Malcolm X
Directed by	Spike Lee
Produced by	Marvin Worth Spike Lee
Written by	Alex Haley Spike Lee
Starring	Denzel Washington Angela Bassett Al Freeman, Jr. Albert Hall Delroy Lindo Spike Lee Lizbeth MacKay
Music by	Terence Blanchard
Cinematography	Ernest R. Dickerson
Editing by	Barry Alexander Brown
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	November 18, 1992
Running time	202 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	ca. US$34,000,000
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical film directed by Spike Lee about the African-American activist and black nationalist Malcolm X. The story is based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Denzel Washington was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Malcolm X. Malcolm X is often regarded as Lee's finest film (with the possible exception of Do the Right Thing). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Marvin Worth (June 6, 1925 in Brooklyn, New York - April 22, 1998 in Los Angeles, California) was an American producer, screenwriter and actor perhaps best known for his efforts to portray Malcolm X on the big screen. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Alexander Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... Angela Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an Emmy and Academy Award-nominated, and Golden Globe winning American actress. ... Al Freeman, Jr. ... Albert P. Hall (born November 10, 1937 in Boothton, Alabama) is an African-American actor. ... Delroy Lindo (born November 18, 1952, Eltham, London, England, UK) is a British actor. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Lizbeth MacKay (born March 7, 1949) is an American actress. ... Terence Blanchard (b. ... Ernest Roscoe Dickerson (born June 25, 1951) is an American film director and cinematographer. ... Warner Bros. ... November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... A motion picture rating system categorizes films with regard to suitability for children and/or adults in terms of issues such as sex, violence and profanity. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1992. ... Poster for Man on the Moon (1999), a biopic A biographical picture— often shortened to biopic— is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Black nationalism is a political and social movement prominent in the 1960s and early 70s among African Americans in the United States. ... Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, also known as Detroit Red and Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Omaha, Nebraska, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 in New York City) was a Muslim Minister and National Spokesman for the Nation of Islam. ... The Autobiography of Malcolm X cover The Autobiography of Malcolm X (ISBN 0-345-35068-5) was written by Alex Haley between 1964 and 1965, based on interviews conducted shortly before Malcolm Xs death (and with an epilogue for after it), and was published in 1965. ... Alexander Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer. ... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... The Academy Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given to actors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... This article relates to the movie, Do the Right Thing. For cultural terms such as the Right Thing the Wrong Thing Good Things and Bad Things, see Right Thing. ...

Delroy Lindo and Denzel Washington in Malcolm X

Image File history File links Malcox_x. ... Image File history File links Malcox_x. ...

Plot summary

The Malcolm X film breaks the life and times of the African-American activist Malcolm X into three sections. The first section deals with the troubled childhood of Malcolm Little, whose father, a preacher, was murdered by the Black Legion and whose mother was institutionalized for insanity. Malcolm grows up and gets a job as a Pullman porter, calling himself Detroit Red. Getting involved with a Harlem gangster named West Indian Archie with whom he has a falling out, Malcolm flees back to Boston and decides to become a common thief. He and his best friend, Shorty (played by Spike Lee) are arrested by the police and Malcolm is sentenced to a 10 year prison term. The second section follows his life in prison, where a fellow inmate, Baines, introduces him to the teachings of the Nation of Islam. Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... The Black Legion was an additional organization within the Ku Klux Klan and operated in the midwestern United States in the 1930s. ... The streamlined Pullman observation-lounge car Coconino, coupled to a heavyweight sleeper painted in two-tone Pullman grey, brings up the rear of the Santa Fe Railways Chief at La Junta, Colorado on February 27, 1938. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The third section follows Malcolm's religious conversion as a messianic disciple of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. During this fervent immersion into the Nation of Islam, he becomes an incendiary speaker for the movement and marries Betty Shabazz. Malcolm X preaches a doctrine of separation from white society. However, a pilgrimage to Mecca softens his beliefs, teaching him that Muslims come from all races, even whites, and he endeavors to break free of the strict dogma of the Nation of Islam, with tragic results. He is assassinated on February 21, 1965 in Harlem, New York City. This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Themes

The most prominent theme that dominates the story is that of a self-made leader who makes a successful life for himself after experiencing abject poverty, prejudice, and racism as a youth and prison as a young man. The film also confronts the racial prejudice, discrimination, and violence experienced by many black people in America.

Controversy

Spike Lee sought to make the film controversial even before the project received a greenlight from Warner Brothers. Initially, Warner Studios wanted Norman Jewison to direct the film. Lee was quite vocal in his opposition to the choice of Jewison, a white filmmaker. Lee felt that X's story had to be told by a black director. Jewison eventually agreed and stepped aside. However, Lee already had a reputation of being a fiercely independent director and his critics didn't hesitate in reiterating his longstanding disdain for Hollywood convention and his surly public nature. Lee also encountered immense difficulty in securing the budget he felt was needed. Lee felt that a budget allowance of US$33 million was reasonable; however, Warners balked at the sum and refused to approve any more than US$20 million and a running length of 135 minutes. Lee took the battle public and several prominent African-American entertainers responded by donating US$11 million more to the project. Lee was then free to complete the film the way he wanted and increase the running length to 195 minutes. Warners did allow for more funds after positive reaction from a viewing of a rough version of the film. Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, BA, LL.D (born July 21, 1926) is a Canadian film director, producer, and actor. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Cast

Bobby Seale Bobby Seale (born October 22, 1936) is an American civil rights activist, who along with Dr. Huey P. Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party For Self Defense in 1966. ... Alfred Charles Al Sharpton Jr. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Karen Allen in Raiders of the Lost Ark Karen Jane Allen (born October 5, 1951 in Carrollton, Illinois) is an American actress most famous for her roles in the films National Lampoons Animal House (1978), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and Starman (1984). ... Peter Lawrence Boyle (October 18, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an Emmy Award-winning American actor. ... William Moses Kunstler (July 7, 1919 - September 4, 1995) was a American jurist, self-described radical lawyer and civil rights activist. ... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA pronunciation: //) (born July 18, 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. ... Ossie Davis in The Green Pastures, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1951 Ossie Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an African American film actor, director and social activist. ... First official White House portrait. ...

Quotes

Trivia

Malcolm X DVD cover

• Although Denzel Washington's two Oscars were awarded for other films (Glory and Training Day), his portrayal of Malcolm X in this film is widely regarded as the greatest performance of his career.

• Tracy Chapman, Bill Cosby, Janet Jackson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Prince, Oprah Winfrey, and Peggy Cooper Cafritz (co-founder of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.) collectively donated approximately US$11 million to ensure the completion of the film. Most of these individuals (excluding Prince and Winfrey) are pictured briefly toward the end of the closing credits.

• This film is only one of two directed by Spike Lee to earn a PG-13 rating in the USA, the other is 1994's Crooklyn.

• Dr. Seuss is referenced in this movie a few times in the beginning, but not again.

• The film's opening scene depicts Boston in the 1940's. This scene was actually shot, in Ridgewood, Queens, New York City. The elevated cars are the NYC D-Type Triplex and are owned by the New York Transit Museum.

Download high resolution version (733x917, 152 KB) This is a DVD cover. ... Download high resolution version (733x917, 152 KB) This is a DVD cover. ... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Glory is a 1989 drama based on the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War. ... Training Day is a 2001 film starring Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris, a corrupt Los Angeles police officer, and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, his new green recruit looking to become a part of Harriss elite narcotics unit. ... Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles Fast Car, Talkin Bout a Revolution, Baby Can I Hold You, and Give Me One Reason. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is a Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated American singer, songwriter, composer, actress, dancer, choreographer, record producer, and activist. ... Earvin Johnson, Jr. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Oprah Winfrey, (born January 29, 1954) is a multiple-Emmy Award winning host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest rated talk show in television history. ... The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school located in Washington, D.C. dedicated to arts education. ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack... Crooklyn is a semi-autobiographical film written and directed by Spike Lee that was released in 1994. ... The Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District runs from Wyckoff Avenue to Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... The D-Type, a New York City Subway car was built in 1925-1928. ... The New York Transit Museum is a museum located in an unused New York City Subway station in Brooklyn (Court Street) which displays historical artifacts of the New York Subway and bus systems. ...

Other Depictions

• In the 1979 TV miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, Malcolm was portrayed by Al Freeman, Jr. He portrays Elijah Muhammad in Malcolm X.
• In two separate TV movies about the life of Muhammad Ali which aired in 2000, Malcolm was portrayed by Gary Dourdan (King of the World) and Joe Morton (Ali: An American Hero).
• Jeff Stetson's 1987 one-act play The Meeting depicts an account of a fictional, clandestine encounter between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, shortly before Malcolm's assassination. In a 1989 American Playhouse production of the play, Jason Bernard portrays Dr. King and Dick Anthony Williams portrays Malcolm.
• At the age of nine, Denzel Washington's son John David Washington made a cameo appearance in the film as a student in a Harlem classroom. On May 1, 2006, John (age 22) signed with the St. Louis Rams of the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent.
• Angela Bassett reprises her role as Betty Shabazz in the 1995 film "Panther", which was directed by Mario Van Peebles. Coincidentally, Van Peebles would go on to play Malcolm X in the 2001 bio-pic Ali.

A miniseries (sometimes mini-series), in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. ... Al Freeman, Jr. ... Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad (October 7, 1897 - February 25, 1975) is notable for his leadership of the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death. ... For other persons named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). ... Gary Dourdan (born Gary Durdin, December 11, 1966 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a African-American actor, widely known for portraying Warrick Brown on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. ... Joe Morton (born October 18, 1947, New York, New York, USA) is an African-American stage, television, and movie actor. ... “Martin Luther King” redirects here. ... American Playhouse is a dramatic anthology television series presenting original movies on PBS. External links American Playhouse at The Internet Movie Database Categories: | | | | ... Jason Bernard (b. ... John David Washington (born July 28, 1984 in Toluca Lake, California) is an American football running back currently on the practice squad of the St. ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... == The first NFL player was Wade Zane, he played for the L.A Rams The National Football League (NFL) is the largest and most prestigious professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. ... In North American professional sports, particularly baseball, football, and basketball, a free agent is a team player whose contract with a team has expired, and the player is able to sign a contract with another team. ... Ali is a 2001 biographical film which tells the story of boxer Muhammad Ali. ...

Sources And Omissions

• The eulogy that Ossie Davis delivers over the documentary footage of Malcolm X's life near the end of the film[1] is excerpted from the one that he wrote and delivered himself at Malcolm's actual funeral in 1965.
• The book The Autobiography of Malcolm X details how most Nation of Islam ministers turned against Malcolm at Elijah Muhammad's behest. Among them was Louis X, who is today known as Louis Farrakhan. Some have suggested that Farrakhan was complicit in Malcolm's assassination. But Lee avoids this subject entirely, and Farrakhan is conspicuously absent from the film.
• The late Dr. Betty Shabazz was this film's project consultant.
• Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, a member of the Nation of Islam in the early to mid-1960s, was a personal friend of Malcolm. However, he also shunned Malcolm after his expulsion from the Nation. These events are also absent from the movie, but director Michael Mann depicts them in the 2001 film Ali, with Will Smith as Ali and Mario Van Peebles as Malcolm.
• Baines, portrayed by Albert Hall, is a fictional character. His primary role in the film — to introduce prison inmate Malcolm Little to the Nation of Islam -- was filled in real life by Malcolm's siblings, and by a fellow inmate named Bimbi.

This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Ossie Davis in The Green Pastures, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1951 Ossie Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an African American film actor, director and social activist. ... The Autobiography of Malcolm X cover The Autobiography of Malcolm X (ISBN 0-345-35068-5) was written by Alex Haley between 1964 and 1965, based on interviews conducted shortly before Malcolm Xs death (and with an epilogue for after it), and was published in 1965. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad (October 7, 1897 - February 25, 1975) is notable for his leadership of the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death. ... Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other persons named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943 in Chicago) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. ... Ali is a 2001 biographical film which tells the story of boxer Muhammad Ali. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Mario Van Peebles (b. ...

Technical Trivia

• The title credits of this film include footage of the beating of Rodney King.
• The names of the three assassins charged with Malcolm X's murder are listed in the final credits of the film.
• After the assassination scene, all footage of Malcolm X is of the real man, most of it in black and white.
• The last song played during the closing credits is "Revolution" by Arrested Development. The song was the only contemporary song included on the film's soundtrack.
• The scenes of the JFK assassination are taken from Oliver Stone's JFK (1991). In this film, Vincent D'Onofrio is credited as playing Bill Newman (a witness to the Kennedy shooting), the same character he played in Stone's film.

In the film's final scene, South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela — recently released after 27 years of political imprisonment -- appears as a schoolteacher in a classroom in Soweto. He recites a portion of one of Malcolm X's most famous speeches, including: Rodney King Rodney Glen King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) is an African-American taxi driver who became famous after his violent arrest by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was videotaped by a bystander, George Holliday. ... Arrested Development is an American progressive hip hop group, founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s. ... John F. Kennedy The assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, USA at 12:30 PM Central Standard Time (18:30 UTC). ... William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ... JFK (1991) is an American film directed by Oliver Stone, first released on December 20, 1991. ... Vincent Phillip DOnofrio (born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and producer. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA pronunciation: //) (born July 18, 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. ... Johannesburg, including Soweto, from the International Space Station Soweto is an urban area in the City of Johannesburg, in Gauteng, South Africa. ...

The final phrase, “by any means necessary”, was omitted from the end at the request of Mandela who felt he could not utter this phrase on camera, believing the South African government would somehow use it against him politically. Instead, actual footage of Malcolm X speaking the words "by any means necessary" in the last few seconds of the film. By any means necessary is a translation of a phrase coined by the French intellectual Jean Paul Sartre in his play Dirty Hands. ...

Cameos

• Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale and civil rights activist Al Sharpton make cameo appearances as street preachers.
• Left-leaning attorney William Kunstler appears as a judge.
• Civil rights activist Wyatt Tee Walker appears as a hospital spokesman.
• One of Malcolm's daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz, appears as a follower at Temple #7.

This article is about the American political organization. ... Bobby Seale Bobby Seale (born October 22, 1936) is an American civil rights activist, who along with Dr. Huey P. Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party For Self Defense in 1966. ... Alfred Charles Al Sharpton Jr. ... “Leftism” redirects here. ... William Moses Kunstler (July 7, 1919 - September 4, 1995) was a American jurist, self-described radical lawyer and civil rights activist. ... Wyatt Tee Walker (born 1929) was a United States black civil rights leader. ...

References

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, also known as Detroit Red and Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Omaha, Nebraska, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 in New York City) was a Muslim Minister and National Spokesman for the Nation of Islam. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, also known as Detroit Red and Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Omaha, Nebraska, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 in New York City) was a Muslim Minister and National Spokesman for the Nation of Islam. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Malcolm X (film)

• Malcolm X at the Internet Movie Database
• Malcolm X at Rotten Tomatoes

• Malcolm X Reloaded: Who Really Assassianted Malcolm X