When attending NYU film school Spike Lee and cinematographer Ernest Dickerson dreamed of one day creating a film based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, but at that time that was student fantasy more than something they remotely thought would ever happen. Lee's success with Do the Right Thing brought him some clout (even if it didn't gain a much deserved nod from Academy voters), so when Lee learned that a Malcolm X project was being put together with Norman Jewison at the director's helm he took action and Jewison graciously stepped aside. We're all richer for that since no other director could have treated Malcolm X with the proper perspective, insight, and sensitivity. And no other director had the connection to the black community that makes this a special project.

Incorporating Reverend Al Sharpton, former Black Panther leader Bobby Seale, and Nelson Mandela into the film's fabric to make bridges between past and current political figures is something that only Spike Lee would have pulled off. He also balked when told to film Malcolm X's Hajj in New Jersey, insisting on location shooting in Cairo, Mecca, and Soweto. Would another director have challenged Warner Brothers operatives when they demanded a two hour film to come in under its 30 million dollar budget? They envisioned another Spike Lee Joint project with more money than he'd ever worked with before, but Lee envisioned David Lean--bringing a Lawrence of Arabia scope to Malcolm X. After all, he'd been continually reminded by various black community members to "not mess up Malcolm!"

Centerpiece of the film, Denzel Washington, spent an entire year preparing for the role--cutting down on alcohol, forsaking pork, and researching intensely through reading and by talking with numerous people who knew Malcolm first hand. The work pays off so well that the viewer can easily forget that this is a dramatic re-creation and not a documentary, as Washington moves far beyond cliché to create a nuanced and complex portrait of the controversial leader. The Academy at least recognized his work with a nomination, but he never got the press exclaiming how well he had transformed himself into the character the same way that they extolled Jamie Foxx's rendition of Ray Charles a dozen years later. But that is likely due more to the subject matter--Ray Charles is a far "safer" and "likeable" character than the enigmatic political revolutionary of the 60's.

Even more blatant was the second major Best Picture snub to Spike Lee, whose relatively traditionally constructed biopic didn't receive anywhere near the "love" that Oliver Stone's JFK had received the year before, and certainly far from the outpouring of Oscar gold showered upon Richard Attenborough's generic Gandhi ten years previously. Anyone who thinks that the Academy isn't mesmerized by political correctness must be blinded by Hollywood sparkle. The numbers don't lie--the Academy often honors the subject matter over artistic merit. So the historical character of Gandhi gets 11 nominations (8 wins), JFK gets 8 nominations (2 wins), and Malcolm X gets just 2 nominations (0 wins). But unless you're in the mood for a History Channel biopic, only Lee's epic treatment stands the test of time and remains cinematically interesting. C'est la vie--Lee had realized that the Oscars are deeply flawed when his landmark Do the Right Thing was overlooked in favor of the "safe" Driving Miss Daisy.

Lee's primary task in Malcolm X is to educate--both to illuminate the real Malcolm X to generations that weren't offered the real deal by mainstream media in the 1960's and to younger generations who get their major historical references from rap songs. Ironically, many of them may have a better idea about the spirit of Malcolm X than older generations that believed the wild myths spread by the media that jumped on his "by any means necessary" phrase to conjure up scary images of gun toting black youth taking over the streets. Anyone watching Lee's biopic will no longer see Malcolm X in such simplistic terms, so Lee's film succeeds tremendously in terms of educating the audience--granting us graphic images of American life over three decades and showing Malcolm X's transformation from street punk to charismatic leader. A real bonus is that the film also entertains as well as any biopic ever has.

The film continues to have impact, and we are especially blessed with MGM's special edition DVD release that allows Lee more time to give background on the making of the film as well as include an excellent documentary about Malcolm X as one of its extras. Lee elaborates on his fairly well publicized challenges with the studio over funding, as he was forced to reach out to wealthy individuals in the black community to supply the necessary backing. Especially hilarious is Lee's story about how he sets up the ultra competitive Michael Jordon to come up with extra funds by approaching Magic Johnson beforehand.

We are all fortunate that Spike Lee took this project on. Not only because he has the necessary sensitivity to the black community and the necessary contacts to the people who knew the real Malcolm, but because he is the only director that would have subverted the studio's budget and shot Malcolm X the way it had to be done to do justice to the man. In the 60's no other black leader was more misunderstood, as quotes were taken out of context and sound bites (like his cryptic response to JFK's assassination) didn't allow for elaboration. The media painted him as a dangerous hate-monger who was bent on black power and violence; they hardly focused on his beaming smile or his inner gentleness. And he was tragically cut down long before his latest transformation away from his once racist views had become more widely known.

Refuting the commonly held image of Malcolm as a racist monster that would bring evil to the black struggle for civil rights, Ossie Davis reprises from the eulogy he delivered at Malcolm's funeral:

Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did, you would know him. And if you knew him, you would know why we must honor him: Malcolm was our manhood, our living, black manhood!