Malcolm X

Spike Lee's rendition of Malcolm X's autobiography was not a movie that I had initially counted on enjoying. From its opening scene with a clip of a burning American flag and X's scathingly inflammatory anti-white rhetoric, I assumed that the remainder of the film would be similarly propagandic. I assumed the film would work to press upon its viewers an anti-white and anti-America message, and after Malcolm's transition to Islam, I added anti-Christian. That's what I assumed as the purpose of the film.

I initially disregarded the film as a clearly pointed form of propaganda. However, as the film continued and Malcolm evolved from a radical supremacist into a truly peaceful advocate for equality, I realized that my initial assessment was inherently flawed. I realized that the film wasn't actually about Malcolm's actions and beliefs while involved with the civil rights movement, but rather about the struggles and obstacles Malcolm had to overcome in both his struggle for survival and his struggle to find his true path in life. Understanding now what Spike Lee was trying to express in this film, I believe that he created a truly exemplary film.

Lee does an exceptional job of portraying Malcolm as a truly understandable character, one that viewers regardless of personal opinions can understand and sympathize with.