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Did Spike Lee do the right thing? I think not, and here's why:
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We are in the midst of a spectacle that reflects the great American dilemma of race and power, a public event that concentrates a discussion of the Black experience in the USA. The Spike Lee/Denzel Washington movie about Malcolm X raises hopes for a serious discussion of race, religion, and radicalism. Most media voices have been ecstatic, and most mainstream critics regard this film as a signal achievement. I think not. Malcolm X (I925-1965) was a leader / teacher of immense significance because of his impact on the political ideology of the Black liberation movement. Furthermore, Malcolm X was the critical voice that linked militant Black radicalism to revolutionary forces in the USA and throughout the world. So, a movie about this man is not simply about the Black experience, but a radical Black message grounded in the "forbidden zones" of the "field Negroes" of the 1990s. |
The REVIEWS
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