Malcolm X

My review of the documentary "Malcolm X" follows its aspects as a movie and not much of what's inside such as plot or the story of the great and controversial leader Malcolm X.

Based on Alex Haley's biographical book about Malcolm X (who also wrote the book), and narrated by James Earl Jones, Arnold Perl's documentary is a collection of archive footages of Malcolm's speeches about race, Islam, his points of view about everything. Also contains images of old films, African-American figures, interviews and many associated things. Here we got the chance to meet the man behind the powerful figure who moved a whole nation into a sometimes positive direction, and sometimes a raged direction.

If you have interest on the subject it's a great suggestion to watch but I rather say that read Alex Haley's book or watch Spike Lee's biographical epic is more interesting and much more enjoyable than this documentary. It is only speeches after speeches and interviews and James Earl Jones's voice-over appears to tell everything about Malcolm's childhood and facts that wasn't filmed. It doesn't have that trajectory side of the poor kid that grew up, made a few mistakes, robbed, was arrested, found a religion and became a spoken person for it and then was murdered. It's more focused on ideas and thoughts then to Malcolm's personal life. Lee's film was very more intense, very true to the facts and follows the book very well. But considering that this documentary was made in 1972 it's quite good actually.

Good documentary, sometimes impressive, sometimes not. 8/10

James Earl Jones narrates this fascinating and moving documentary about the life of the assassinated black leader through various sources.

Having an interest in history and to some degree the 1960s, I was vaguely aware of the Malcolm X story. I am especially interested in the FBI and the extreme measures they went to in order to bring their enemies down. In this regard, Malcolm shared a lot with Martin Luther King (who seems to have almost no part in this story).

How close to the true story does Spike Lee get in his film? Well, you have to watch this documentary to find out, or perhaps even read a book. The story of black rights is far from over, but rarely was there an individual who caught the nation's attention.

This is a documentary about a hero of mine. It is mostly snippets of his various speeches or the most salient points of his various speeches. The documentary is done chronologically so we see early Malcolm first ending with Malcolm, most sadly, being killed. A lot of the footage is footage I'd never seen before although a lot of the words I'd heard before. This was a documentary with minimal commentary although there was some speech overlaid by James Earl Jones which sounds to be from The Autobiography of Malcolm X. This documentary is an excellent audio/visual snap shot of Malcolm's evolution.

Regardless of your views on the sheer zealousness of this documentary, it does provide a fascinating, archive backed, insight into the power of oratory. Europeans had already experienced this kind of preaching to those without hope, or certainly with a perception that they have little left to lose, but to witness such a well documented and sustained attack on the state of not just American society, but the broader non-Muslim one across the globe is a thought-provoking thing. The legitimacy of some of the assertions made here would challenge even the most enthusiastic of his supporters but there can be no doubt about the power of his charisma and personality as he convinced many that his was the only way to achieve societal parity. It follows his career from his Harlem days (when he was hardly a paragon) through to his galvanising days of protest and thence to his days as a devout Islamist all the while proving the effectiveness of his powerful snowball effect against intransigence and hostility. It is not in any way a balanced history of the man, but nor is it entirely adulatory and it does leave some of his impassioned behaviour open to sometimes less than favourable interpretation. The archive research is formidable, and it is impressive that so much of his private movements, comments and activities were not only captured on film, but preserved to present to the world in an unadulterated fashion. It's a potent depiction of an angry and volatile man that is well worth an hour and an half.

Malcolm X, a 1972 documentary, is like the man himself great, extraordinary, tragic, and in the end triumphant. This documentary is excellent reference material for anyone who has read his autobiography or has seen Spike Lee's 1992 film of the same name. I often compare this documentary to another gem Martin Luther King: From Montgomery To Memphis (1970).The producers of Malcolm X allows the man through a montage of footage of his speeches, voice overs, and occasional narration by James Earl Jones and an appearance by Louis Farrakhan formerly known as Louis X to speak for himself. The producers of this film knew not to include people whom would give many opinions of Malcolm X, therefore compromising an understandable portrait of the man. This style of documenting ones life is rarely seen today, but needs to return. The viewer is left with a sympathetic, but proud feeling of having had such an intelligent, brilliant, but often flawed man on earth, even just for a little while. I rate this movie **** excellent. Check it out, it is on video.