Touches You

Just what I expected

Excellent adaptation.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Malcom X" is an epic and historical biopic of Malcom X and the most prominent years of his influence as a public figure for race in America. Above anything else, "Malcom X" feels like a character piece considering the film's fine attention to the character's gradual and believable change throughout the movie. Helmed by Spike Lee, this nearly three and a half hour film covers Malcom X's life as a public figure on race, supremacy, and then equality. The audience is treated to one of the best and most devoted Denzel Washington performances ever put to celluloid and solid acting from the rest of the cast. While the film takes a few liberties and might feel biased at times, the epic dives into several important aspects of the character's life which makes this a character piece above anything else. Yes the film explores race in an in-depth and thorough way. Anyone interested in an epic and historical look at one of the most controversial figures in U.S. history, "Malcom X" offers a one of a kind experience that is unforgettable.

I think most of us have the wrong opinion of who and what Malcolm X was about. This movie channels the spirit & soul of the man from his youth to his death. It gives us a more clear picture of who he was, how he thought, and why he responded the way he responded. Spike Lee does an excellent job as director in portraying Malcolm X according to the Autobiography written by Alex Haley. For all those wondering if this is worth viewing, no this, it is not a hate movie, but a film about the transformation of a man who wanted to have a positive influence and impact on our society and nation!

You see what I did there? Huh? Huh? Nevermind. All jokes aside though, the last 2/3 of the movie saves this from utter boredom. One complaint I have right off the bat is that the movie feels too long. And I don't mind long movies, my favorite movie is three hours long and I've seen the redux of "Apocalypse Now" twice. But unlike those movies, the first hour of "Malcolm X" is so slow it might as well be playing in reverse. I know it's there to show how he changes throughout the film, but I have an idea for you Mr. Lee. Start the movie with Malcolm getting arrested, then when he's in jail, have the first hour of this movie condensed to quick flashbacks with time-stamps. You'd get the story started at a higher pace, and then have time to explain the rest in short segments during Malcolm's incarceration. Make them each 10 minutes and boom, you're movie is now fifty minutes shorter and not on the verge of boring me to sleep. Do you know what the most boring movie I've seen is? "American Hustle". "American Hustle" was so boring to me, I thought I'd fallen asleep twice while watching it, and it was shorter than "Malcolm X". After the first hour, I thought I'd have another borefest to sit through. However, what good would my opinion be if I didn't finish the movie? So I decided to power through it, thankfully the rest of the film is more interesting.First, there's Denzel Washington who, despite his performance, did not win the Oscar for Best Actor in 1993, it instead went to Al Pacino for "Scent of a Woman". Now, I haven't seen "Scent of a Woman" in years, but I remember Al Pacino in that movie, and Denzel could not have come closer to winning that award instead of him. I'm not gonna say he was snubbed or anything, because at least he was nominated. I'd rather be nominated for an amazing performance and not win, then not get nominated at all. But I digress, if nothing else watch the movie for Denzel, he gives an astounding performance.The plot definitely picks up when Malcolm gets incarcerated. It shows him transform from a criminal, to a respected political and religious leader, and then finally, a wanted man. A man that's being hunted by people he at one point called "his brothers". This is where the drama kicks off, this is where the action kicks off, but more importantly this is where the story takes off. I don't know how realistic the portrayal of Malcolm X is in this, but the drama, character, and story are there. If this movie was just forty or fifty minutes shorter, I'd probably want to see it again. I may not want to see it again, but Denzel is phenomenal, if anything watch the last 2/3 of the movie (you won't miss the first hour at all).

Malcolm X is a film, that while long, is very much worth the time to watch. The movie focuses on the adult life of Malcolm X, yet uses flashbacks to help the viewer understand his past as well. Although I did not find the scenes very effective as flashbacks, overall they served well to the purpose of the movie. Lee decided to portray his early life as a hustler glamorized tone. I found his techniques with camera movement to be effective, he used old Hollywood camera movements like crane shots, and sweeping tracking shots to give it this effect. This style was effective because old Hollywood films were meant to enchant the viewer as much as possible.Although, I found the most effective part of the movie to be the opening credits. Denzel Washington's reenactment of Malcolm X's speech about charging the white man with his injustices is voiced over the American flag slowly burning into an X. Interspersed throughout is footage of Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police. This, to me, was the most moving scene in the film as the words are so powerful and the image of the US flag burning is jarring for Americans. Even more jarring was the footage of King being brutally beaten. The combination of these things drew me in as a viewer because it was shocking.The film overall is split into three parts, Malcolm's early adulthood as a hustler, his discovery of Islam and his preachings for Elijah Muhammad, and his self discovery and preachings after his "hajj" to the Middle East and Mecca. I found his early adult life prolonged and dragged out, but the rest of the film I found effective and important to Malcolm's story. As I had said earlier, if you have the time to watch it, it is a film much worth your time. Denzel Washington's performance is spectacular, and Spike Lee uses a lot of interesting techniques to portray Malcolm's story emotionally and sends the message he lived for very well.