The 1992 Movie, Malcolm X - Essay Example

Dictionary Scene
This scene reveals a weakness in Malcolm Little. Despite being smart and intelligent, he allows Baines to influence his way of thinking. Malcolm begins to view white people as devils.

This view leads him to commit mistakes that he only realizes when he visits Mecca. The dictionary scene is a turning point for Malcolm. It makes him the radical leader he later becomes and turns him into a racist. Although he had a white girlfriend and other white friends in the past, Malcolm comes to believe that all whites are evil. This scene oversees his transformation from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X.

Malcolm X and the Priest
This scene makes an impact because it is the first to showcase Malcolm X as a great debater. In the scene, Malcolm X challenges the prison priest’s opinion that Jesus was white. Malcolm’s line of thought seems reasonable and correct. He expresses his points of argument in an organized chronological manner that shocks the priest. The priest being a man of God becomes unable to protect his opinion that God is white. As the two argue and debate on the matter, the priest seems agitated and irritated by the fact that Malcolm presents a genuine argument supported with evidence from the bible. It appears as if Malcolm educates him on matters related to God. This scene introduces Malcolm as a critical thinker and a great debater. It also shows his ability to convince since the rest of the congregation seems to agree with him. The scene prepares the audience for the future of Malcolm as an outspoken person. It also shows his ability to influence the opinions of others.

The hospital scene
This is a scene that demonstrates the amount of power that Malcolm X possessed as a civil rights activist. In the scene, Malcolm leads a march seeking to know the good fare of a man admitted to hospital due to police brutality. The crowd demonstrates outside the hospital and not even the presence of the police shakes them. The crowd matches away from the demonstration only at Malcolm’s directive. The police commissioner comments at the end of the scene that Malcolm’s power over the people is too great for one man. However, the scene depicts a true representation of Malcolm X's power over the people. Despite his violent approach in gaining civil rights, Malcolm X was a mobilizer. Had his life not come to an abrupt end, he would have been able to facilitate change for the black people in America. The scene shows the power that few leaders in the world achieved on their followers to date.

Malcolm X speech, I come as a black man
The scene of the speech, I come to you as a black man, by Malcolm X shows his skill as a civil rights activist. In the speech, Malcolm X says everything that people want to hear. His sincerity in his speech demonstrates his conviction to redeem the black race and save them from white people. However, the speech also reveals his racist side. Although he speaks against racism, his view of white people and their actions are racist. In his speech, he pins every evil (alcohol, cocaine, poverty) in the black community on the white people. Instead of preaching reconciliation, he preaches separation. The speech constitutes the mistakes he later came to realize after visiting Mecca.

Death
Malcolm X became a fanatic of the religion introduced to him. He believed the Islam religion provided him freedom from slavery and prison. It provided the strength required to fight the injustices committed against the blacks by the whites. His enthusiasm to fight injustices won him, followers. The command and power he held over followers caused his demise. Malcolm X was a religious Islam. The rest of the Nation of Islam simply used religion for power and personal advantages. Hence Malcolm disagreed with their cause. Malcolm possessed too much power on the people hence threatening the leaders of the Nation of Islam.

He also disapproved of their pretentious nature after realizing that the leader he followed and honored was a philanderer with no apologies. He defied their orders and commented on the assassination of J. F. Kennedy after discovering the truth. Nation of Islam felt violated and lost their trust in Malcolm X. Malcolm also launched his association to continue fighting the injustices of discrimination.