Customer Reviews

Real Malcolm X [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a well done, yet generic television documentary and good if you're interested in Malcolm X's public life. It seems their idea of an 'intimate portrait' was based more upon his life in the press and how others viewed him. At times it seems to border on the sensationalistic, but only goes so far (probably because of the Dan Rather element). There are some interesting interviews, but they never linger too long on the personal. More time is given to the conflict Malcolm X experienced with the Nation of Islam, how people reacted to or regarded him, the controversy surrounding him, and some questions are raised regarding the conspiracy of his assassination. It is interesting for historical and political purposes and the interviews with current Afro-American figures such as James Farmer, Maya Angelou, Public Enemy, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, and Wesley Snipes are insightful, but don't count on a truly 'intimate portrait'.

For anyone who has read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and would like to put a face with some of the names, this video is an excellent start. It contains personal interviews conducted by Mike Wallace with Malcolm's half-sister Ella, as well as his friend Malcolm Jarvis, referred to in the autobiography as "Shorty." It also provides a look at Harlem and Boston in the 1930s and 1940s, providing a glimpse of the places Malcolm frequented as a young "hipster." The video follows Malcolm's life chronologically, and contains excerpts from some of his famous speeches and television interviews, while balancing it with commentary from members of the Nation of Islam who were glad to see him leave in 1963. For anyone who has an interest in this topic and would like to learn more, look no further than than this video. It makes a great supplement to Malcolm's autobiography and could be used by history and English teachers as a supplement to Civil Rights and Malcolm X units.

Dan Rather hosts a riveting and revealing odyssey that traces the life and times of the most charismatic and controversial leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Also includes interviews with many who knew him including his widow Betty Shabazz, Quincy Jones, Dick Gregory, Andrew Young, and contemporary artists like Public Enemy, who discuss his legacy.

I recommend this video to anyone wanting to know more about Malcolm X, and anyone wanting to teach others about Malcolm X - Parents, Teachers/Professors. This video covered so much about him in a very short amount of time. I was suprised to see some of the footage! There were several photographs and live footage that I've never seen in other documentaries and books. Overall, this documentary did a very good job of showing the transition Malcolm went through...From beginning to the devestating end...

This is an excellent video from Dan Rather who did this documentary on CBS. He has a lot of ideas on whom he wanna to tell to folks who knew him and remembered him. First you have Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, The late Betty Shabazz, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Public Enemy, Maya Angelou, everybody who's comin' down talkin' 'bout the man who did it all. He's the man who behind the speaker, the man behind the knowledge, the man behind the facts and the details of life. He's like our mentor to me, knahmsayin. This is sumthin I should picked up even tho I watched to this day. This is definitely recommended along with the book he put out w/ Alex Haley.