MOVIE · 1992

Malcolm X

Drama202 min

Denzel Washington is Malcolm X in Spike Lee’s portrait of the activist’s transformation from hustler and prison inmate in the 1950s to a national figure in the fight for Black liberation. After converting to Islam, Malcolm rises within the Nation of Islam, becoming one of the most visible and controversial voices in America’s battle over race, power, and self-determination. Angela Bassett’s Betty Shabazz brings an intimate counterpoint as Malcolm’s private life develops alongside his public role, while the film moves through mid-century New York, prison, mosques, and the national spotlight.