7 Important Biopics That Were Derailed By Massive Problems

3. Malcolm X

Spike Lee's 1992 movie capitalised on an intense resurgence in popularity of the Black Nationalist hero. The Autobiography of Malcolm X is one of the 20th Century's greatest insights into the mind of one of the most influential men. Yet this is simultaneously the greatest problem with the film; major changes were made to avoid conflict with the modern Nation of Islam, and figures who were still alive; Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz, worked as a consultant, meaning the portrayal of her is unduly sympathetic. The single, biggest problem with this film is in regards to its divergence from the source material; Malcolm X's sister Ella (who features heavily in the book) is written out of the film by Betty because of animosity between them. Malcolm X's conversion to the Nation of Islam was altered, so an articulate prisoner rather than his mentally unstable brother introduced him to the incendiary religion. The 1990s saw interest in Malcolm X swell, and the film managed to depict him as angry, but did not show why he was angry; shy of the laughably awful KKK appearance near the beginning, there were few examples of the rampant racism of the era. Just like Gandhi and Che Guevara, Malcolm X's image was sucked dry of meaning, becoming a face with nothing but anger behind it. This film allowed for a systematic redefinition of the alternative to Martin Luther King Jr, meaning he can be reconciled with the very institutions he showed disdain for.