake that near-impossible task.
With one of the most essential living directors at the helm and the premiere actor of modern times leading the charge, Malcolm X brings as much of a whole life to the big screen as possible, and yet, it still feels like an entry point. Unlike most biopics, this one feels both satisfactory on its own and simultaneously in need of more. For a thoughtful, vital historical experience on every front, Malcolm X is a demanding but rewarding go-to choice for Black History Month.
Malcolm X is streaming now on Max.
