20 Black Movie Characters Hollywood Should Learn From

3. Malcolm X (Malcolm X)

3_Malcolm X

Malcolm X is certainly a very influential figure in history, and Spike Lee€™s movie really explores him in detail but adapts the details well and captures much of its protagonist€™s spirit, not only because it uses Malcolm X€™s autobiography, but because of what it does with it. It€™s a vibrant and powerful movie, really conveying believably all the transformations Malcolm went through (at least in terms of the ideas behind them) over the course of his life. It helps you get to the heart of who he was, and that€™s what the best biopics should be, really helping you not just understand but feel who the protagonist was, and what their lives and deaths meant to the world, to those they knew, and to themselves, at least as the best as the filmmaker can. Part of the reason this is so is because the movie was able to be given the €œepic€ treatment. To successfully convey Malcolm X€™s life, Spike Lee stuck by what he felt was needed in terms of budget and running time and ended up getting some of the funding independently from many famous black public figures to complete the project. And in Malcolm€™s case, it was definitely worth it, especially because Malcolm X was the kind of person who didn€™t take the world at face value. He constantly questioned the assumptions we are born into. This movie had to be able to convey themes that can€™t always be processed in sound bites or the usual movie scenes. It is its own kind of story. The movie also uses this artistically by not completely following the stereotypical biopic formats and emphases in its themes. Spike Lee employed some really great ideas in this movie, from the narrative level to the visual level. Hollywood can really do a lot of different kinds of biopics. A movie like Malcolm X is incredibly thought-provoking.
Contributor
Contributor

Ian Boucher is many things when he is not writing for WhatCulture.com -- explorer, friend of nature, and librarian. He enjoys stories of many kinds and is fascinated with what different mediums can bring to them. He has developed particular affections for movies and comic books, especially the ones that need more attention, taking them absolutely seriously with a sense of humor. He constantly strives to build his understanding of the relationships between world cultures, messages, and audiences.