Opening Statement

It had been quite some time since I’d seen Spike Lee’s Malcolm X before I fired up my Blu-Ray player to give it a re-watch for this week. I remembered elements—mostly centered around Denzel Washington’s incredibly dynamic performance—but some of the nuts and bolts of the filmmaking had flittered out of my mind — by John Gilpatrick, November 13, 2017

White Audiences and the Legacy of Malcolm X

Spike Lee is many things, but “subtle” is not one of them, a fact this intense opening sequence makes abundantly clear. In just a few minutes, he tells his audience what to expect, but more specifically, he’s giving his white audience a direct message — by Sarah Gorr, November 14, 2017

Scenessential: Pilgrimage to Mecca

There are two important turning points in Malcolm X, scenes that both introduce the elements that will structure the act they each begin and depict a pivotal moment in the development of Malcolm X’s thought. The second such scene, which opens the third act, is Malcolm’s hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca — by Patrick Brown, November 15, 2017

First Viewing: Honoring the Man

Coming into my first viewing of Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic Malcolm X, my biggest question was whether the film could transcend the typical biopic. Could Lee follow up his masterpiece Do the Right Thing with the same anger and style? — by Aaron Pinkston, November 16, 2017

Related Review: Selma

Watching these films close together is a fascinating exercise. Two people, inexorably linked, with often competing philosophies toward achieving the same goal. You could say the same about Lee and DuVernay, each of whom achieve their goal with their respective film — by John Gilpatrick, November 20, 2017

The Cinessential Podcast, Ep. 25

In this episode of the podcast, John, Aaron, and Patrick talk about Spike Lee's powerful biopic Malcolm X. Topics include: the incredible ensemble cast, Malcolm's narrative journey, and how the film stands as a biopic. They also spend a few minutes sharing other great films they've seen recently — December 6, 2017