Lee's biography of the slain civil rights leader treats Malcolm, not as a political rallying point, but as a fully rounded individual whose life defies reduction to symbolic status.
Malcolm X (1992)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:44
Fresh:41
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.5/10
Runtime: 3 hrs 21 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Spike Lee brings the life of African-American leader Malcolm X (an intense Denzel Washington in an Oscar-nominated performance) to the big screen in this sprawling, epic biographical drama. Born... Spike Lee brings the life of African-American leader Malcolm X (an intense Denzel Washington in an Oscar-nominated performance) to the big screen in this sprawling, epic biographical drama. Born Malcolm Little, son of a Nebraska preacher, on May 19, 1925, he became one of the most militant leaders and charismatic spokesmen of the black liberation movement before his assassination at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City on February 21, 1965. The film sweeps through his early life as a small-time hustler and thief with his friend Shorty (Lee), his conversion to Islam in jail, and his subsequent life as a controversial spiritual leader and husband of Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett). Malcolm's tragic assassination is presented as a conspiracy of Nation of Islam leaders; the film shows how his philosophy has been realized in the lives of others who have been moved by his words. Filmed with great visual flair by Lee, the film is a work of entertainment as much as it is a historical artifact. Washington captures the spiritual conversion of the hero with a sincerity that is entirely as believable and ultimately moving as it was in the book that inspired the film, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X. [More]
Starring: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Al Freeman, Delroy Lindo
Starring: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Al Freeman, Delroy Lindo, Albert Hall, Theresa Randle, Kate Vernon, Angela Bassett, Brendan Kelly, David Patrick Kelly
Director: Spike Lee
Director: Spike Lee
Get This Movie
Reviews for Malcolm X
Denzel Washington becomes Malcolm X. He delivers speeches the way we imagine Malcolm delivering them.
Spike Lee is full of surprises, and certainly "Malcolm X" is his most surprising film yet.
Denzel Washington commands the screen and Spike Lee commands the medium, but the film wears out its welcome by the halfway mark.
It plays surprisingly safe as a solidly crafted trawl through the didactic/hagiographic conventions of the mainstream biopic.
Lee has chosen a big subject and, with his quirky talent, has done it superb justice.
Lamoclm X may seem conventional by Spike Lee's standards, but as a biopic of a controversial historical figure, it's superior to the nobility of spirit of a movie like Gandhi, for example, and Attenborough's high-mindedness.
Finds Lee’s tendencies towards gadflyish social outrage folded into the fabric of the typically reactionary biopic genre.
Diligently and respectfully tracks both the highs and the lows in the spiritual journey of one of America's most important black leaders.
a thoughtful and insightful rendering that promises to educate generations about the real Malcolm X
Malcolm X owes its success to a combination of things, not the least of which is Washington's performance.
Visually and dramatically, Lee pulls out all the stops, but it's Washington's performance that really energizes the film, and he's an exhilarating presence throughout.
Latest News for Malcolm X
April 05, 2005:
Spike & Denzel to Team Up for a Fourth Flick
Blackfilm.com snagged an interesting quote from controversial filmmaker Spike Lee. The director was attending an after-party for Denzel Washington's Broadway opening of... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Techland lists the best Sci-Fi films of this decade.

Moviefone takes a look back at the biggest stinkers of the past 10 years.

The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill offers his thoughts on what the best decade for film was.

In the AV Club's "Scenic Routes," Mike D'Angelo reminisces about the Tim Burton film.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


