Malcolm X

I missed out on a lot by not learning about Malcolm X in high school. I just want to say that this is probably the best Denzel Washington film ever, and Spike Lee’s best as well. It’s hard to believe he was only nominated for this film. I did not have much knowledge about Malcolm X when I watched this film, but after seeing it, I did learn something. Although it may not be the most accurate portrayal of Malcolm X’s life, I know that what it showed was something meaningful. When the film first started, I thought it was interesting because it almost felt like a Broadway play. West Indian Archie was especially interesting to me because of what he said during the conversation at the table: “You don’t ever write anything down. File it up here like I do, cause if the man don’t have any paper, he will never have any proof.”Would anyone actually believe a man even if everything was filed in his head? Would a paper really change anything, even if it were proof? What I liked most about this movie was the exchange between Baines and Malcolm in the prison bathroom. The words were so powerful that I could not even fully comprehend everything they were saying to each other. “I thought you were smart. But you’re just another one of those cats strutting down the avenue in your clown suit with all that mess on you. Looking like a monkey. The white man sees you and laughs. He laughs because he knows you ain’t white.”That entire exchange was incredible. It is one of the best moments in the movie for me, and it did not stop there. Before and after that quote, the conversation just kept going. It was something. The moment with the dictionary, when Malcolm X was reading the definitions of black and white, was especially interesting and eye-opening. Angela Bassett’s performance was perfect. The chemistry between her and Denzel Washington was flawless, especially during their arguments. One moment that stood out to me was when she delivered the line: “Open your eyes. Open your eyes. You can face death 24 hours a day, but the possibility of betrayal never enters your head. Open your eyes.”When she said this, I knew something was going to happen, even though there was still an hour left in the film. I refused to believe that Malcolm X and his so-called “Brothers” would do anything that could make him lose control or stop him from sharing his beliefs and knowledge. There are many more things to look for in this film beyond the obvious or surface-level ideas. Malcolm X is a powerful film that reaches far beyond any one audience, and it affected me deeply even though I do not share Malcolm X’s lived experience. The soundtrack in the final hour of the film was perfect, serving as a strong sound bridge for every moment, making each one feel intentional. (Well I think thats the main purpose of the sound bridge.) “X in mathematics represents the unknown. Since we’ve been disconnected, or cut off from our own history, our own past, our own culture, and our own land, we use the ‘X,’ the unknown, until we get back to our country.”This is the best quote I have ever heard in the movie, and it connects to the biggest question I had throughout the film. What does the X mean? It was the best 3 hours of my life. Rest in peace, Malcolm X. You truly were one of a kind.