Malcolm X
Short description
Malcolm X is a biographical drama about the life of the African American leader Malcolm Little, from his childhood through his involvement in crime, his imprisonment, his conversion to Islam and his rise within the Nation of Islam. The film follows his transformation into Malcolm X and his work as a spokesman for black liberation, ending with his assassination in 1965. Denzel Washington plays the title role, with Angela Bassett as Betty Shabazz, Albert Hall as Baines, Al Freeman Jr. as Elijah Muhammad, Delroy Lindo as West Indian Archie and Spike Lee as Shorty.
Spike Lee directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Arnold Perl and James Baldwin, and produced with Marvin Worth. The film was released in November 1992 and runs 202 minutes. It is the sixth of twenty-six films Lee has directed, following Jungle Fever (1991) and preceding Crooklyn (1994). It was made for a budget of 34 million US dollars and earned 48 million worldwide.
The film holds a rating of 8.1 out of 10 from 84 reviews. On IMDb it has 7.7 out of 10 from 111,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.6 out of 10 from 1,995 votes, placing the audience response somewhat below the critics' assessment. It was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, LARGO Entertainment and JVC, with the credited cast running to 354 people and the crew to 118.
What's left behind the scenes
- Preparing for the role, Denzel Washington eliminated pork from his diet, attended classes organized by the Nation of Islam (the militant wing of the religious organization), and learned to dance the Lindy Hop (an African American dance that emerged in New York in the 1920s-1930s). He immersed himself so thoroughly in the character that he knew what pair of glasses Malcolm X wore on any given day.
- Director Spike Lee removed all references to Louis Farrakhan from the film due to threats against him.
- Betty Shabazz (1936-1997), the widow of Malcolm X (1925-1965), worked as a consultant during the film's production.
- The film is based on 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' (by Alex Haley and Malcolm X), 1965.
- Denzel Washington invested his entire fee into the film's production.
- The film depicts a white student offering Malcolm X help, which he brusquely refuses. This incident actually happened, and X repeatedly expressed regret over it after leaving the Nation of Islam.
- When Malcolm X delivers a sermon on the street in Harlem, Bobby Seale (co-founder of the Black Panther Party) and Al Sharpton, a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, are shown nearby.
- Brother Baines, who introduced Malcolm X to the Nation of Islam, is a fictional character. X recounted in his autobiography that he was introduced to the Nation of Islam by letters from a brother and sister.
- In 2010, the film was included in the National Film Registry.
- At the end of the film, Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) is shown quoting Malcolm X in his speech. Mandela refused to repeat X's final words, “by any means necessary,” and Spike Lee inserted black-and-white footage of X himself uttering those words.
- The first non-documentary film and the first American production to receive permission to film in Mecca. A second film crew was hired for the filming there, as director Spike Lee and other non-Muslims were denied entry into the city. Lee was very keen to film specifically in Mecca, and Warner Bros. initially refused to sponsor on-location shooting, planning to film the Mecca scenes in New Jersey. Ultimately, however, Lee received both the funding and permission to film in Mecca.
- Initially, Spike Lee requested $33 million for the project – more than the usual budgets for his films, but a reasonable sum considering the scope of the undertaking. Warner Bros. offered him $20 million for a film lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes, plus another $8 million from Largo Entertainment for international distribution rights. When the film's production exceeded the budget by $5 million, Lee invested almost his entire fee, but this was not enough, so he turned to his celebrity friends, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Bill Cosby. Responses to screenings of the 'rough' version of the film were positive, and ultimately Warner Bros. provided additional funding.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
