How Historically Accurate is the Film Malcolm X?
Malcolm was born on May 19th, 1925 in Omaha, United States according to his actual biography. Malcolm X later became an American minister and a human right activist as depicted in Spike Lee’s movie. During the civil rights movement in America, Malcolm X was a popular figure in the United States. Malcolm X is well known for his controversial advocacy for the rights of Black Americans. Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” movie describes the life of Malcolm X that began in sorrow, went through streets and prisons before he rose to a hero. Different people and historian have different ideas about the film “Malcolm X,” and therefore, this film review will determine the historical accuracy of Spike Lee’s film about Malcolm X. Spike Lee’s film follows a chronological order with references, and his movie is a faithful adaptation of Malcolm’s biography; therefore, the film can be considered as historically accurate.
Spike lee’s 3hours and 21minute dramatizes the criminal career, incarceration, and assassination of Malcolm. The film starts by describing the early life of Malcolm X. Malcolm X’s father was a minister in America who believed that White American could not allow the presence of the Black Americans in the country (Smith, 1099). When Malcolm was still young, his father was murdered, and her mother struggled to raise him. “The movie narrates how Malcolm X was jailed in the late 1940s for his involvement in sex with white women” (Smith, 1105). While in prison Malcolm learned about the Black Muslim Movement, that changed his life, and he gained self-respect. “The film then gains momentum when narrating how Malcolm became a figure in black Muslim movement, where he argued that the White Americans were evil and they needed to allow Black Americans to dwell with independence.” The film by Spike Lee about Malcolm’s life is educative on the history of Malcolm X, and at the same time inspirational movie.
The main aim of Spike Lee’s movie is to narrate the historical life of Malcolm X. Spike Lee made the film to inspire people that they have the power to change their lives as in the case of Malcolm’s life history. Use of fiction and other characters such as Denzel Washington in the movie makes the film to be considered as not historically accurate (Dubois, 110). Fiction is portrayed in the film by use of a character to present Malcolm who is no longer alive. “The movie provides an understanding of Malcolm’s life as it is divided into different stages of life from the early childhood to the assassination of Malcolm, which makes the film more critical resource for anyone who wishes to understand the life history of Malcolm.” “Spike Lee uses cold institution lighting to depict the prison scenes where Malcolm was jailed.” “The photography used in the movie is the intercut of black and white colors to show how Malcolm’s life was shaped and fixed” (Dubois, 110). The film by Spike Lee is a good film that can be useful for everyone who needs to understand the historical life of Malcolm because the film brings the nature of Malcolm such that both the black and the white can understand the thinking progression of Malcolm.
In conclusion, Spike Lee film is an important resource for anyone who wishes to understand Malcolm’s life history. The film by Spike Lee portrays Malcolm as an activist just as in his biography, therefore, the film is historically accurate. Spike Lee used other characters and some fictions to make the film more attractive and exciting to the audience. The movie by Spike Lee follows all the life stages of Malcolm’s life in chronological order. Spike Lee’s film about Malcolm’s life is a faithful adaptation of Malcolm’s biography, and therefore, the film can be considered to be historically accurate.