Saturday, July 29, 2006
2/3 EPIC
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was Spike Lee's
I only saw two thirds of it as Netflix had sent me Disc One in the Disc Two pack. I will have to reorder it to finish the watch.
But that is good because this is one long long film; 220 minutes. Three and a half hours.
I was moaning to myself about seeing it all and taking the chunk of time and 'it got taken care of for me'.
It is a film with epic reach. Huge. Cast of thousands.
The technical aspect is incredible. The opening scenes in Boston are pretty accurate as I was there at the time. I can vouch for it.
Imagine. I was there.
Well, actually ten years or so later.
Still the same.
But this is about Malcolm, right?
Denzel Washington channels the man.
The film is affecting from the start. As the titles role, we watch the American Flag and hear Malcolm speak while in and out the Rodney King beating tape plays. Then the flag burns down to an X.
Well.
That gets one's attention.
It is an astounding film. It is quite enjoyable to watch. It is not freighted with a lot of side stuff. Lee lets Malcolm speak.
I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. So watching the film is an exception to my rule; no books from movies I have seen and no movies from books I have read.
In this case, I am happy to break the rule.
I like the sound of the speech. It is OK.
I will happily watch Disc Two when it gets here in a week or so.
This film is clearly in the high 5 out of Netflix5 territory.
