MALCOLM X (1992) *** I don't have any difficulty understanding where most Nation of Islam thought comes from, nor with agreeing with much of it. My problem is this: if you believe that the entire honkey race is comprised of devils, why appropriate their single most ridiculous sartorial ensemble as your uniform? I like how Spike Lee plays the Rodney King card early, sad that only ten years later it already seems like an event lost in time to most Americans: so much for historical memory, which is the currency here. Denzel Washington enjoys extraordinary oratorical skills, maybe he should take over a movement, or run for President or something. Between Spike and Denzel they do a helluva job of presenting the many sided crystal that was Malcolm, many warts and all and without apology. Angela Basset is very sympathetic as Mrs. X, acting and production values are high all around. The jazz track is good, but somehow doesn't feel right to me...what do I want, metal? The closing montage is very effective, the Nelson Mandela tribute as a South African teacher an especially gentle coda to a representation of a lifetime that saw too little gentleness.