30 years ago this movie made history with Denzel Washington and it’s in theaters

In February 1993, Spike Lee presented the biographical film Malcolm X, which depicts the life of the leader of the black American movement of the Nation of Islam.

From a difficult childhood in Omaha to a stint in prison, including joining an Islamist-inspired organization, a pilgrimage to Mecca and his assassination during an encounter on February 21, 1965, the film traces the icon’s life. Malcolm X is currently in theaters.

Worn by Denzel Washington, Oscar-nominated for Best Actor, the feature film is adapted from the book The Autobiography of MalcolmCo-written by Malcolm X and Alex Hale and published in 1965.

It traces the evolution of Malcolm X, a complex man, from his criminal beginnings to his political and spiritual awakening.

Albert Hall, Angela Bassett, Giancarlo Esposito and Delro Lindo also appear in the cast of this production, which is rated 4 out of 5 stars by AlloCiné viewers. It is also one of Spike Lee’s highest rated movies.

hint

Internet users appreciate the service “special“By Denzel Washington and”careful execution“Spike Lee, just like her”A fascinating storyThe film allows us to better understand Malcolm X’s journey and place his ideas in a more nuanced context.

Upon its release, the feature film opened a wider discussion about the leader’s legacy and influence in the civil rights struggle.

Malcolm X It became a benchmark for the cinematic representation of the struggle for racial justice and inspired a new generation of young filmmakers. It also reminded the general public of the importance of Malcolm X as an icon of resistance against racial oppression.

The genesis of the project

In 1967, producer Marvin Worth bought the rights to adapt the biography for a film, but struggled to develop the story because of the mystery of Malcolm X’s murder. So the project was shelved and the producer made the Oscar-nominated documentary 1972.

After passing into the hands of Norman Jewison and Oliver Stone, who had just directed JFK, the film project returned to Spike Lee. The latter then rewrote James Baldwin and Arnold Pearl’s first screenplay and did not hesitate to take a significant salary cut to make it within budget.

Oprah Winfrey, Janet Johnson, Michael Jordan and Prince are co-financing the project, which marks the director’s second collaboration with Denzel Washington since 1990’s Mo’ Better Blues.

A film that entered history

Malcolm X was filmed between September 1991 and January 1992 between the United States, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. For the purposes of a key scene in the film, the crew was given permission to film in Mecca. It is the first American feature film to be shot at this sacred site.

time Red Sea International Film Festival In 2022, Spike Lee also spoke about filming this scene, explaining that he was not allowed to enter Mecca. The filmmaker had to call a Muslim team to shoot this scene.

“It was necessary to film Malcolm when he performed the Hajj. So our film was the first to get permission to bring the camera into the old city of Mecca. I was not allowed to do that. Go away.

So we took the Muslim team. The Supreme Court of Justice did not give me this permission. But they knew Malcolm’s importance to Islam.” The scene that appears in the movie is why Spike Lee didn’t film it!

Since then, the director and Denzel Washington have collaborated numerous times (and are set to team up for High and Low in 2025). The director also cast the actor’s son, John David Washington, in BlackKkKlansman – I Infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. The actor revealed last January that he was also in the casting for Malcolm X.

Close Your Eyes : In the final moments of the feature film, when a teacher celebrates a political activist’s birthday, telling her students that they “Everyone was Malcolm“Then we saw several schoolchildren standing up from their chairs to the camera and each taking turns making a statement.”I’m Malcolm X!“. John David Washington was the first of them.

Malcolm X You should see it again in the cinema.