Malcolm X

1992

PG-13

3h 22m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

1.8K

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8 Videos

99+ Images

Drama

History

A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.

Directors

Spike Lee

Writers

Spike Lee(screenplay by)

Arnold Perl(screenplay by)

Alex Haley(book by)

Stars

Denzel Washington

Angela Bassett

Albert Hall

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Videos8

Photos115

Top cast

Malcolm X

Betty Shabazz

Baines

Elijah Muhammad

West Indian Archie

Shorty

Laura

Sophia

Louise Little

Earl Little

Brother Earl

Sidney

Benjamin 2X

Pete

Sammy

Cadillac

Peg

Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

Honey

Directors

Spike Lee

Writers

Spike Lee(screenplay by)

Arnold Perl(screenplay by)

Alex Haley(book by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

7/10

I cannot imagine the hoops Spike Lee must have had to jump through to get any form of investment into either the concept or the production of this truly groundbreaking study of a man who divided opinion in a way few others have since the end of the Second World War. I say a study of man, but this is way more than just about him, it identifies and develops themes about inter and intra racial and gender attitudes and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. All of that said, it does struggle as a piece of entertainment. I don't mean to trivialise the subject matter, but if it wanted to be a documentary then it should have been more tightly focused on fact and less on the dramatisation of events, some real, some not. As a biopic, it kind of falls between two stools. We are presented with, essentially, a collective of unpleasant individuals who either started out that way, or were corrupted by the environments in which they existed and/or created - clearly illustrated, for example, by the way the women are treated by their husbands/bosses etc. This left me with an overwhelming feeling that had there been more general respect and decency on offer here - across the board - then a lot of the violence from both "sides" might have been avoided. It is a must see movie, but perhaps time has robbed it of much of it's potency and left us with a sad reflection of a time when vileness didn't care about your colour.

Geronimo196726 Aug, 2023