Mars blackmon – Smaller Pictures

Malcolm X (1992)

Malcolm X is a revolutionary piece of cinema directed by one of the most prominent visionaries in film history. Often regarded as one of Spike Lee’s best outputs, the film follows the life of African American activist, Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) and chronicles his rise from turbulent childhood to one of the most prominent human rights activists in history. Malcolm X provides insight into both the personal and professional life of its subject, with director Spike Lee leaving no stone unturned.

It is clear that Malcolm X is a passion project for director Spike Lee. His admiration and determination to bring justice to Malcolm X’s story is evident from the very first shot as we see an American flag burn against a backdrop of historical and contemporary racial practices until the flag has formed an X shape. What makes Lee such a perfect visionary for this film is his fearlessness. Much like Malcolm X himself, Lee has always used his platform to talk about race relations and black empowerment. Through his films, he has given us decades of fully-fleshed characters, including those played by him (Mars Blackmon in She’s Gotta Have It for example). These characters are a stark contrast to the historical racism in cinema where African American characters are reduced to dangerous stereotypes. Lee also cowrote the screenplay with Arnold Perl basing the script on The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley. Incorporating Lee’s signature fast-paced dialogue and reluctance to rest, we are instantly thrust into Malcolm’s world.

In a career that has spanned decades and seen huge range, Denzel Washington hits his peak as the titular character. His portrayal of Malcolm X is vast and layered. Washington embodies the fight and struggle Malcolm X faces throughout his life. Biopics run the risk of becoming Oscar bait with insincere performances that exist solely to win awards. This is not the case with Malcolm X. There is clear passion and heart from the cast and crew which evokes in every minute. The film follows Malcolm X almost exclusively making it an intense and reflective performance. Washington proves himself to be among the greats with his excellent turn.

Angela Bassett is also excellent as Betty Shabazz, later known as Betty X. Bassett can always be relied on to bring a strong and subtle performance. As Malcolm’s public appearances are proving to be popular and controversial, Betty is there as an intellectual and emotional anchor. Commanding the screen, Bassett brings a performance that allows us to see Malcolm’s personal side.

The film has a stellar supporting cast which includes Spike Lee in a delightful turn playing Malcolm’s friend, Shorty. Among the highlights in support are Delroy Lindo and Giancarlo Esposito who are known for their collaborations with Lee. Playing West Indian Archie and Talmadge X Hayer, respectively, these performances are hugely significant to Malcolm’s lifestory. Lindo is fantastic as a gangster who mentors Malcolm as a young man while Esposito is chilling as one of the men who assassinated Malcolm.

With the 4K UHD release, it’s hugely important to discuss the cinematography by Ernest Dickerson. A testament to Dickerson’s work is how refined and elegant the use of lighting is, especially in the first half of the film. The audience is aware of a wider world beyond Malcolm and yet the camera seems intensely transfixed on him. This means the audience is truly seeing the world through Malcolm’s eyes.

Malcolm X marks the second collaboration with Terence Blanchard who provides an exceptional score. Much like the film itself, the music provides a constant backdrop filled with jazz-infused pieces. Blanchard’s use of trumpet echoes the yearning and struggle Malcolm X is faced with. Most of the pieces are tinged with sadness, as though Blanchard is foreshadowing the inevitable outcome. From the impactful “Opening Credits” to the tender choral “Black & White”, Blanchard’s soundtrack for Malcolm X matches the intensity of Lee’s direction.

Malcolm X could arguably be seen as Spike Lee’s magnum opus. Spanning 202 minutes, the film is a departure from Lee’s previous offerings such as Do the Right Thing. Boasting his largest budget to that point, Malcolm X showed that Lee was more than capable of handling an epic feature that allowed him to expand on his signature aesthetic and writing. What makes Spike Lee such an effective filmmaker is not only his distinct style and approach to directing, but the fearlessness in his artistry. Simply put, Lee has earned his place as one of the most important directors in cinema history.

Malcolm X 4KUHD is available to buy 29th July 2024.

London Film Festival 2020: One Man and His Shoes

The only documentary I have seen in the festival thus far, One Man and His Shoes is the debut feature documentary from Yemi Bamiro. The film follows the rise of Michael Jordan’a relationship with Nike and the creation of the Air Jordans in the 1980s and how they have created a trend for extremely expensive and exclusive trainers that exists today. Without any input from a Nike representative or Jordan himself, Bamiro creates a well-rounded view of the Air Jordan history by interviewing people who worked at Nike, experts in sport marketing as well as people who have large Air Jordan collections. This gives the view from the starting point those who helped conceptualise the brand all the way down to the release of the shows the customers who purchase the product.

The documentary provides an outlook on society as a whole in regards to the American political state in the 1980s which was deeply conservative and ran by President Ronald Reagan. There was much disturbance and discourse to those who were working class and people of colour because the discrimination against them was growing and so vast that they began to rebel in their own way. When the Air Jordans were banned from the NBA, they became a hugely desired item in the streets because they were a form of protest. As Jordan’s success grew as a basketballer, his marketing with Nike also grew more aggressive. The drive to promote the Air Jordans plus the ban the NBA imposed resulted in a huge public spectacle on its release. People lining the streets and waiting for hours just so they could get a pair. Nothing like this had happened before with shoes and it shows the power of a successful marketing campaign. The significance of Jordan also being a black man with such a huge fan base cannot be ignored. Coming from humble beginnings, he is a figure that a lot of people can look up to and having a pair of the Air Jordans could make them feel like they have a slice of the American Dream.

The second act of the documentary then goes into how Jordan and Nike’s relationship originated and the huge success into how the shoes were marketed. Jordan was everywhere in the 80s as he had a lot of collaborations with various companies but his work with Nike was by far the most popular and resonated most with the customer. One of the most successful marketing campaign was Spike Lee’s adverts for the Air Jordans. Starring Lee as his character Mars Blackmon from She’s Gotta Have It and Jordan in a bid to make the product more relatable to the consumer. Lee’s filmography had begun to build traction and Jordan was a rising star in his sport so it made perfect sense. Also, the genius of unsporting humour into the adverts makes Jordan appear to have that All-American appeal. The adverts in themselves became an event with audiences excited to see what the new one would bring.

The final act of the film discusses the loss that has occurred since the release of the Air Jordans. The build up from the first hour of the documentary makes it seem as though the Air Jordans are a final product of the American Dream with the idea that Jordan’s basketball playing was enhanced by the shoes. However, it turns out that there is a dark side to the exclusive nature of the Air Jordans. Looking into the case of a young man who was fatally shot because of the new Air Jordans, his mother and sister recount the tragic event and it is during this segment where the disconnect between business and consumer becomes clear. Jordan sent the family some new shoes after the murder but they feared wearing them in case they too were killed for them. It seems extreme that people would go this far for something as materialistic as shoes but the documentary suggests that this is in part due to the aggressive marketing by Nike that is both promising but also exclusive. By stocking limited quantities in shops, it drives the desirability right up and contributes to the collectible aspect.

What One Man and His Shoes does so well is show how clothing and accessories can actually be used as a form of protest as well as expression. The Air Jordans initial ban in the NBA is what made them desirable to those who are anti-establishment. It also shows the disconnect between the corporation and the damage that can be caused because of the exclusivity that Nike markets the Air Jordans as. Their silence over the unfortunate incidents shows that despite encouraging people to use their voice and unite in their adverts, they don’t want to be linked to the murders and injuries occurred in acquiring the shoes. What Bamiro does so well is present that balance between a huge achievement in marketing and inspiration and the costs that that brings. It’s a documentary that will resonate with a lot of people for its look into fashion, sports and history with the societal backdrop. Bamiro uses every second of the film’s 83 minute running time with effect.

One Man and His Shoes is showing at the BFI London Film Festival on 13th October and is available until 16th October.