Malcolm X

I always forget how much of a crash out Malcom was and then I remember. Denzel was a perfect pick to play him. This movie is 3hours but goes by fast, amazing wardrobe, fun shots, and great pacing this is a classic for a reason. I don’t know if it’s on purpose or not but the colour timeline of the movie changes: bright, lively, creative shots at the start and towards the end of his life there’s a lack of colour, specific locations, less vibrancy. I found it helped push in feeling we feel the world become small with Malcom it’s not moving anymore everything is coming to him even his death. Man….they killed him. This movie goes into the development of Malcom mind and belief system in such a strong way that it makes the viewer understand him in way of conscious development. His flaws, actions, character changes are importance in knowing him in this movie. Thought and mindset is paramount in this movie that determines each part of the next scene it’s not about his life in detail but how his brain grows. Which makes the movie timeless, in a sense because it’s not trying to follow a life but a line of developing ideals.  Even with that sweet ending I feel like it’s so bitter, the systems in place are still a problem and have become a bigger problem with a stronger, wider gap. The same problems are still happening, and I do believe in change it just settles in my head the older I get being “peaceful” is not a real thing. This movie is a classic, it is good, yet it ages in a way that makes a modern audience realize we are not made up of the same stuff as people in the time due to our normalization of what it means to create change. We think peaceful protesting is enough, that if we go out there peacefully it’s ok, that people in power do what they say. We don’t demand we settle for good enough, if we demand more it’s idealistic. And we talk so much, smugly, at each other, like it does anything. kids in the west are taught that articulation is the only effective way rather than what it actually is; words to communicate ideals when actions are the actual messages that can be felt. I’m going on a rant, movies like this make me pensive I titter on pessimism and hopefulness when I watch movies like this. I just think we should be able to have more than just hope, I don’t think it’s ridiculous to ask for more in life than what you have now. Watching this movie reminded me oh yeah actually I want more from this life and that having a man, although greatly human, become a symbol isn’t enough actually. I don’t feel satisfied with that.  So yeah great movie, possibly one of the most character based movies which is a bit weird to say since it’s a biopic but it has a very “character” focus drive to it.