Malcolm X
Directed by Arnold Perl
Written by Arnold Perl from the book “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
1972/US
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime rental
“I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men, but I don’t believe in brotherhood with anybody who doesn’t want brotherhood with me. I believe in treating people right, but I’m not going to waste my time trying to treat somebody right who doesn’t know how to return the treatment”
―
A well-made documentary about the life and death of Malcolm X, perhaps the most radical leader in the Civil Rights movement.
We follow Malcolm from his origins as Malcolm Little, to his life as kind of a vice lord in Harlem, to prison where he joined Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam, foreswore his “slave name”, and became Malcolm X. Upon his release, he became his faith’s fieriest spokesperson, advocating black pride, black power, and an eventual return to Africa. White people are frequently referred to as “blue-eyed devils”.
In 1964, Malcolm X became disillusioned with Elijah Muhammad, broke with the Nation of Islam, and began receiving death threats. He became a Sunni Muslim after traveling to Mecca for the Hajj that year. Subsequently, Malcolm began taking a more moderate tone on race issues but continued to fearlessly speak his mind until his assassination in 1965. 
I think this would be an excellent choice for anyone interested in Malcolm X or the various factions in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. The film is narrated by James Earl Jones but there’s not a whole lot of narration. It’s mostly speeches and newsreel footage. That does not make it sound as interesting as it actually is. The movie ends with footage of Malcolm’s murder and an obituary read by Ossie Davis.
Malcolm X was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar.
