Malcolm X
A chat review with Knocked Out Loaded and Sandy
KOL: It was a long movie!
Sandy: It sure was! Spike Lee was too enamored with their zoot suits. Much of that could have been edited way down.
KOL: Very much so. That backstory was too long, as was the time spent in prison,
but maybe it was necessary to balance the movie up that way. Those parts sure added texture!
Sandy:Yes, but it still felt padded. Just like those suit shoulders! Don’t get me wrong though, those suits were super cool.
KOL: They sure looked classy! Provocative too, in a way. Personally, I didn’t know that much about Malcolm before I saw the movie.
Sandy: Me neither. I knew very little. Yes, their clothes were a huge statement of style and attitude of defiance… There are so many avenues to walk down with this film. Each part is worth a discussion. I’ll start with the religious movement. It was very triggering. The sign that said, "Our most precious possession, our women," that made my skin crawl.
KOL: I never noticed that sign.
Sandy: It was during one of the rallies.
KOL: Alright, the statement in itself is a positive one, I guess, but the philosophy beneath is not and I guess it is the same in christianity, as in Islam or Judaism.
Sandy: Yes, there is a darkness to it. It's the benevolent dictator stance.
KOL: Have we come a step further do you think?
Sandy: I wasn't sure where the story was going to go, but it did a good job of dismantling the religious movement, showing where power corrupts and hurts the most vulnerable. I do think we are a step further, but there are many religions that are still placing women as second class citizens, in the guise of holding them up on "pedestals.”
KOL: Yes, I see what you mean there. Just look at the film industry, how male dominated it still is.
Sandy: Yes. Very much so.
KOL: Actually, I think that we have not come so far that we believe we have.
Sandy: No, we haven’t… The movie is about race, but it also addresses gender issues. And even more, it's a movie all about an individual's evolution.
KOL: That is a generous way to look at it, Sandy.
Sandy: I think that is why Malcolm X’s story has endured - His ability to re-examine his beliefs and opinions and allowing himself to have new and changing ideas. It’s noteworthy
KOL: Over here, he is a much more marginal figure than Martin Luther King is.
Sandy: Here too. His story is messier. Sometimes he was misguided, but he adjusted and came closer to better answers.
KOL: I thought maybe his legacy was more living in the present debate in the U.S.
Sandy: That sounds right. Please tell me more.
KOL: It is just a feeling. It is you who should inform me on that point, haha!
Sandy:
It’s definitely current affairs! The most powerful thing Malcolm said in the film is that until the black community could work together, they couldn't move forward… Infighting crumbles a cause.
KOL: The racism of course is present here too, but I feel that the deepest resentment is against black haired people of Mid Eastern origin.
Sandy: Clash of cultures?
KOL: At least their culture is definable. I know little about black culture. Here all this antagonism that boils up, basically it is about economy and also fear of a different perspective. It is not worthy of a globalized world, but I can understand the mechanisms that click in.
Sandy: Yes, fear is a big motivator. I like that statement, "not worthy of a globalized world."
KOL: i wanted more of all that in the movie, an angrier and more political Malcolm.
Sandy: Do you think he was toned down?
KOL: Yes, I like Denzel Washington very much, but he was a little soft. Maybe Malcolm was that irl. Maybe this gave extra complexity to the movie.
Sandy: I haven't watched any of Malcolm X’s speeches, so it would be interesting to see how close Denzel Washington gets to his persona.
KOL: I have not either. There was a documentary included that I might go to.
Sandy: I’d like to hear how the real Malcolm is compared to how he was portrayed.
KOL: Do you think Samuel Jackson would have been a better choice? I was giving that a little thought. He is not as good as Denzel, not at all, but he has an attitude.
Sandy: I think I like the less bombastic approach. Malcolm lived through a lot of humbling experiences. He was so sure during his hoodlum life, and then so sure of his religious movement and both ended up crumbling around him. It’s more relatable to see him adjust to his setbacks and change of heart. It makes me think of the song from Music Man, “The sadder but wiser gal for me.” I’m a sucker for a humbled human.
KOL: I see, you have a point. In a way he almost seemed beaten.
Sandy: Yes, with his religious community turning on him and threatening his family, he basically lost everything, except his self respect.
KOL: Have you any knowledge of where his movement ended up after his death?
Sandy: That is a good question! I don’t.
KOL: Then I guess that all this was a Sisyphean effort and the stone rolled back to where it was from the beginning to start all over again!
Sandy: I'm reading that Malcom X is credited with raising the self esteem of black Americans and reconnecting them with their African heritage. That’s a legacy!
KOL: One great thing about the movie that we haven't touched upon is the use of non-diegetic music throughout. I really liked that touch, especially during the first part when they were petty criminals.
Sandy: Yes, the music was very intentional. A good soundtrack.
KOL: Yes, and a toned down spike lee movie?
Sandy: I’ve only seen 4 of his movies, so don’t have a good grasp on his storytelling over the years. Blackklansman was pretty "in your face."
Maybe he's weary of subtly. What would a not toned down Spike Lee film be?
KOL: I don't know, but I usually get the feeling he tries to be in your face. Here he sure has opportunities to do just that, but stepped down a little.
Sandy: Letting the story speak for itself?
KOL: I guess so. Letterboxd says I have seen 8. Maybe he is better at rubbing things in, in interviews than on the screen. I liked Blackklansman very much.
Sandy: Me too. I haven't seen any of his interviews.
KOL: I think his filmography is an inspiring one.
Sandy: I agree. What I've seen so far makes me want to seek more out.
