Malcolm X - 7

This may be Spike Lee's best film. It is a recounting of the life of Malcolm X, who many have heard about but don't know much about. The film covers his life from getting caught up in hustling, to going to prison to his continued change and development when he converted to Islam and was eventually under threat because of his beliefs. He did a lot for America in thinking about racism and how badly it wounds everyone involved. Many of his thoughts are rather extreme, but bring about a good level of reflection about the way we assume the world is. In learning to see what we take for granted, we recognize the complexity of the world and the change that we can effect. It is an inspiring story, and may get you to start reading the dictionary. At the heart of this film is that words have meaning and power, and humans should use them with care. The world could be destroyed with the simple abuse of words. This is an intelligent film that is contagious to its viewers.