Customer Reviews

Malcolm X: His Own Story as it Really Happened [VHS]

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This is raw (in all senses of the word) footage of Malcolm X without much narration. Reading the biography will help put everything into context. But once you're familiar with what's going on, it becomes all the more fascinating. Enjoy.

This is an outstanding documentary... mostly all film footage of Malcolm X in his own words. He pulls no punches in his indictment of the slavery/segregation experience of the black people at the hands of the white power structure. With equal moral force, he indicted the NOI leader for his sexual affairs. After his pilgrimage to Mecca, he had a new vision of how white people could overcome their evilness. Knowing that he was soon to be killed, he stood his ground and spoke his truth even as the bullets ripped through his body. He was truly an Islamic teacher and visionary of the first order.

I thought I knew his story, but when I first saw this on TV I was very surprised and impressed what I learned about this man that I had heard about since I was very young (I am 45 years old). Malcolm's life was a journey of learning, and it honed his understanding of people in general, so much. In watching this old documentary one can clearly see the evolution that he goes through, and the end result was a much wiser and humble yet strong individual, who believed in good people of all "races".

Those who want a better picture of this man should see this 1972 documentary "Malcolm X: His Own Story as it Really Happened". This is the BEST movie I have seen of him to date!

A truly well crafted documentary where excerpts from Malcolm X's autobiography and footage of his speeches drive the narrative. This is about as close to capturing the spirit of Malcolm X as well as the cultural climate in which he operated as you can get. There is no obtrusive narrator or newsperson offering up their slanted view of Malcolm X here. Archival footage is used to flesh out the scenes Malcolm X desribes in his autobiography, from his childhood to Boston, Harlem, Birmingham, and Mecca. There are also numerous vintage interviews with with Betty Shabazz, Elijah Muhammad,Philbert X, Ella Collins Little, James Farmer and many others. From the opening of the film with Billy Holiday's STRANGE FRUIT to Ossie Davis' eulogy, this is truly the film to watch if you want to see Malcolm X's incredible journey to becoming El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and the impact he made upon America and the world.