Malcolm X
Scholar, convict, leader, disciple, hipster, father, hustler, minister, black man, every man.
Country
Production
Budget
$33 000 000
Box office
$48 170 001
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Camera operator
Composer
Artist
Wynn Thomas, Wing Lee, John Magoun
Audition
Robi Reed
Short description
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
What's left behind the scenes
- Preparing for the role, Denzel Washington cut pork from his diet, attended classes organized by the Fruit of Islam (the paramilitary wing of the Nation of Islam), and learned to dance the Lindy Hop (an African-American dance that emerged in New York in the 1920s and 30s). He immersed himself so deeply in the character that he knew exactly which pair of glasses Malcolm X wore on any given day.
- The film is based on the 1965 book 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' (authored by Alex Haley and Malcolm X).
- At the end of the film, Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) is shown quoting Malcolm X in his speech. Mandela refused to repeat X's final words, “by any means necessary,” and Spike Lee inserted black-and-white footage of X himself uttering those words.
- Director Spike Lee removed all mentions of Louis Farrakhan from the film due to threats Farrakhan had made against him.
- The film is based on 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' (by Alex Haley and Malcolm X), 1965.
- Betty Shabazz (1936–1997), the widow of Malcolm X (1925–1965), served as a consultant during the making of the film.
- The film depicts a white student offering Malcolm X help, which he brusquely refuses. This incident actually happened, and X repeatedly expressed regret over it after leaving the Nation of Islam.
- The first non-documentary film and the first American production to receive permission to film in Mecca. A second film crew was hired for the filming there, as director Spike Lee and other non-Muslims were denied entry into the city. Lee was very keen to film specifically in Mecca, and Warner Bros. initially refused to sponsor on-location shooting, planning to film the Mecca scenes in New Jersey. Ultimately, however, Lee received both the funding and permission to film in Mecca.
- Brother Baines, who introduced Malcolm X to the Nation of Islam, is a fictional character. X recounted in his autobiography that he was introduced to the Nation of Islam by letters from a brother and sister.
- Director Spike Lee removed all references to Louis Farrakhan from the film due to threats against him.
- Denzel Washington invested his entire fee into the production of the film.
- The film shows a white female student offering help to Malcolm X, which he rudely declines. This incident actually happened, and X repeatedly expressed regret over it after leaving the Nation of Islam.
- When Malcolm X delivers a sermon on the street in Harlem, Bobby Seale (co-founder of the Black Panther Party) and Al Sharpton, a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, are shown nearby.
- When Malcolm X is preaching on a street in Harlem, Bobby Seale (co-founder of the Black Panther Party) and Al Sharpton, a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, are shown beside him.
- Brother Baines, who introduces Malcolm X to the Nation of Islam, is a fictional character. In his autobiography, X stated that he was drawn to the Nation of Islam through letters from his brother and sister.
- Betty Shabazz (1936-1997), the widow of Malcolm X (1925-1965), worked as a consultant during the film's production.
- In 2010, the film was included in the National Film Registry.
- At the end of the film, Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) is shown quoting Malcolm X in a speech. Nelson declined to repeat X's final words, "by any means necessary," and Spike Lee inserted black-and-white footage of X himself speaking those words.
- Initially, Spike Lee requested $33 million for the project – more than the usual budgets for his films, but a reasonable sum considering the scope of the undertaking. Warner Bros. offered him $20 million for a film lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes, plus another $8 million from Largo Entertainment for international distribution rights. When the film's production exceeded the budget by $5 million, Lee invested almost his entire fee, but this was not enough, so he turned to his celebrity friends, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Bill Cosby. Responses to screenings of the 'rough' version of the film were positive, and ultimately Warner Bros. provided additional funding.
- This was the first non-documentary and the first US-produced film granted permission to film in Mecca. A second film crew was hired for the location because entry into the city was closed to director Spike Lee and other non-Muslims. Lee was adamant about filming in Mecca, while Warner Bros. initially refused to fund on-location shooting, intending for the Mecca scenes to be filmed in New Jersey. Ultimately, however, Lee secured both the funding and the permit to film in Mecca.
- Initially, Spike Lee requested $33 million for the project—more than his typical film budgets, but a reasonable amount given the scale of the vision. Warner Bros. offered him $20 million for a film with a runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes, plus another $8 million from Largo Entertainment for foreign distribution rights. When production exceeded the budget by $5 million, Lee invested nearly his entire fee, but it wasn't enough, so he turned to celebrity friends for help, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Bill Cosby. Responses to the screening of the 'rough cut' were positive, and Warner Bros. eventually provided more funding.
- Preparing for the role, Denzel Washington eliminated pork from his diet, attended classes organized by the Nation of Islam (the militant wing of the religious organization), and learned to dance the Lindy Hop (an African American dance that emerged in New York in the 1920s-1930s). He immersed himself so thoroughly in the character that he knew what pair of glasses Malcolm X wore on any given day.
- Denzel Washington invested his entire fee into the film's production.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
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