‘In all honesty and sincerity, it can be stated that I wish nothing but freedom, justice and equality…’
Despite being Oscar bait, historical biopics tend to be stilted affairs. Very serious. Very important. Very dull. Spike Lee and his films are many things but they are rarely dull. While Malcolm X is occasionally plodding and indulgent, at its best it is a vibrant, unpredictable retelling of the life of a key figure in the American struggle for civil rights…
Malcolm Little (Denzel Washington) is an adulterer, a drug abuser and a thief. He’s the life and soul of the party is what I’m saying. Following incarceration for robbery, Malcolm Little, inspired by the teachings of his cellmate Baines (Albert Hall), who is in turn influenced by Elijah Muhammad (Al Freeman), the leader of the Nation of Islam, turns his life around, denounces his former wild lifestyle and rejects his ‘slave name’ to become Malcolm X.
Lee, who also stars in the film as the protagonist’s childhood friend Shorty, wisely dials back most of his more bombastic directorial flourishes, instead allowing the story and Washington’s astonishing performance to take centre stage. The latter losing out to Al Pacino’s broad and ostentatious performance in Scent of a Woman is one of the great Oscar scandals of all time, and watching the two films now with the benefit of hindsight really demonstrates how unforgivable that decision was. Washington’s portrayal here is far more than just a faithful impersonation of a historical figure. He is suave and charismatic at the start, fiery and electrifying in the second act and stoic and thoughtful by the film’s tragic conclusion. It’s an all-timer performance and the perfect combination of actor and role – it’s probably his finest work.
That being said, while Malcolm X is never outright tedious, it is sprawling and even unfocused in places, and while I understand Lee’s desire to do justice to the subject matter, the film suffers from belabouring the point somewhat. A tighter edit could have pushed the film into the very highest echelons of filmmaking instead of having to settle for merely being excellent.
Malcolm X is the perfect antidote to the typical sedate and respectable biopic favoured by Hollywood for generations. It remains a vital and compelling retelling of a hugely important historical figure.
