Malcolm X

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.

a gripping documentary of the old school (subject centred) we see Malcolm in the raw for most of the footage is him speaking at rallies and direct to the media of the day.

A great intro to Malcolm's early beliefs influenced by the black Muslim movement, and his development into an independent thinker, who had to stand alone, and ultimately pay the price of turning his back on the narrow minded and self seeking Elijah Mohammad.

the fire and intensity of Malcolm x never seems to have dimmed in all his speeches and interviews, he focused the whole time on the one great goal: the raising and liberation of the black consciousness to acts of self determination.

he was a man who struggled perpetually for others, as the film shows abundantly. his great love for mankind unfolds before the viewer in a way that will doubtless be a surprise to those who have only heard the company line; that Malcolm was some kind of 'racist in reverse' or that he advocated violence for violence sake.

the and of the film with latter day opinions that his assassination was state-sponsored is probably not in doubt, even tho in retrospect it has become clear that the black Muslim movement was certainly the 'hand that fired the gun'.

the final analysis: that Malcolm died as he did will always be less important than the fact that he lived as he did: a man of unerring courage drawn from the deep well of spiritual quest for kinship with God and man. he stands as an inspiring example of how to live, without swallowing our tongues in fear at those who would have us live a life of lies so that we can conspire to cover up their lies as well.... so when you know the truth, speak out!

Interviews and speeches Malcolm X gave during his life are used to tell his story. The beginning that focuses on his early life is mostly stock photos and film not of him with narration.

As someone interested in history this did teach me some things about Malcolm X, Nation of Islam and associated things of the time that I did not know. It is good to fill in the missing pieces. It came up short on his influences especially from Marcus Harvey and tended to ignore most of his personal life. Occasionally his wife and children would be briefly mentioned.

I didn't have any real opinion on Malcolm X or his movement before watching and still don't. Still I found this documentary very engaging.

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.