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Malcolm X (1992)
Malcolm X is a 1992 American epic biographical drama film about the African-American activist Malcolm X. Directed and co-written by Spike Lee, the film stars Denzel Washington in the title role, alongside Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr., and Delroy Lindo. Lee has a supporting role, while Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and future South African president Nelson Mandela…
Directed by Spike Lee · Shot by Ernest Dickerson · Cut by Barry Alexander Brown · Music by Terence Blanchard · 201 min
How it was made
- Producer Marvin Worth acquired the rights to The Autobiography of Malcolm X in 1967, having met Malcolm X as a teenager; the screenplay passed through more than two decades of writers, including James Baldwin, David Mamet and Charles Fuller, before reaching the screen.
- James Baldwin's collaboration with Arnold Perl formed the basis of the credited screenplay; once Spike Lee rewrote it as director, the Baldwin family asked for his name to be removed, leaving only Perl and Lee credited as writers.
- The film became the first non-documentary and first American production granted permission to film in Mecca; because non-Muslims, including Lee, are barred from the city, a second unit crew was hired to shoot those scenes.
- The Fruit of Islam, the Nation of Islam's defense arm, provided security for the production, and Malcolm X's widow, Dr. Betty Shabazz, served as a consultant.
- Denzel Washington prepared for the role by interviewing people who had known Malcolm X, including Shabazz and two of his brothers, and by reviewing hours of tape and film footage of his speeches.
Behind the scenes
Elsewhere
More by Spike Lee
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