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Something about me? I have been a nerdy cinephile for as long as I can remember. Putting the two together is living my best life. That notwithstanding, I was born to express, not to impress, so I blog because I don't have friends. In other news, I like hashtags because they look like waffles, prefer my puns intended, and I always give 100% unless I'm donating blood. Thanks for reading.
Malcolm X is not only his best film but one of the most prolific biopics of all time. In 1992, Mecca allowed this to be the first movie ever to be filmed in Mecca. And, even then, Saudi Arabia government officials forbid its residents to see the film.
Last week’s Red Sea International Film Festival hosted a historical event in Jeddah. Three decades later, Spike Lee took center stage and presented his epic biopic. He discussed bringing the life of Malcolm X to life with Denzel Washington as his mesmerizing lead.
“We knew that by hook or crook we had to shoot Malcolm’s Hajj because this is where he felt he converted to true Islam. But up until that point, a movie camera had never been allowed. And by the grace of God, the grace of Allah, the highest Islamic court gave us permission. It wasn’t because of me. It was because of Malcolm X that they made that exception. They recognized who he was.”
Spike Lee, Red Sea International Film Festival, Nov. 2022
Lee shared that his gratitude for being permitted to film in Hajj was “just amazing” and that it “gave us the epic film we needed.” Yet, he was still not allowed to showcase what he filmed.
Spike Lee Discussed Malcolm X with Class
As anyone knows, Spike Lee is never at a loss for words, regardless of how complex the subject matter may be. Yet, at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Spike Lee avoided the elephant in the room. His focus was to talk about the strength of the movie and the obstacles they overcame. His only mention about the past 30 years was one of grace:
“We had a screening yesterday. That was the first time Malcolm X has been screened in the country on a movie screen. We’ve come full screen.”
Spike Lee, Red Sea International Film Festival, Nov. 2022
For instance, did you know non-Muslims were prohibited from filming in Hajj? So, understanding how important that footage would be to portray Malcolm Little’s pilgrimage to Mecca, Lee didn’t even visit the Holy Land. He hired a Muslim camera crew who followed his fastidious needs.
The film was three hours long, and each frame was necessary; yet, Warner Bros. was against that–at first.
Lee explained that Warner Bros., which was releasing Malcolm X, wanted the film to be two hours long, but that he “needed three hours to tell the whole story of the transformation Malcolm was going through.” So he called up Oliver Stone, then in post-production on JFK, also with Warners., who told him that his film was going to be three hours long. “They didn’t know that me and Oliver Stone were tight!”
Spike Lee, Red Sea International Film Festival, Nov. 2022
Spike Lee cemented his legacy with this movie. As did Denzel Washington with his. It’s nice to know Malcolm X, who decried justice, finally got his three decades later.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Something about me? I have been a nerdy cinephile for as long as I can remember. Putting the two together is living my best life. That notwithstanding, I was born to express, not to impress, so I blog because I don't have friends. In other news, I like hashtags because they look like waffles, prefer my puns intended, and I always give 100% unless I'm donating blood. Thanks for reading.
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