This movie was entertaining and did justice to Malcolm x but it didn't have much of an angle to it. It seems like spike Lee just wanted to adapt his autobiography word for word. The film would've been more interesting if it focused on one particular part of his life, like Steven Spielberg did in "Lincoln" instead of giving equal attention to everything. It's just the film felt like a documentary at times.

With Malcolm X, director/co-screenwriter Spike Lee has produced a true-to-life biopic on the title character who was first a strident advocate for the American Nation of Islam during the 1950's and early 60's, later becoming an extremely high profile human rights activist during the civil rights movement, before his assassination in 1965.

The film dramatises key events in Malcolm X's life with the main thread beginning with his post war criminal career and later conversion to Islam whilst in jail, which directly led to his assumption of the identity of Malcolm X . Defining childhood incidents, including his father's death, his mother's mental illness, and his experiences with racism are dramatised in (ironically) brief flashbacks, considering the elephantine length of the rest of the film.

From my understanding of the life of Malcolm X, Lee has stuck closely to the facts in constructing his biography. I believe there is only a limited amount of fictionalisation for artistic and dramatic licence. For that, I guess many will be grateful. Lee has also recreated the roughly two decades the film's story covers, extremely authentically. The sets and costuming are first class, with occasional pieces of newsreel footage and still photos supplementing that of his own filming. The performances are uniformly outstanding. Denzal Washington must have been desperately unlucky to miss out on the 1992 Academy Award for his powerful, central portrayal of the conspicuously, hard-nosed and divisive X.

For me though at 202 long minutes, this film is too dragged out and warranted tighter editing. The first act focusing on his early life of crime in Harlem and later Boston is for instance, needlessly protracted with interesting, but ultimately quite unimportant night club dancing and musical interludes. Could it possibly be that its prolonged appearance is due to Spike Lee himself, appearing in this section as a supporting character?

Malcolm X is a technically well-made, obvious labour of love for Lee, but I think it may have reached wider audiences if edited to a more manageable, less indulgent length.

I think the major success of Alex Haley with this movie is that he tells the story of a dynamic person known as 'Malcolm X' with such a skill that no man from any part of any society get his feelings hurt. I think it is a commendable effort from Alex Haley, Spike Lee and Danzel Washington that they made a hero out of Malcolm X. I think he deserved it because he was the man who was not after money or popularity......he changed his statements, his way of life , even his faith as he knew that those were true. The theme of the movie is very clear that Malcolm X was not a hardliner rather he was always open for truth. Secondly, it also emphasized though in the end that negotiations and reforms is a better way than the violence. But yet it also gave the message that the ruling races reap the violence which they breed themselves; sometimes in the hegemony of their power or sometimes due the wrong interpretation of their religious verdicts. I think it was right to hit at the ' Black organization known as nation of Islam' and Elijah Muhammad. Muslim community is itself greatly indebted to this movie because Elijah Muhammad's teaching were very far from Islam. The real Islam practiced worldwide does not believe in the continuance of prophet-hood after Muhammad (P.B.U.H)and the Black supremacy by Elijah Muhammad was a ridiculous idea as Islam does not believe in Nationalism. Any Muslim anywhere in the world whether black or white are equal in Islam's teachings. It was great to see the scenes of pilgrimage to Makkah ....... these were not unnecessary ......because they helped us to understand the sudden change in the teachings of Malcolm X. Denzel's acting is really superb and also that of Al Freeman Jr. I think this movie is an invaluable resource for the people who want to take an insight into the Malcolm X's life.