Malcolm X (1992 film)

1992 American biographical film directed by Spike Lee

Malcolm X

International theatrical release poster

Directed by| Spike Lee
Screenplay by|

* Arnold Perl
* Spike Lee

Based on|

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

* Malcolm X
* Alex Haley

Produced by|

* Marvin Worth
* Spike Lee

Starring|

* Denzel Washington
* Angela Bassett
* Albert Hall
* Al Freeman Jr.
* Delroy Lindo
* Spike Lee

Cinematography| Ernest Dickerson
Edited by| Barry Alexander Brown
Music by| Terence Blanchard

Production
company

40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks

Distributed by|

* Warner Bros. (United States)
* Largo International (International)

Release date

* November 18, 1992 (1992-11-18)

Running time

| 202 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $35 million[2]
Box office| $73 million

Malcolm X is a 1992 American independent[3] epic biographical drama film about the African-American activist Malcolm X. Directed and co-written by Spike Lee, the film stars Denzel Washington in the title role, alongside Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr., and Delroy Lindo. Lee has a supporting role, while Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and future South African president Nelson Mandela make cameo appearances. The film marked the second collaboration for Lee and Washington, succeeding Mo' Better Blues (1990).

The screenplay, co-credited to Lee and Arnold Perl, is based largely on Alex Haley's 1965 book The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Haley had collaborated with Malcolm X on the book beginning in 1963 and completed it after Malcolm X's death. The film dramatizes key events in Malcolm X's life: his criminal career, his incarceration, his conversion to Islam, his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his later falling out with the organization, his marriage to Betty X, his pilgrimage to Mecca and reevaluation of his views concerning whites, and his assassination in 1965. Defining childhood incidents, including his father's death, his mother's mental illness, and his experiences with racism are dramatized in flashbacks.

Malcolm X was distributed by Warner Bros. and released in the United States on November 18, 1992. The same year, Denzel Washington won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his performance. At the 65th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for two Oscars including the Best Actor for Washington and Best Costume Design for Ruth E. Carter. In 2010, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4][5]

## Plot

[edit]

Malcolm Little is born in Nebraska and later raised in a strong household in rural Michigan by his Grenadian mother and African-American father. When Malcolm is a young boy, their house is burnt down and his father, an activist for black rights, is killed by a chapter of the Black Legion. His death is registered as a suicide and the family receives no compensation. Malcolm's mother's mental state deteriorates and she is admitted to a mental institution. Malcolm and his siblings are put into protective care. Malcolm performs well in school and dreams of being a lawyer, but his teacher discourages it due to his skin color.

In 1944, Malcolm, now a teenager, lives in Boston. One night, he catches the attention of the white Sophia, and the two begin having sex. Malcolm travels to New York City's Harlem with Sophia, where he meets "West Indian" Archie, a gangster who runs a local numbers game, at a bar. The two become friends and start co-operating an illegal numbers racket. One night at a club, Malcolm claims to have bet on a winning number; Archie disputes this, denying him a large sum of money. A conflict ensues between the two and Malcolm returns to Boston after an attempt on his life. Malcolm, Sophia, Malcolm's friend Shorty, and a woman named Peg decide to perform robberies to earn money.

By 1946, the group has accrued a large amount of money from thievery. However, they are later arrested. The two women are sentenced to two years as first offenders in connection with the robberies, while Malcolm and Shorty are sentenced to 8 to 10 years. While incarcerated, Malcolm meets Baines, a member of the Nation of Islam, who directs him to the teachings of the group's leader Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm grows interested in the Muslim religion and lifestyle promoted by the group, and begins to resent white people for mistreating his race. Malcolm is paroled from prison in 1952 after serving six years, and travels to the Nation of Islam's headquarters in Chicago. There, he meets Muhammad, who instructs Malcolm to replace his surname "Little" with "X", which symbolizes his lost African surname that was taken from his ancestors by white slavemasters; he is rechristened as "Malcolm X".

Malcolm returns to New York City's Harlem and begins to preach the Nation's message; over time, his speeches draw large crowds of onlookers. Malcolm proposes ideas such as African-American separation from white Americans. In 1958, Malcolm meets nurse Betty Sanders. The two begin dating, quickly marry and become the parents of four daughters. Several years later, Malcolm is now in a high position as the spokesperson of the Nation of Islam. During this time, Malcolm learns that Muhammad had fathered numerous children out of wedlock, contradicting his teachings and Islam.

After President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in November 1963, Malcolm comments that the assassination was the product of the white violence that has been prevalent in America since its founding, comparing the killing to "the chickens coming home to roost." This statement damages Malcolm's reputation and Muhammad suspends him from speaking to the press or at temples for 90 days. In early 1964, Malcolm goes on a pilgrimage to Mecca where he meets Muslims from all races, including white. Malcolm, having lost his faith in the Nation of Islam and also converting to Sunni Islam during his pilgrimage, publicly announces that he is founding the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which teaches tolerance instead of racial separation. He is exiled from the Nation of Islam, and his house is firebombed in early 1965.

On February 21, 1965, Malcolm prepares to speak before a crowd at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, but tragically, disciples of the Nation of Islam shoot him several times. One of Malcolm's bodyguards shoots one of the shooters, Thomas Hagan, in the leg before a furious crowd beats Hagan, after which he is arrested. Malcolm is transported to a hospital, but is pronounced dead on arrival.

The film concludes with a series of clips showing the aftermath of Malcolm's death. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a eulogy to Malcolm, and Ossie Davis recites a speech at Malcolm's funeral. Nelson Mandela delivers a speech to a school, quoting an excerpt from one of Malcolm's speeches.

## Cast

[edit]

Denzel Washington (pictured in 2000) portrays Malcolm X.

* Denzel Washington as Malcolm X, a former petty criminal and convict, Nation of Islam (NOI) minister and activist for African Americans.
* Angela Bassett as Betty Shabazz, a nurse and NOI activist who marries Malcolm.
* Albert Hall as Baines, the convict who mentors Malcolm and converts him to Islam.
* Al Freeman Jr. as Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam.
* Delroy Lindo as West Indian Archie, a Harlem gangster who runs a local numbers game and takes a young Malcolm under his wing.
* Spike Lee as Shorty, Malcolm's childhood friend.
* Theresa Randle as Laura, a young Malcolm's romantic interest.
* Kate Vernon as Sophia, Malcolm's lover as a younger criminal.
* Ernest Lee Thomas as Sidney, a member of the Fruit of Islam and Baines son who is assigned to protect Malcolm.
* Christopher Plummer as Chaplain Gill, prison chaplain.
* Lonette McKee as Louise Little, Malcolm's mother.
* Tommy Hollis as Earl Little, Malcolm's father, a reverend and vocal activist who is murdered by the Black Legion.
* Giancarlo Esposito as Talmadge X Hayer, an NOI member who is part of the five-man group that assassinates Malcolm.
* Wendell Pierce as Ben Thomas, a member of the assassination team who supervises the plot.
* Leonard L. Thomas as Leon Davis, a member of the assassination team who assists Hayer in shooting Malcolm with handguns.
* Leland Gantt as Wilber McKinley, a member of the assassination team who creates a distraction to lure Malcolm's guards away.
* Roger Guenveur Smith as Rudy, a caterer-turned-criminal who assists Malcolm in his robberies.
* James McDaniel as Brother Earl
* Steve White as Brother Johnson
* Veronica Webb as Sister Lucille Rosary
* Phyllis Yvonne Stickney as Honey
* Jean-Claude La Marre as Benjamin 2X, Malcolm's aide.
* Debi Mazar as Peg, Sophia's friend and partner-in-crime.
* Karen Allen as Miss Dunne, the social worker who forcibly separates Malcolm from his mother and siblings.
* Peter Boyle as NYPD Captain Green.
* David Patrick Kelly as Mr. Ostrowski, Malcolm's elementary school teacher.

Political activists Bobby Seale and Al Sharpton make cameo appearances as a pair of street preachers. Civil rights attorney William Kunstler appears as the judge who sentences Malcolm and Shorty to prison. Future South African President Nelson Mandela appears as a Soweto school teacher delivering a lecture on X. Spike Lee regular Nicholas Turturro has a minor role as a Boston police officer. Michael Imperioli briefly appears as a news reporter. Film director John Sayles appears as an FBI agent surveilling Malcolm. Washington's then-eight-year-old son John David Washington appears as a Harlem elementary school student; John David would later go on to star as the lead of Lee's 2018 film BlacKkKlansman.

Ossie Davis provides voiceover narration over the film's closing sequence, reading the eulogy he had originally performed at the real Malcolm's funeral.

## Production

[edit]

> "It's such a great story, a great American story, and it reflects our society in so many ways. Here's a guy who essentially led so many lives. He pulled himself out of the gutter. He went from country boy to hipster and semi-hoodlum. From there he went to prison, where he became a Muslim. Then he was a spiritual leader who evolved into a humanitarian."— Producer Marvin Worth on his 25-year effort to make a film about the life of Malcolm X.[6]

Producer Marvin Worth acquired the rights to The Autobiography of Malcolm X in 1967. Worth had met Malcolm X, then called "Detroit Red," as a teenager selling drugs in New York City. Worth was fifteen at the time, and spending time around jazz clubs in the area. As Worth remembers: "He was selling grass. He was sixteen or seventeen but looked older. He was very witty, a funny guy, and he had this extraordinary charisma. A great dancer and a great dresser. He was very good-looking, very, very tall. Girls always noticed him. He was quite a special guy."[7]

Early on, the production had difficulties telling the entire story, in part due to unresolved questions surrounding Malcolm X's assassination. In 1971, Worth made a well-received documentary Malcolm X (1972), which received an Academy Award nomination in that category. The project remained unrealized. However, several major entertainers were attached to it at various times, including Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and director Sidney Lumet.[7]

### Screenplay

[edit]

In 1968, Worth commissioned a screenplay from novelist James Baldwin, who was later joined by Arnold Perl, a screenwriter who had been a victim of McCarthy-era blacklisting.[8] However, the screenplay took longer to develop than anticipated. Perl died in 1971.[7]

Baldwin developed his work on the screenplay into the 1972 book One Day, When I Was Lost: A Scenario Based on Alex Haley's The Autobiography of Malcolm X. In 1976, Baldwin wrote of his experience, "I think that I would rather be horsewhipped, or incarcerated in the forthright bedlam of Bellevue, than repeat the adventure".[9] Baldwin died in 1987. Several authors attempted drafts, including David Mamet, David Bradley, Charles Fuller and Calder Willingham.[7][10] Once Spike Lee took over as director, he rewrote the Baldwin-Perl script. Due to the revisions, the Baldwin family asked the producer to take his name off the credits. Thus Malcolm X only credits Perl and Lee as the writers and Malcolm X and Alex Haley as the authors of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.[7]

### Production difficulties

[edit]

The production was considered controversial long before filming began. The crux of the controversy was Malcolm X's denunciation of whites before he undertook his hajj. He was, arguably, not well regarded among white citizens by and large; however, he had risen to become a hero in the African-American community and a symbol of blacks' struggles, particularly during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. In the three years before the movie's release, sales of The Autobiography of Malcolm X had increased 300 percent, and four of his books had a nine-fold increase in sales between 1986 and 1991.[10]

Once Warner Bros. agreed to the project, they initially wanted Oscar-nominated Canadian film director Norman Jewison to direct the film. Jewison, director of the seminal civil rights film In the Heat of the Night (1967), was able to bring Denzel Washington into the project to play Malcolm X. Jewison and Washington previously worked together in A Soldier's Story (1984).[10] Jewison also offered Eddie Murphy the role of Alex Haley in this version of the film.[11] A protest erupted over the fact that a white director was slated to make the film.[10] Spike Lee was one of the main voices of criticism; since college, he had considered a film adaptation of The Autobiography of Malcolm X to be a dream project. Lee and others felt that it was appropriate that only a black person should direct Malcolm X.[12]

After the public outcry against Jewison, Worth concluded that "it needed a black director at this point. It was insurmountable the other way...There's a grave responsibility here."[citation needed] Jewison left the project, though he noted he gave up the movie not because of the protest, but because he could not reconcile Malcolm's private and public lives and was unsatisfied with Charles Fuller's script.[citation needed] Lee confirmed Jewison's position, stating, "If Norman actually thought he could do it, he would have really fought me. But he bowed out gracefully."[citation needed]

Spike Lee was soon named the director, and he substantially edited the script. "I'm directing this movie and I rewrote the script, and I'm an artist and there's just no two ways around it: this film about Malcolm X is going to be my vision of Malcolm X. But it's not like I'm sitting atop a mountain saying, 'Screw everyone, this is the Malcolm I see.' I've done the research, I've talked to the people who were there."[10] Soon after Spike Lee was announced as the director and before its release, Malcolm X received criticism by black nationalists and members of the United Front to Preserve the Legacy of Malcolm X, headed by poet and playwright Amiri Baraka, who were worried about Lee's portrayal of Malcolm X. One protest in Harlem drew over 200 people.[10][13] Some based their opinion on dislike of Lee's previous films; others were concerned that he would focus on Malcolm X's life before he converted to Islam.[10][13][14] Baraka bluntly accused Spike Lee of being a "Buppie", stating "We will not let Malcolm X's life be trashed to make middle-class Negroes sleep easier", compelling others to write the director and warn him "not to mess up Malcolm's life."[10] Some, including Lee himself, noted the irony that many of the arguments made against him mirrored those made against Jewison.[13]

Although Washington agreed to play Malcolm X while Jewison was scheduled to direct the film, Lee stated he never envisioned any actor other than Washington in the role. The two had previously worked together on Mo' Better Blues (1990), and Lee noted that Washington had "really captured Malcolm" in his Off Broadway performance as him.[15]

### Budget issues

[edit]

Spike Lee also encountered difficulty in securing a sufficient budget. Lee told Warners and the bond company that a budget of over US$30 million was necessary; the studio disagreed and offered a lower amount. Following advice from fellow director Francis Ford Coppola, Lee got "the movie company pregnant": taking the movie far enough along into actual production to attempt to force the studio to increase the budget.[12] The film, initially budgeted at $28 million, climbed to nearly $33 million. Lee contributed $2 million of his own $3 million salary. Completion Bond Company, which assumed financial control in January 1992, refused to approve any more expenditures; in addition, the studio and bond company instructed Lee that the film could be no longer than two hours, fifteen minutes in length.[14] The resulting conflict caused the project to be shut down in post-production.[12]

The film was saved by the financial intervention of prominent black Americans, some of whom appear in the film: Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Janet Jackson, Prince, Tracy Chapman, and Peggy Cooper Cafritz, founder of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Their contributions were made as donations; as Lee noted: "This is not a loan. They are not investing in the film. These are black folks with some money who came to the rescue of the movie. As a result, this film will be my version. Not the bond company's version, not Warner Brothers'. I will do the film the way it ought to be, and it will be over three hours."[14] The actions of such prominent members of the African American community giving their money helped finish the project as Lee envisioned it.[10][12]

The dissatisfaction Warners had for how Lee funded the film by completing it through the help of his African American friends later resulted in Warner Bros. blocking out Lee from participating in the development of Space Jam (1996), as Lee had approached Joe Pytka about polishing the film's script.[16]

### Request for black interviewers

[edit]

"I'm doing what every other person in Hollywood does: they dictate who they want to do interviews with. Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, whoever. People throw their weight around. Well, I get many requests now for interviews, and I would like African-Americans to interview me. [. . .] Spike Lee has never said he only wants black journalists to interview him. What I'm doing is using whatever clout I have to get qualified African-Americans assignments. The real crime is white publications don't have black writers, that's the crime".

– Spike Lee explaining his request for black interviewers[17]

A month before the film was released, Lee asked that media outlets send black journalists to interview him. The request proved controversial. While it was common practice for celebrities to pick interviewers who were known to be sympathetic to them, it was the first time in many years in which race had been used as a qualification. Lee clarified that he was not barring white interviewers from interviewing him, but that he felt, given the subject matter of the film, that black writers have "more insight about Malcolm than white writers".[17]

The request was turned down by the Los Angeles Times, but several others agreed including Premiere magazine, Vogue, Interview and Rolling Stone. The Los Angeles Times explained they did not give writer approval. The editor of Premiere noted that the request created internal discussions that resulted in changes at the magazine: "Had we had a history of putting a lot of black writers on stories about the movie industry we'd be in a stronger position. But we didn't. It was an interesting challenge he laid down. It caused some personnel changes. We've hired a black writer and a black editor".[17]

### Filming

[edit]

Malcolm X's widow, Dr. Betty Shabazz, served as a consultant to the film.[13] The Fruit of Islam, the defense arm of the Nation of Islam, provided security for the movie.[15]

When Denzel Washington took the role of Malcolm X in the play, When the Chickens Come Home to Roost, which dealt with the relationship between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, he admitted he knew little about Malcolm X and had not yet read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Washington prepared by reading books and articles by and about Malcolm X and went over hours of tape and film footage of speeches. The play opened in 1981 and earned Washington a warm review by Frank Rich, who was at the time the chief theater critic of The New York Times. Upon being cast in the film, he interviewed people who knew Malcolm X, among them Betty Shabazz and two of his brothers. Although they had different upbringings, Washington tried to focus on what he had in common with his character: during the making of the movie Washington was close to Malcolm X's age when he was assassinated, both men were from large families, both of their fathers were ministers, and both were raised primarily by their mothers.[15]

Malcolm X is the first non-documentary, and the first American film, to be given permission to film in Mecca (or within the Haram Sharif). A second unit film crew was hired to film in Mecca because non-Muslims, such as Lee, are not allowed inside the city. Lee fought very hard to get filming in Mecca but Warners initially refused to put up the money for location shooting. New Jersey was considered for filming the Mecca segments. In the end, Lee got money and permission together for filming in Mecca.[18]

In addition to Nelson Mandela, the film featured cameos by Christopher Plummer (as the prison's Catholic chaplain), Peter Boyle (as a police officer), William Kunstler (as a judge), as well as activists Al Sharpton and Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale (as street preachers).[19]

The film was made shortly after Mandela's 1990 release from prison and during the negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa. Lee explained that he made "the connection between Soweto and Harlem, Nelson and Malcolm, and what Malcolm talked about: pan-Africanism, trying to build these bridges between people of color. He is alive in children in classrooms in Harlem, in classrooms in Soweto."[8] Mandela ends the film with a quote from Malcolm X himself, with Malcolm in a film clip saying the last four words. The quote goes: "We declare our right on this earth, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being, in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary."

### Music

[edit]

Main article: Malcolm X (soundtrack)

## Release

[edit]

External videos

"Malcolm X, The Movie: Cinema as History", panel discussion at the American University School of Communication, March 1, 1993 C-SPAN

Malcolm X was released in North America on November 18, 1992. The film released overseas in 1993, between February and March in Europe.[20]

### Home media

[edit]

Malcolm X was released by The Criterion Collection on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc on November 22, 2022.[21]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

In the United States and Canada, the film grossed $9.9 million in its opening weekend, finishing third after Home Alone 2: Lost in New York ($30 million) and Bram Stoker's Dracula ($15 million).[7] According to Box Office Mojo, the film ended its domestic run with a gross of $48,169,910.[22] Due to the budget issues and costs of promotion, Warner Bros. claimed the film lost over $30 million in 1992.[23]

Upon its United Kingdom release in 1993, it grossed £2,140,598[24] ($3,209,292).[25] The film also sold 594,984 tickets in France,[26] 127,306 tickets in Germany,[26] and 133,798 tickets in Spain.[20] In South Korea, it sold 28,159 tickets in the capital city of Seoul.[27] The film grossed $24,933,000 internationally in its original release,[28] for a worldwide total of $73,102,910.

### Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 79 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The critics' consensus states: "Anchored by a powerful performance from Denzel Washington, Spike Lee's biopic of the legendary civil rights leader brings his autobiography to life with an epic sweep and a nuanced message."[29] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[31]

Critic Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times ranked the film No. 1 on his Top 10 list for 1992 and described the film as "one of the great screen biographies, celebrating the sweep of an American life that bottomed out in prison before its hero reinvented himself."[32] In 1999, Ebert and director Martin Scorsese, the latter sitting in for Ebert's late co-host Gene Siskel, both ranked Malcolm X among the ten best films of the 1990s.[33]

### Accolades

[edit]

Denzel Washington's portrayal was widely praised and he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Washington lost to Al Pacino (for Scent of a Woman), a decision which Lee criticized, saying "I'm not the only one who thinks Denzel was robbed on that one."[34]

Award  | Category  | Nominee(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

Academy Awards | Best Actor | Denzel Washington | Nominated  | [35]
Best Costume Design | Ruth E. Carter | Nominated
Artios Awards | Best Casting for Feature Film – Drama | Robi Reed | Won  | [36]
Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | Spike Lee | Nominated  | [37]
Best Actor | Denzel Washington  | Won
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Won  | [38]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Won  | [39]
Best Director | Spike Lee  | Won
Best Actor | Denzel Washington  | Won
Best Supporting Actor | Al Freeman Jr. | Nominated
Best Screenplay | Arnold Perl and Spike Lee  | Nominated
Most Promising Actress  | Angela Bassett | Nominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Nominated  | [40]
Best Actor | Denzel Washington  | Won
Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated  | [41]
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor  | Won  | [42]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Runner-up  | [43]
MTV Movie Awards | Best Movie | Nominated  | [40]
Best Male Performance | Denzel Washington  | Won
MTV Video Music Awards | Best Video from a Film | "Revolution" – Arrested Development | Nominated  | [40]
NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Motion Picture | Won  | [40]
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Denzel Washington  | Won
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Al Freeman Jr.  | Won
Delroy Lindo | Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Angela Bassett  | Won
National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | 10th Place  | [44]
National Film Preservation Board | National Film Registry | Inducted  | [45][46]
National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Denzel Washington  | 3rd Place  | [47]
Best Supporting Actor | Delroy Lindo  | 3rd Place
New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | Denzel Washington  | Won  | [48]
Political Film Society Awards  | Exposé | Nominated  | [40]
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards  | Best Picture  | 5th Place  | [49]
Best Actor  | Denzel Washington  | Won
USC Scripter Awards | Arnold Perl and Spike Lee (screenwriters);
Malcolm X and Alex Haley (authors) | Nominated  | [50]

* In 2010, Malcolm X was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[45][46]

## See also

[edit]

* Civil rights movement in popular culture
* List of Islam-related films

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Malcolm X (15)". British Board of Film Classification. January 21, 1993. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
2. ^ "Malcolm X Box Office Information". The Numbers. Nash Information, LLC. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
3. ^ The Best Indie Films of the 1990s - Yahoo Entertainment
4. ^ "Hollywood Blockbusters, Independent Films and Shorts Selected for 2010 National Film Registry". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
5. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
6. ^ Bernard Weinraub, A Movie Producer Remembers The Human Side of Malcolm X Archived May 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, November 23, 1992; retrieved June 18, 2008.
7. ^ a b c d e f Bernard Weinraub, A Movie Producer Remembers The Human Side of Malcolm X Archived May 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, November 23, 1992; retrieved June 8, 2008.
8. ^ a b Sheila Rule, FILM; Malcolm X: The Facts, the Fictions, the Film Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, November 15, 1992; accessed May 23, 2008.
9. ^ Baldwin, James (1976). The Devil Finds Work. New York: The Dial Press. p. 95\. ISBN 0-8037-1916-7.
10. ^ a b c d e f g h i David Ansen and Spike Lee, The Battle For Malcolm X Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Newsweek, Retrieved May 31, 2010.
11. ^ Why Eddie Murphy Says Sidney Poitier Advised Him Not to Star in ‘Malcolm X’
12. ^ a b c d Scott Tobias, Malcolm X Archived February 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, The Onion A/V Club, February 15, 2005, Retrieved February 19, 2014.
13. ^ a b c d Evelyn Nieves, Malcolm X: Firestorm Over a Film Script Archived May 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, August 9, 1991; retrieved May 15, 2008.
14. ^ a b c Lena Williams, Spike Lee Says Money From Blacks Saved 'X' Archived May 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, May 20, 1992; retrieved May 15, 2008.
15. ^ a b c Lena Williams, Playing With Fire Archived June 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, October 25, 1992; retrieved May 15, 2008.
16. ^ Lawrence, Derek (November 15, 2016). "Space Jam: The story behind Michael Jordan's improbable victory". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
17. ^ a b c Bernard Weinraub, Spike Lee's Request: Black Interviewers Only Archived May 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, October 29, 1992, Retrieved May 23, 2008.
18. ^ Spike, Lee (2002). Fuchs, Cynthia (ed.). Spike Lee: interviews. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1578064708. OCLC 48163614.
19. ^ Vincent Canby, Review/Film; 'Malcolm X', as Complex as Its Subject Archived May 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, November 18, 1992, Retrieved May 23, 2008.
20. ^ a b "Малкольм Икс – дата выхода в России и других странах" [Malcolm X - Release Dates in Russia and Other Countries]. KinoPoisk (in Russian). Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
21. ^ Duralde, Alonso (November 9, 2022). "What's New on DVD/Blu-ray in November: 'Power of the Dog,' 'Moonage Daydream,' 'Earth Girls Are Easy' and More". The Wrap. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
22. ^ "Malcolm X (1992)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
23. ^ Cashmore, Ellis (1997). The Black Culture Industry. Routledge. p. 154\. ISBN 9781134809387. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
24. ^ "Malcolm X (1993)". 25th Frame. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
25. ^ "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) - United Kingdom". World Bank. 1993. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
26. ^ a b "Malcolm X (1992)". JP's Box-Office (in French). Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
27. ^ "KOFIC 영화관 입장권 통합전산망". Korean Film Council (in Korean). September 2018. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
28. ^ Klady, Leonard (January 3, 1994). "Int'l top 100 earn $8 bil". Variety. p. 1.
29. ^ "Malcolm X (1992)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
30. ^ "Malcolm X Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
31. ^ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Malcolm X" in the search box). CinemaScore. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
32. ^ Ebert, Roger (December 31, 1992). "The Best 10 Movies of 1992". rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
33. ^ Anderson, Jeffrey M. "The Best Films of the 1990s". Combustible Celluloid. Archived from the original on January 24, 2001. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
34. ^ DVDTalk.com. "Spike Lee on Malcolm X". Dvdtalk.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
35. ^ "The 65th Academy Awards (1993) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
36. ^ "Nominees/Winners". Casting Society of America. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
37. ^ "Berlinale: 1993 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
38. ^ "BSFC Winners: 1990s". Boston Society of Film Critics. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
39. ^ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association. January 1, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
40. ^ a b c d e "Malcolm X (1992): Awards". IMDb. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
41. ^ "Malcolm X". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
42. ^ "KCFCC Award Winners – 1990-99". Kansas City Film Critics Circle. December 14, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
43. ^ "The Annual 18th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
44. ^ "1992 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
45. ^ a b "'Empire Strikes Back' among 25 film registry picks". Archived from the original on December 31, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
46. ^ a b Barnes, Mike (December 28, 2010). "'Empire Strikes Back', 'Airplane!' Among 25 Movies Named to National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
47. ^ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics. December 19, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
48. ^ "1992 New York Film Critics Circle Awards". Mubi. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
49. ^ "1992 SEFA Awards". Southeastern Film Critics Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
50. ^ "Past Scripter Awards". USC Scripter Awards. Retrieved November 8, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Malcolm X (film).

* Malcolm X at IMDb
* Malcolm X at the TCM Movie Database
* Malcolm X at Rotten Tomatoes
* Malcolm X at Box Office Mojo
* Malcolm X at Metacritic
* Ann Hornaday, "The 34 best political movies ever made" The Washington Post Jan. 23, 2020, ranked No. 15
* Malcolm X essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy, 2009–2010: A Viewer's Guide to the 50 Landmark Movies Added to the National Film Registry in 2009–10, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2011, ISBN 1441120025 pages 181-185 [1]

* v
* t
* e

Malcolm X

Family|

* Louise Little (mother)
* Betty Shabazz (wife)
* Attallah Shabazz (daughter)
* Qubilah Shabazz (daughter)
* Ilyasah Shabazz (daughter)
* Malcolm Shabazz (grandson)

Organizations|

* Nation of Islam
* Muslim Mosque, Inc.
* Organization of Afro-American Unity

Assassination|

* Thomas Hagan
* Hayer affidavits
* Muhammad Abdul Aziz

Places|

* Malcolm X House Site
* Malcolm X House
* Malcolm X—Ella Little-Collins House
* Mosque No. 7
* Mosque No. 11
* Mosque No. 12
* Audubon Ballroom
* Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center
* Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard
* Malcolm X Shabazz High School
* Malcolm Shabazz City High School
* Malcolm X College

Media|

| Books and
speeches|

| Authored|

* "Message to the Grass Roots" (1963)
* "The Ballot or the Bullet" (1964)
* The Diary of Malcolm X (1964)
* The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965)

|

About|

* Growing Up X (2002)
* Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention (2011)
* A Lie of Reinvention: Correcting Manning Marable's Malcolm X (2012)
* The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X (2020)

Docu films
and series|

* The Hate That Hate Produced
* 1972 documentary
* Malcolm X: Make It Plain
* Seven Songs for Malcolm X
* An Eye on X
* Malcolm's Echo: The Legacy of Malcolm X
* Who Killed Malcolm X?
* Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali

* Poem for Malcolm
* Roots: The Next Generations
* "No Sell Out"
* X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
* 1992 film
* soundtrack
* The Malcolm X Jazz Suite
* Death of a Prophet
* The Meeting
* An Eye on X
* Betty & Coretta
* Godfather of Harlem
* Genius: MLK/X

Related|

* Elijah Muhammad
* Rowena Moore
* WD Mohammed
* Hakim Jamal
* Malcolm X Day
* Malcolm X Memorial Foundation
* By any means necessary

* v
* t
* e

Spike Lee

* Filmography
* Awards and nominations
* Unrealized projects

Films
directed|

| Feature films|

* She's Gotta Have It (1986)
* School Daze (1988)
* Do the Right Thing (1989)
* Mo' Better Blues (1990)
* Jungle Fever (1991)
* Malcolm X (1992)
* Crooklyn (1994)
* Clockers (1995)
* Girl 6 (1996)
* Get on the Bus (1996)
* He Got Game (1998)
* Summer of Sam (1999)
* Bamboozled (2000)
* 25th Hour (2002)
* She Hate Me (2004)
* Inside Man (2006)
* Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
* Red Hook Summer (2012)
* Oldboy (2013)
* Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2014)
* Chi-Raq (2015)
* BlacKkKlansman (2018)
* Da 5 Bloods (2020)
* Highest 2 Lowest (2025)

|

Documentaries and
filmed staged productions|

* 4 Little Girls (1997)
* Freak (1998)
* The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
* A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
* Jim Brown: All-American (2002)
* When the Levees Broke (2006)
* Kobe Doin' Work (2009)
* Passing Strange (2009)
* If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010)
* Bad 25 (2012)
* Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)
* Rodney King (2017)
* Pass Over (2018)
* American Utopia (2020)

Other films|

* Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983)
* Lumière and Company (1995, segment)
* The Concert for New York City (2001, segment "Come Rain or Come Shine")
* Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002, segment "We Wuz Robbed")
* All the Invisible Children (2005, segment "Jesus Children of America")

Films
produced|

* The Best Man (1999)
* Love & Basketball (2000)
* 3 A.M. (2001)
* Saint John of Las Vegas (2009)
* You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You (2011)
* Amazing Grace (2018)
* See You Yesterday (2019)

Television|

* Sucker Free City (2004)
* She's Gotta Have It (2017–19)
* NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½ (2021)

Related articles|

* 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
* Bill Lee (father)
* Tonya Lewis Lee
* David Lee (brother)
* Joie Lee (sister)
* Cinqué Lee (brother)
* Malcolm D. Lee (cousin)

Awards for Malcolm X

* v
* t
* e

Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Film

* Mississippi Burning (1988)
* Do the Right Thing (1989)
* Goodfellas (1990)
* The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
* Malcolm X (1992)
* Schindler's List (1993)
* Hoop Dreams (1994)
* Apollo 13 (1995)
* Fargo (1996)
* L.A. Confidential (1997)
* Saving Private Ryan (1998)
* American Beauty (1999)
* Almost Famous (2000)
* Mulholland Drive (2001)
* Far from Heaven (2002)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
* Sideways (2004)
* Crash (2005)
* The Departed (2006)
* No Country for Old Men (2007)
* WALL-E (2008)
* The Hurt Locker (2009)
* The Social Network (2010)
* The Tree of Life (2011)
* Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
* 12 Years a Slave (2013)
* Boyhood (2014)
* Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
* Moonlight (2016)
* Lady Bird (2017)
* Roma (2018)
* Parasite (2019)
* Nomadland (2020)
* The Power of the Dog (2021)
* The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
* Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
* The Brutalist (2024)

* v
* t
* e

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture

* Lady Sings the Blues (1971)
* No Award (1972–1975)
* Let's Do It Again (1976)
* No Award (1977)
* The Greatest (1978)
* No Award (1979)
* Fame (1980)
* Bustin' Loose (1981)
* An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
* No Award (1983)
* A Soldier's Story (1984)
* The Color Purple (1985)
* No Award (1986)
* Lethal Weapon (1987)
* Coming to America (1988)
* Glory / Lean on Me (1989)
* No Award (1990)
* Boyz n the Hood (1991)
* Sister Act (1992)
* Malcolm X (1993)
* No Award (1994)
* Waiting to Exhale (1995)
* A Time to Kill (1996)
* Soul Food (1997)
* How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
* The Best Man (1999)
* Remember the Titans (2000)
* Ali (2001)
* Antwone Fisher (2002)
* The Fighting Temptations (2003)
* Ray (2004)
* Crash (2005)
* The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
* The Great Debaters (2007)
* The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
* Precious (2009)
* For Colored Girls (2010)
* The Help (2011)
* Red Tails (2012)
* 12 Years a Slave (2013)
* Selma (2014)
* Straight Outta Compton (2015)
* Hidden Figures (2016)
* Girls Trip (2017)
* Black Panther (2018)
* Just Mercy (2019)
* Bad Boys for Life (2020)
* The Harder They Fall (2021)
* Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
* The Color Purple (2023)
* The Six Triple Eight (2024)

Portals:

* Film
* Civil rights movement
* United States
* Islam

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Israel

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Docu]: Documentary