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Malcolm X
A film by Spike Lee Malcolm X undeniably led a fascinating life, overcoming poverty and a life in crime to find faith, a political voice and celebrity. Spike Lee deftly captures in his many epiphanies, obstacles and breakthroughs in a 3 hour 21 minute film. Lee's blueprint was obviously the Autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley). (He also had support from Betty Shabazz, Malcolm's wife.) The autobiography was published as planned, soon after Malcolm's assassination. After reading the other biographies it became clear that his autobiography is more than just a memoir; it is a message, a call out to all those who feel discriminated against, pushed to the edge of society. It is meant to give hope, inspire and challenge. As my fiancee put it, "Malcolm had an agenda." Indeed, some of the facts have been altered or omitted by Malcolm X/Alex Haley for various reasons. I will do my best to point out discrepancies and offer explanations to the best of my knowledge. Another interesting note is that when Lee went over budget, Warner Brothers cut off funding. On top of Lee and Washington contributing most of their salaries, celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Janet Jackson, Bill Cosby and Michael Jordan helped raise millions of dollars. Denzel Washington had been a good choice not only for his dedication, but also for his experience: he had previously portrayed Malcolm X in an off-broadway play called "When the Chickens Come Home to Roost."
The story opens in Boston, Massachusetts in "the war years". Malcolm Little (as he was known then) moved to Boston to live with his older half-sister Ella in circa 1940. Ella, as many of the rest of the siblings, continued to play an important role in Malcolm's life. These characters were dropped because of sheer volume- Malcolm had 9 siblings, 5 of which he would stay in touch with for the (foreshortened) whole of his life. Lee skips Malcolm's childhood and early adolescence. (He was 15 years old when he arrived in Boston, but unusually tall for his age, thus passed off as an adult.) Lee crams the highlights into a few staccato flashbacks, offsetting the very upbeat scenes of Boston's hedonistic night life, emphasizing the dicotomy of the stages of Malcolm's life journey. Magically drawn away from the better-to-do neighborhood where he lived, Malcolm spent most of his time roaming the ghetto. This is where he met Malcolm Jarvis, an aspiring trumpet player, known in the movie (and autobiography) as the saxophonist "Shorty". We encounter Shorty getting his shoes shined (one of Malcolm's first jobs) and then heading off to the barber shop, lye, potatoes and eggs in hand, the volatile ingredients of a conk. This rite of passage actually took place in Shorty's apartment. In the barbershop, however, we get a brief glimpse of a ratty-tatty, slightly intimidated "country" Malcolm, how he looked and dressed prior to his "city initiation". Malcolm's first zoot suit was sky blue, as shown, complete with wide brimmed hat and dangling gold chain. The narrative of the first flashback, which the movie presently cuts to, is taken almost verbatim from the autobiography. Some doubt has been shed on whether Malcolm's family house was attacked by the KKK, but there can be no doubt that the Little family was habitually harrassed, just like all other non-conforming Blacks. Malcolm's father, Earl Little, preached to Blacks, urging them to be proud, turn their backs on whites and return to Africa- which undoubtedly made him unpopular with conservative whites. He was inspired by Marcus Garvey, the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. This was to be the cornerstone of Malcolm's spiritual/political career. His mother Louise Little was a fair skinned West Indian woman, who passed on her light complexion to her fourth child, Malcolm. Malcolm X colorfully describes the dance hall events and Lee does it justice in the wild dancing scene. What we don't learn is that Malcolm (known then as "Red" or later "Detroit Red" due to his light complexion and naturally red tinged hair) first worked as a shoe shine boy at the Roseland State Ballroom dance hall and met Laura at his next job as counter clerk at a drugstore soda fountain. Furthermore, Sophia, an Armenian American named Bea Caragulian, didn't seduce Malcolm, he picked the brunette dyed blonde up at a club named Tic Toc. Lee interrupts the upbeat narrative with another flashback concerning the death of Malcolm's father. The exact circumstances of Earl Little's death in late 1931 are unclear and a point of dispute. Some say he was murdered, others maintain it was an accident. Either way, his violent death under the wheels of a trolly car pushed Louise and her children headlong into poverty in the middle of the Great Depression. Malcolm did indeed dominate the women he was with, as suggested in the breakfast scene with Sophia. Malcolm had inherent a distrust for women, after having been let down by his own mother. After suffering a nervous breakdown, Louise was in fact unable to care for the children and declared medically insane in 1939. Malcolm used his girlfriends, living off their money when in between jobs. Sophia was rich and willingly gave him money on a regular basis. Once Malcolm hooked up with Sophia, Laura wouldn't have anything more to do with him. A rendezvous at the beach never took place at that point in time, as suggested by the movie, but works as a segue to the next expositional flashback. Lee describes the loss of hope and pride leading to the dissolution of the Little family and Louise's institutionalization. A fact that the movie ommits Louise was being courted by a man sometime in 1936/37 , but he eventually dropped her, balking at supporting a family with 6 children. At the loss of this prospect and under the burden of an illegitimate pregnancy, Louise slowly but surely lost her grip on reality. The children were put into foster homes- not out of malice but necessity. Malcolm first went to live with the Gohannas family, then with Mrs. Swerlin and finally Lyons, a juvenile detention home. In the classroom scene we see Malcolm's condescending teacher, who was actually Richard Kaminska, an ex-football player with a bushy moustache. As a young boy Malcolm proved his ability to adapt to his environment, play the role of a good "nigger" boy. There was never any doubt as to his intelligence, as the following anecdote proves. One day in high school Maclolm had forgotten to do his written assignment. Called on in class to read his homework aloud, he looked down on blank sheet and ad libbed the whole essay on the spot. But lurking beneath the surface was his discontent with himself and the world and he soon reverted back to petty criminalities. In the dream sequence at the tail end of this flashback we see Malcolm as "Red" in the white room with his despondent mother, whom he did indeed visit at the State Mental Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan, much to his own inconsolable despair. The next short scene is tight montage of many key events. We relive Malcolm's excitement as he is glued to the radio broadcast of a boxing match. Joe Louis (the Brown Bomber) knocked out Billy Conn on June 18, 1941, retaining his title as the heavyweight champion. Malcolm was working as a waiter on the New Haven line and he outperformed all his collegues, but at the same time greatly resented having to play "Uncle Tom" for the white customers. It was with his employee pass that he eventually caught a train to Harlem. As we follow Malcolm on his way to Small's Paradise on 7th Avenue, he strides by prostitutes and hustlers. He is soon to become one of them, doing anything to part a man from his money. Malcolm lived off of odd jobs, odd hustles and women who would support him. One of his shorter stints was as a waiter at Small's Paradise. This is not necessarily where he met West Indian Archie, there being many bars and haunts he frequented. Creole Pete's speakeasy, an apartment turned restaurant was another of his favorite hang-outs. Furthermore, Sammy "the Pimp" McKnight (in the light grey suit) and "Cadillac" Drake were not part of West Indian Archie's entourage, though most certainly contemporaries. Sammy was in fact to be one of Malcolm's most trusted friends in Harlem. "Detroit Red" took to peddling marijuana. First on the streets, but then as narcotics officers started to take a bead on him he took his drug dealing to the road. Malcolm used his railway passes to cath train rides and follow Black bands around the Eastern states, making a living by selling them marijuana. The movies doesn't mention this, but around this time (circa 1943) Malcolm got drafted. In his autobiography he recounts how he acted like a high-strung hustler at the induction center and promptly got a 4-F and was free to go his own way again. Malcolm slowly moves on to earn a living by stick-ups and small robberies, working with Sammy the Pimp. His young brother Reginald moves in and shares in his life of crime. Their rapport will later be crucial to Malcolm's leap out of the cess pool of crime. After Sammy and Malcolm experience a close call during a burglary, their relationship cools down and the latter moves into number running game- a form of illegal lottery. The object is to divine the last three digits of the New York Stock Exchanges printed daily total of either domestic or foreign sales. It paid 600 to 1, but the odds were, of course, 1000 to 1. Next he steered paying customers to exotic call girls (or boys) in the employ of a local a madame. Soon he slipped back into robbery and burglary. On one occasion he allegedly tried to rob a professional female wrestler, who awoke while he had his hand in her purse. He was twice thrown across the room before he managed a limping escape. Thereafter he took to running bootleg booze for a Jewish business man named Hymie (Abe Goldstein). All this goes unmentioned by the screenplay for brevity- Lee already successfully establishes Malcolm as a criminal and hustler. We see Malcolm taking drugs, which he often did, and placing a number bet with Archie. Historians will never know if Malcolm bet correctly or not, even though the movie asserts he did. The next day Malcolm hits up Archie on the street for the winning money. He pays, trusting Malcolm's word. He then goes back to the collector to check the numbers, discovering a discrepancy. Feeling duped, he finds and confronts Malcolm who is hanging out at Sammy's apartment. The next day West Indian Archie caught a depressed and intoxicated Malcolm at a bar named Marr-Cheri (the movie stages the confrontation at the Onyx Club to the performance of Billie Holiday) with his back to the door. Rather than risk a showdown, Malcolm decided to run, and so kept running, straight out of Harlem. Sammy, not at all indignant or hostile as Lee would have the audience believe, alerted Shorty, who picked Malcolm up and shuttled him back to Boston and safety in the Fall of 1945. At the outset of this episode we find another example of Malcolm's attitude towards women. Perhaps he dreaded going out with the nice waitress of Small's Paradise for fear his influence would drag her down as it had Laura. At any rate, Malcolm certainly didn't wear any compassion on his sleeve while he was a hustler. At this time in his life, Malcolm later confessed to having smoked up to 4 packs of cigarettes a day. In the final expositional flashback we see Klansmen set fire to Earl Little's house. The exact circumstances are unclear, but it seems the landowner wanted to get the Little family off the property on a legal technicality. Needles to say, Earl Little refused. On November 7th, 1927 at 2:30 in the morning their house was set on fire. The alerted fire department refused to come outside of the city limits. On the way to Boston we hear Malcolm thinking about the three things he was afraid of, which should have read: a job, jail and the Army (not "job, a bust and jail"). In the next scene Malcolm, Shorty, Sophia and her 17 year old little sister Joyce are setting up their burglar ring. In relaity, it was Malcolm, Sophia, Joyce, a Kora Marderosian and Francis "Sonny" Brown (Rudy) who started the gang. Shorty was reluctantly pulled in after the fact. The ofay (derogatory term for a caucasian) they were talking about apparently was one of Malcolm's charges, not Rudy's. Since the old man's eccentricities appear to be undisputed fact, it's no wonder Malcolm tried to disassociate himself somewhat from those events. Now, as for ensuing "game" of russian roulette, no one ever challenged Malcolm's leadership. He initiated the stunt on his own, furtively palming the bullet in play. His flight from Harlem seems to prove he was indeed scared of dying. Malcolm and his gang members were not quite the experts they were made out to be. They rarely made plans, and no one, not even Malolm was capable of picking a lock. The larceny was usually committed in the early evenings by breaking into homes where owners couldn't be roused by the doorbell. They even had trouble selling their stolen goods, most of which was stored in Malcolm's apartment. In a particularly outrageous and comic scene Malcolm even pulled the wedding ring off a victim's finger- naturally pure fiction. Nonetheless, they didn't get caught until Malcolm made a move so obviously blundersome that it defies any rational explanation: he had a hot watch repaired at a local jewelers, who promptly reported him to the police. The scene that leads to movie version of the arrest of Malcolm's gang is based on an actual event, however. Once, while visiting his family in Lansing, Michigan in the winter, the pipes froze up when Malcolm had a headfull of burning congalene and had to resort to the toilet bowl to "relieve" himself. Once caught, Sophia turned on Malcolm and Shorty, saying she had been forced to participate. A fair move, seeing as Malcolm had turned all his accomplices in. Since neither Malcolm or Shorty could post bail, they attended their sentencing in a big courtroom cage. Upon misunderstanding "concurrently" Shorty didn't faint but went into a frenzy, trying to pry the bars of the cage apart. The girls got 1 to 5 years in the Women's Reformatory in Farmington Massachusetts. So, in February of 1946, Malcolm and Jarvis went to Charlestown State Prison. (Malcolm was transferred to Concord Prison some time after 1948.) Contrary to his autobiography, and hence the movie, Malcolm never spent more than the obligatory first 24 hours in solitary confinement. If he had been in solitary for many weeks, as suggested by the movie, he never would have qualified for the low security Norfolk Massachusetts Prison Colony where he was moved to in late 1948. Malcolm did indeed manage to distinguish himself in prison, too. He got a few nick names like "Know-how" which he earned for having an answer to everything, or "Satan" (which he chose to emphasize later) was for having foul mouth and cynical outlook, especially where religion was concerned. While Malcolm did find Islam during his stay in prison, it wasn't presented to him by a fellow prisoner named Baines. Baines is an amalgam of two actual people: John Elton Bembry, a well-read African-American atheist and Vasquez-telez, a member of the Nation of Islam. Bembry, who impressed and inspired Malcolm with his broad knowledge and oratory skills that captivated listeners, was to become a good and trusted friend until the very end. The odd fact is, Bembry never became entangled in the politics or religion of the Nation of Islam. Perhaps that was exactly why they were able to share such a lasting friendship. Malcolm used nutmeg smuggled out of the kitchen to help assuage his withdrawal symptons, as did many other prisoners. First his oldest brother Philbert, then the younger Reginald tried introducing him to Islam. Where the elder failed, the younger brother found the right angle, enlightening him in small steps. So, in late 1948, Malcolm slowly but surely worked on his reading and writing skills. (Of course he wasn't as ignorant as he professed to have been- how else would he have known what "concurrently" means? I sure didn't!) He borrowed Bembry's dictionary so often that the Bembry had no choice but give to him entirely. Malcolm asserts he copied down the whole dictionary from start to finish. Later, Malcolm applied for a transfer to Norfolk, as mentioned before. In this much less restrictive environment, living with like minded inmates in dorms and having a full library (willed to the prison by State Senator Lewis Parkhurst of Winchester) at his disposal, Malcolm's blossomed intellectually. He studied Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. He took part in the debating club, working with Jarvis who would feed him helpful notes during his orations. By this time he had fully accepted the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and was even converting fellow inmates to the Nation of Islam. In the scene that starts with the celebration of Jackie Robinson's promotion to the big leagues, Baines talks about "that grafted, blue-eyed devil". By "grafted" he's refering to the tragically ludicrous teaching of Elijah Muhammad, who maintained that whites where genetically derived from Blacks through selective procreation 6.000 years ago on the island of Patmos. It was masterminded by a rogue Black scientist named Mr. Yacub, who's sole purpose was to reek revenge for his exile. Elijah Muhammad foresaw the Armageddon, which, despite the persuasive Pearl Harbor panic, never came to pass. He spoke of a "mother plane", later a mothership (piloted by Allah/Fard himself) that was going to take all the loyal members of the Nation of Islam to paradise. We cut to Malcolm's failure to submit his pride and kneel to worship Allah. He contends it took him a full week to bend his knees. Next Malcolm receives a letter from Elijah Muhammad. Apparently Elijah Muhammad was constantly sending out letters to convicts, enclosing kind words and money. This didn't necessarily lead to Malcolm's vision, as portrayed by Lee. Rather it was his upset state of mind over Reginald's suspension from the Nation of Islam. Reginald had slept with a secretary, and Elijah Muhammad was very resolute at punishing others for fornication. The situation pitted the love for his brother against the loyalty he felt for his new found surrogate father. Agonizing over the conumdrum, he purports to have had a brief vision of an unknown Asiatic Black man. Later he just assumed it was Wallace Dodd Ford (aka Wallace D. Fard), the crackpot founder of the Nation of Islam. Claiming to be a fair skinned Black, he was actually of Pakistani descent and immigrated from New Zealand. He was driven from Detroit by the police for a number of crimes, most notably for inciting the ritualistic murder of one of his own followers. He eventually disappeared altogether whereupon Elijah Muhammad took up leadership of the Nation. Elijah Muhammad asserted that Ford was Allah, thus making himself the long awaited Messenger. Despite his undeniable cleverness, Elijah was a highly immoral person. Not only did he stuff the heavy collections of his poor followers into his family's own bottomless pockets, he fornicated with alacrity: he sired 13 illegitimate children with numerous secretaries, neglecting and estranging his own wife. A note on Elijah Muhammad's voice. The real man didn't necessarily sound like yoda, the repeated staccato diction spoken by Al Freeman, Jr. sounds more like a caricature than an true portrayal. Elijah Muhammad was born and grew up in Georgia. He might not have been a great orator, and certainly wasn't a fluid speaker, but his enunciation had more of a Southern twang than an exotic sian lilt to it. We witness Malcolm finally bending his knees in prayer, recounting the Story of Paul on the road to Damascus, taken almost verbatim from his Autobiography. Malcolm did in fact write of his epiphany to his old friends, as the next scene depicts. One person he didn't have to enlighten was Shorty. Shorty had bever been transferred upstate, as the movie narrative states, he was well aware of the changes Malcolm was undergoing and soon became a member himself. The next anecdote is also taken straight from the pages if the autobiography, only the chaplain Malcolm chose to challenge wasn't an older man, as handsomely portrayed by Christopher Plummer, but a young Harvard Seminary student. Oddly, the (real) younger man proved more wise and conceded the likely skin color of Jesus was brown. Malcolm Little was paroled in 1952. His brother Wilfried had his parole transferred to Michigan, taking responsibility for his younger sibling and getting him a job at the furniture store that employed him as well. Malcolm didn't get to meet Elijah Muhammad until a caravan to Chicago was organized, with the intention of hearing the leader speak. It was as part of the sermon, in front of the congregation that Mr. Muhammad spoke of Job's trial, challenging Malcolm to shun temptation. Soon thereafter Malcolm shed his last name of Little and replaced it with an X. Earl Grant is introduced in the following scene as a new convert. Grant grew to become one of Malcolm's most trusted colleagues. The movie moves on to show Malcolm as a part of the organization, out on the streets "fishing" for converts, one voice among many. Malcolm became an expert public speaker, tweaking his deliveries to each crowd. In early 1953 Malcolm becomes a minister at Temple Number One in Detroit. Lee stages the reunion of Shorty and Malcolm around this time, building a storyline link to their hustler past and more precisely to West Indian Archie. But, as we know, Shorty already was a member of the Nation of Islam. Not for long, though, for disagreeing with some of the Elijah Muhammad's teachings and feeling let down by Malcolm who refused to back up his dissent, he turned his back on the organization forever. Sometime in 1955, after founding temples in Boston and Philadelphia, Malcolm is made minister of Temple Number Seven in Harlem. Here he and Betty Sanders meet at a dinner party. Not until 1956 did Betty find her way to the Nation of Islam. About a year later she held classes on feminine hygiene and nutrition. After a one-on-one field trip to the Museum of Natural History, Malcolm actually started to avoid Betty for fear of what his heart was telling him. But the next few scenes of the movie are very interesting for two reasons; they describe Malcolm's mistrust of women and his infinite trust in the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. While Malcolm would often repeat what he heard his spiritual leader preaching, his adverse ideas about women were for the most part his very own. Lee attributes them to Elijah Muhammad, perhaps to make Malcolm's awkward stance more palatable to an audience of the closing 20th century. Lee elegantly interrupts their date at the height of its intimacy with the tragic and pivotal incident involving Johnson X Hinton, which actually occurred around the time of their courtship, April 1957. The script brings out a common prejudice of the time: that Muslims would talk loud, but tread softly. Elijah Muhammad adamantly refused to get involved in politics, even though the time for action was ripe, as history shows in the unfolding struggle for civil rights. (Elijah Muhammad avoided politics to avoid taxes: were the Nation of Islam to become political, the organization would lose its status as church along with all its benefits.) Malcolm summoned the Fruit of Islam, a militant group within the Nation and marched with 50 men in formation to the police precinct station. Malcolm negotiated with the reluctant Deputy Police Commissioner Walter Arm in the office of a local Black newspaper's (Amsterdam News) Chief Editor, James Hicks. Soon, Hinton was taken to the hospital and treated, the Muslims followed. The hospital staff felt intimidated by the Black crowd and sent the stabilized Hinton back to the police station. Once again, the crowd followed. Only after ensuring continued medical care for Hinton and the prosecution of the officers did Malcolm disperse his men and the crowd with a wave of his hand. New York Inspector William McGowan was the one who remarked "No man should have that power." Hicks, who witnessed the remark, understood that he really meant "No Black man...". Out of nowhere, the Nation of Islam sprung into the public eye, evolving from a marginal cult to a powerful movement. Two unmentioned events in 1959 further catapulted the Nation into public consciousness: the publishing of "The Black Muslim in America" by Dr. C. Eric Lincoln and the inflammatory mini-series hosted by Mike Wallace called "The Hate that Hate Produced." After diffusing the situation, Malcolm and fellow members cool off in the "Temple No. 7 Restaurant". The introduction of Benjamin Goodman, who claimed to be inspired by the recent display, asking to join is most likely fiction. Malcolm's wry comment "The only thing I like integrated is my coffee" on the other hand is one of his well documented witticisms. We also see the growing tension within the organization in Earl's comment, hostility festering beneath the surface, curtailed by Elijah Muhammad "wisdom". In the next scene, Elijah Muhammad made Malcolm National Minister, which actually didn't happen until 1963. Mr. Muhammad then delivered a short anecdotal lesson on how to best spread his teachings, taken straight from Malcolm X's autobiography. While on a trip to Detroit to visit his brother Wilfried, Malcolm called Betty up at 10 am on January 14th, 1958 from a gas station and proposed to her over the phone. She flew out from New York to Detroit, and they married the following day, celebrating at his brother Philbert's house, and then immediately parted ways; Betty returning to nursing school and Malcolm to Nation business. This was to be the overture of their relationship, short on romance, only moments together, Betty tirelessly dancing to his businesslike tune. There is no denying that Betty come across as somewhat of a simpleton, always superficially commenting on Malcolm's eating habits. The real Betty was an intelligent woman, one of the few Muslims with a college degree and certainly not easily intimidated, not even by Malcolm. In the next shot Malcolm is making a speech in public, in a business district. An observant person might notice the store front to his right reads "Herbert's Diamonds". This could be a furtive clue to the hidden economics behind the Nation of Islam. Herbert is one of Elijah Muhammad's sons. Most of his children worked in businesses that took advantage of the poor Black Nation members, forcing them to frequent certain stores and pay higher prices. It was a known fact that the Muhammad family enriched themselves on the backs of their members. Tithings, collections and fund drives were ever present. FBI surveillance was able to document that Mr. Muhammad refered to church monies as his personal checking account! A montage follows, Malcolm giving speeches at various locations, attempting to steer the movement away from politics, spin defamatory accusations and speak out in favor of Black nationalism. It didn't take long, however, for Elijah Muhammad's approval to slowly wane. His own children were jealous of the attention Malcolm was getting. Mr. Muhammad himself was jealous of all the attention paid Malcolm by the media, and of his ability to speak in front of educated audiences. By this time, the FBI was listening on every conversation that any high-ranking member made. Furthermore, an organization within the FBI named COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) sought to undermine the Nation's powering by feeding the press false stories and statements, sowing discontent and jealousy. Malcolm did in fact enjoy the power he wielded, but doubtlessly had only one goal in mind: to end discrimination. (Interestingly, the European press, quite different from the American coverage, wasn't as concerned with the "hate" aspect of the movement.) Lee then takes a moment to recount the memorable anecdote of the helpful young blond woman. Malcolm's curt answer is historically accurate, but the circumstances leading up to the dismissal are worth a closer look. Apparently this young woman followed Malcolm by plane from a lecture at a New England college to confront him at the Temple No.7 Restaurant. Malcolm later admitted feeling bad for having rebuffed her so coldly. We move from a college lecture to a Muslim rally, where Malcolm speaks of Black and White segregation. Elijah Muhammad actually seriously demanded to have 4 or 5 Southern states set aside for USA's Black population, then roughly 20 to 22 million strong. As Malcolm leaves the conference, enveloped in his bodyguard entourage, he is challenged by Dick Gregory about the infidelities of Elijah Muhammad. This exchange actually took place back stage at the Apollo Theater (Gregory was a comedian and a civil rights activist) between two friends, albeit with a certain amount of hostility. The argument Malcolm and Betty that takes place in the next scene contains many key elements; first of all, it wasn't their first (Betty wanted very much to work as a nurse, Malcolm adamantly refused to let her). Second of all, Betty's main concern was the future financial safety of her children. Betty didn't need to tell Malcolm about his leader's indiscretions. It's safe to assume that by the early 60's he knew, but was unable to act. Some ministers even tried to pin the illegitimate children on Malcolm, they were so immersed in jealousy and a struggle for Elijah Muhammad's attention. That was the reason Malcolm's coverage in the Nation's own newspaper, which he had worked hard to found, was waning, under the direction of Mr. Muhammads's jealous son Herbert, the publisher at that time. All the top tier ministers were living grandly, especially the Muhammad family. Eiljah's mansion was worth $500.000, his jewel-studded fez alone cost $150.000. Actually, Malcolm's integrity only exacerbated the jealousy and hatred in the inner circle of power. And the only way Betty could get her husband to act was by threatening to leave him, something she had followed through with once, earlier in their marriage. We see Malcolm's loyalty begin to shift away from the "Honorable Elijah Muhammad" when Malcolm breaks the Nation's rules for the first time. He visits 3 former secretaries, living in "isolation" in Los Angeles. The third secretary, unmentioned in the movie, was a relative of Elijah's and thus his crime constituted incest apart from adultery. Malcolm learned from these interviews that Elijah Muhammad had boasted that Malcolm was his "lapdog", which, in all honesty, seems a fair appraisal of the situation. Mr. Muhammad was generous with his mistresses, but in turn very miserly with the mothers of his illegitimate children. Next, Malcolm sought out Mr. Muhammad's second son Wallace, with whom he had always had a good, honest relationship. In the movie we see a conversation with Baines, which is of course fictional. Malcolm and Wallace came up with the idea of preaching about biblical heros with weaknesses to soften the blow to the Nation of Islam members should the truth concerning their leader's indiscretions ever become known. When Malcolm confronted Elijah Muhammad, he unabashedly admitted to the adulteries, and praised Malcolm's idea of preaching biblical stories where deeds outweighed weaknesses. But when Malcolm confided the truth and the plans to a few key ministers, word got back to Mr. Muhammad (through a jealous Louis Farrakhan!), who became outraged, despite his earlier approval. This is when Malcolm knew that his time in the Nation was up and waited for an opportunity to make a clean, highly public break. The more high profile the break, the safer his life would be. In the following scene we see Malcolm holding an inflammatory speech in the wake of JFK's assassination. In his autobiography Malcolm claims he had had prepared this speech some 2 weeks in advance. He didn't flinch from delivering it, nor did he see himself able to refrain from commenting directly, evoking the famous "chickens come home to roost" metaphor. Elijah Muhammad had specifically asked all of his ministers not to make any statements concerning the tragedy, but Malcolm claimed he felt compelled to speak the truth and lend his voice to those who had none. Some say his reverence for his leader had recently become so emphasized that it bordered on sarcasm (his "greatest greatness"). As did his "100% submission" to the 90 day silencing placed upon him. The FBI organization COINTELPRO issued false press statements about a rift in the Nation of Islam leadership and of Malcolm spreading compromising stories of Elijah Muhammad, further aggravating the situation. Mr. Muhammad soon dropped hints that he would like to see Malcolm killed, and it didn't take long for aspiring ministers, keen on gaining their leader's attention, to attempt it. One minister (Joseph Jr.), who Malcolm had once pulled out of the gutter, saving his life, asked Anas M. Luqman, an explosives expert, to attach an ignition bomb to Malcolms's car. Moved by compassion and loyalty, Luqman confessed to Malcolm his assignment, as portrayed in the next scene. Lee completely leaves out the subsequent events involving Malcolm's old friend Muhammad Ali, in favor of pacing and brevity. The prize fighter, then still known as Cassius Clay, invited Malcolm and his family to his training camp in Miami, Florida, where he was preparing for the historic fight against Sonny Liston. On the Today Show, March 8th, 1964, Malcolm declares his break with Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. He also founded the Muslim Mosque, Incorporated. Soon thereafter Malcolm makes two successive trips to the Middle East and Africa. He already had been to Saudi Arabia in Mr. Muhammad's stead in the late 50's, but refrained from making the Hajj in order not to eclipse his mentor. He might well have had his first insight into the color blindness of true Islam on this first trip. But Malcolm chose to announce his epiphany on the foot his of his second trip. This pilgrimage he initiated in secret, acquiring the necessary money from his half-sister Ella. The CIA most probably didn't start following him until his third and final trip abroad. The movie recounts the different stages of Islamic pilgrimage but leaves out the meaningful meetings with Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hussein Amini or the Mayor of Mecca, Sheik Abdullah Eraif or Prince Faisal of Saudia Arabia. Malcolm brings back two new names, his new Muslim name: El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz and his new African name: Alhadji Omowale (Yurubian for "The son who has come home"). Returning home Malcolm held a press conference on May 21, 1964, to share his insights and illuminate the change in philosophy that was to guide his movement. He had already sent a plethora of letters out to friends and family extolling these changes, but they seemed so radical that tey solicited only disbelief, for the most part. In this scene there is a short interruption when a man shouted "Get your hand out of my pocket!". Malcolm actually did experience this disruption, only much later, on February 15th, 1965, when he was making a statement about the burning of the house he was living in. It was at this time, between Malcolm's two Hajj's that the Nation of Islam hired 5 Muslims (Wilbert X Bradley, Robert X Ben Thomas, Wilbur X Mckinney, Talmadge X Hayer and Leon X Davis) with specific instructions to assassinate Malcolm X. Malcolm set up the Organization for Afro-American Unity (OAAU), a secular body to press charges against the US at the Court of the United Nations for human rights violations. But despite the encouraging words her received on his first tour through Middle East and Africa, Malcolm was unable to secure concrete support for his efforts; too many African nations were dependent on US funds, although truly sympathetic. While Malcolm made his second circuit of travels (funded by the Secretary General of Islamic World League Surrur Sabban) for another 18 weeks, he met a lot of important people but wasn't able to stir up too much support. But Malcolm did succeed in avoiding the heat that was awaiting him in the US. In his absence the Nation of Islam and the press were tearing him up, and the Muslim Mosque, Inc. as well as the OAAU were hurting for his guidance. Lee shows us Malcolm and Betty sharing a few quiet moments before sleep with Malcolm lamenting,"Niggers ruined it". These words he had in fact uttered to Alex Haley in one of the many interviews they engaged in (starting about 1963) for the writing of the autobiography. Malcolm was startled awake on February 14th, 1965 at 2:30 in the morning, according to his own account. Two molotov cocktails went through front windows, one glanced off the children's bedroom window. Malcolm herded the family out the back door, bringing them around to the safety of the street. (According to one author Malcolm was dressed in a white robe and a Russian-style hat; it was, after all, an East Coast winter. In the movie, the season appears to be extremely mild.) There is some speculation that Malcolm pulled off the stunt himself. The Nation of Islam, who bought the house in Elmhurst for Malcolm but never signed it over, was in court pursuing his eviction. All the same, it is highly doubtful that Malcolm would endanger the lives of his loved ones in such a reckless manner. For the time being, Malcolm sent his family to live with Thomas X Wallace's (Ruby Dee's brother) home and holed himself up in the New York Hilton. It didn't take long for his harassers to catch up and call him incessantly. Reports indicate that African-Americans were casing the Audobon Ballroom the night before the assassination, crashing a dance party being held there, as depicted in the movie at this point. Malcolm, lacking a Mosque, held his rallies every Sunday at the Audobon Ballroom in Harlem. Malcolm's "Wake up" call came, not at night, as Lee would have us believe, but at 8 o'clock Sunday morning. It seems Malcolm sensed his impending doom and quite obviously resigned himself to his fate, by forbidding the frisking of his audience members. (Frisking was mandatory at Nation of Islam events and Malcolm always felt it might alienate possible converts.) We hear Malcolm consider that more than just the Nation of Islam was behind the terror his family was suffering under. What essentially tipped him off was when in late 1964 he was barred from entering France to hold a lecture: a political move beyond the Ntions sphere of influence. The two agents we see eavesdropping on Malcolm's conversation slight his upright character, remarking that he is "monkish" compared to Martin Luther King Jr. None of the literature in the bibliography below is able corroborate that observation. The FBI had all the African-American civil rights leaders under surveillance; without a doubt Malcolm's austere nature made for poor eavesdropping entertainment. Elijah Muhammad, on the other hand, was constantly carelessly flirting and love-talking with his many mistresses. Initially Malcolm dissuaded his wife and children from attending the February 21 meeting, but towards noon Sunday, he gave in. Having to hurry to get herself and the children ready, Betty left their youngest child, Gamilah, behind in the care of Mrs. Wallace. (The movie shows Betty with all four children.) Soon after, Malcolm drove himself to the Audobon Ballroom, but chose to park 20 blocks away. Colleagues caught him walking down the street and offered him a ride. Eyewitnesses say they noticed three gentlemen in the first row right in front of the podium shortly after one o'clock. However, it wasn't unusual for followers to come early to secure good seating. A few Muslim supporters of Elijah Muhammad were spotted in the gathering crowd, but for the most part, no action was undertaken against them. On his way to the Ballroom we see Malcolm spoken to by a Christian woman. Most likely, the incident didn't take place at that time. But it could have easily happened one of Malcolm's many strolls through the ghetto, regularly undertaken in the early days of his career. In the moments before his 2:30 rally Malcolm was tense; he snapped at Sheik Ahmed Hassoun (who was not portrayed in the movie) and upbraided secretary Sara Mitchel once he discovered that the OAAU charter had not been completed as planned and that both his guest speakers, Ralph Cooper (a popular DJ) and Reverend Dr. Milton Galamison (civil rights activist) had not not show up. Moments later he apologized for his uncharacteristic behavior. Benjamin, who was a strong orator, held the opening speech and after about 30 minutes introduced Malcolm. Right after Malcolm greeted his audience with "As-salaam alaikum" (earning the return: "Wa-alaikum-salaam") someone in the 8th row shouted "Get your hand out of my pocket!". All heads turned. The recording being made of this meeting reveals that Malcolm tried to calm the situation by repeating the words "Hold it." He repeated them ten times before the assassins acted. Then chaos ensued. Lee succeeds admirably in making the screen version of the assassination as accurate as possible. Some reports say a home made smoke bomb was set off. Then the three men in the front row stood up and shot Malcolm "like a firing squad". Alleged assassin Thomas 15X Johnson fired one round of his sawed-off shotgun into Malcolm's chest, fatally lacerating his heart. This first shot was the fatal one. Malcolm fell backwards across the two empty chairs lined up in back of him. The assassins then emptied there weapons into the prostrate body. One assassin then fled through the women's lounge, which had two exits to the street. Talmadge Hayer, who was felled by Gene Roberts (undercover agent of Bureau of Special Services) with a chair, on his recovery took a bullet to the thigh from bodyguard Reuben Francis. His own gun misfired as he hopped out and down the stairs, sliding along the banister, vaulting himself over the third assassin, who in turn had been shoved down the stairs. By the time Hayer reached the doors the crowd had caught up with him and proceeded to vent their anger upon him. Two officers who happened by quickly took him into custody and whisked him off to the police station. Experts are unable to agree on the presence of police on this fateful afternoon. Betty asserted the police department refused to protect her husband. The New York police said that their repeated offers to escort Malcolm were ignored. In any case, a handful of officers were present at the Audobon Ballroom, though none were stationed within the auditorium itself. Meanwhile, after protecting her children, Betty relieves Gene Roberts from his attempts to resuscitate Malcolm, sobbing "They killed him." A stretcher was fetched from the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital and used to carry Malcolm on foot to the hospital in the midst of a throng of concerned Muslims and onlookers. The crowd was so thick that it took many minutes to clear and close the elevator doors. Malcolm reached the emergency room at 3:15 and was pronounced dead at 3:30. The actor Ossie Davis, a friend of Malcolm's, reads the eulogy he delivered February 27th. Norman 3X Butler, Johnson and Hayer were arrested and convicted for the murder of Malcolm X. Elijah Muhammad protested his organization's innocence, denying even that Hayer was a follower. A false statement he later revoked. As the Shabazz family had no insurance whatsoever, prominent African-American celebrities, such as Juanita Poitier, Ruby Dee and Sammy Davis Jr. raised funds to support them. After the assassination of Malcolm X all the key players were in fear for their lives. Elijah Muhammad's health was waning, suffering from severe and untreated diabetes. Paranoia apparently kept him out of the hospital. Following a struggle with Betty, Ella more or less usurped the OAAU which soon disintegrated completely. The Muslim Mosque Inc. fared no better. Betty went back to school to earn her doctorate. In 1976 she worked at the Medgar Evers College for 21 years, for the most part in public relations. She supported women and civil rights in her community and later became a voluntary advisor for presidents Ford, Carter and Clinton. Starting in 1983, Betty hosted her own radio show titled "A Forum for Women." In 1992 she acted as a consultant for Lee's filming of her husband's story. Her life came to a tragic end on June 23rd, dying from injuries suffered in an apartment fire three weeks earlier. In the summer of 1965 riots broke out, first on the East Coast, then spreading to the West Coast, prompting the passing of the Voting Rights Act. Despite the urgency of the situation, Martin Luther King Jr. and Elijah Muhammad failed to unite their efforts in order to calm the situation and channel the Black movement. Elijah Muhammad died February 24th, 1975 without naming a successor. Wallace Muhammad, who had slowly been working his way back into the Nation of Islam and his father's trust, acting on his own, assumed leadership. Wallace relocated powerful East Coast ministers to the West and Midwest, most notably bringing Louis Farrakhan to his side in Chicago in order to better keep him under control. Wallace also proceeded to reformulate the Nation's policies according to his more liberal mind, abandoning the theology of demonology and denouncing his father and W. D. Fard as the charlatans they undoubtedly were. In June 1975 the Nation, now called the World Community of Al-Islam, welcomed their first Caucasian member, Sister Dorothy Dorsey. Wallace had to sell off most of the Nation's assets to pay mounting bills. In 1978 Farrakhan quit the World Community of Al-Islam and eventually founded another Nation of Islam, building the institution on the old beliefs. He has managed to regain power and wealth to this day. Bibliography Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York Grove Press, 1965 Jeffrey, Laura S. Betty Shabazz Sharing the Vision of Malcolm X. Berkeley Heights, NJ Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2000 Evanzz, Karl. The Messenger: The Rise and Fall of Elijah Muhammad New York Pantheon Books, 1999 Shabazz, Ilyasah with Kim McLarin. Growing Up X New York Ballantine Puiblishing Group; 2002 DeCaro, Louis A. On the Side of My People, A Religious Life of Malcolm X New York New York University Press; 1996 Perry, Bruce. Malcolm, The Life of a Man Who Changed Black America New York Station Hill Press, Inc.; 1991 Back to the top |