Malcolm X (1992) (US/日本) = “We declare our right on this earth to be a man, 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.”

Malcolm X is one of the most important Americans to have ever lived, serving as one of the major civil rights leaders during the 1960s until his assassination at the hands of the Nation of Islam. Adapted from his autobiography and scripted by the great James Baldwin, Malcolm X manages to fully depict his evolution from a two-bit gangster to a devoted family man and leader of his people. Spike Lee, coming off his 1989 masterpiece Do The Right Thing, successfully told this story in an authentic and all-encompassing manner, leaving not a single second of its 3-hour and 22-minute runtime wasted.

Denzel Washington is absolutely incredible as Malcolm X, delivering one of the most powerful and engrossing performances I have ever seen. This film is also notable for being one of the only times in recorded history that a non-Muslim (Denzel Washington) was granted entry into the holy city of Mecca to perform the scenes of Malcolm’s hajj.

When Nelson Mandela himself learned about this movie, he asked to have a small part, and he actually ended the movie as a school teacher in South Africa, educating children about this great man. This is one of the 10 greatest films that I have ever seen, and I consider it a true masterpiece in the history of cinema.

Please, WATCH THIS MOVIE. 10/10.

–Malcolm X is currently streaming on Max.