Spike Lee, 1992
The film is an excellent introduction to one of the most interesting and influential characters of the century. The biopic starts with Malcolm Little (Denzel Washington) hustling and committing petty crimes in Boston, leading to his incarceration and evidential conversion to the Nation of Islam (NOI), where he takes the name Malcolm X. At this point Malcolm meets Elijah Muhammad (Al Freeman Jr.), who appoints him an assistant minister in Chicago, and soon after a minister of a Mosque in Harlem. This relationship between Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X is extremely interesting, and is what makes the film worth talking about. Granted, for a Hollywood blockbuster, the film is quite good overall, especially the acting. Both Denzel and Al are incredible in their respective roles, but the later steals the show. His subtle calm movements, drawn out voice and gentle demeanor share an uncanny resemblance to the real Elijah, and are a refreshing contrast to Denzel’s energetic and powerful screen presence. The performance won Freeman the 1995 NAACP image award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, and should have won him an academy award. Why the academy nominated Denzel for best actor but not Freedman for best supporting, speaks to the vapidity and irrelevance of the institution. 
Elijah Muhammad is equally worthy of having a three hour epic film made about his life. His controversial past, and shadowy relationship with Wallace D. Fard the founder of the NOI, could fill up a hundred screenplays. Spike Lee does not mention Fard in the film and the only reference to him is a self-portrait prominently featured in Elijah Muhammad’s study, which is the only known image of the prophet. This is unfortunate because he is without doubt the most interesting person the nation’s history. With a life truly stranger than fiction, that includes a dubious ancestry, esoteric teachings, involvement in a bizarre ritual murder, and abrupt disappearance after leading the NOI for only three years. Lee could have developed this brief relationship between Fard and Elijah into a very interesting and controversial subplot that would have added to the films mystique. Maybe the director felt it would be too much of a tangent or too distracting from the main point of the film. Malcolm X is typical of Spike Lee’s films, while they are extremely well done, interesting, and intelligent they always follow the typical Hollywood narrative with the same predicable and linear structure.
Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953In ‘Wages of Fear’ (8.25), Henri-Georges Clouzot masterfully creates an atmosphere of tension and suspense that keeps the viewer pleasantly engaged throughout the film, but without the anxiety of trashy Hollywood horror film. The story is about an oil company in South Africa that in a panic needs to transport nitro glycerin across rugged terrain. They offer residents in a sleepy economically impoverished town a large sum of money to drive two trucks full of the substance to a remote drilling site. The caveat is that the slightest disturbance to the nitro glycerin could cause the trucks to explode, which given the dilapidated condition of the rural roads is a likely outcome. From the very second the driver’s start their journey, the viewer is half expecting the trucks to blow up at any second, creating a sense of suspense that carries throughout the entire film. 
Early in the expedition, conflict quickly arises between the four drivers. With the brunt of the hostility directed towards the eldest member of the group, whose bark is evidently much louder than his bite and in reality is a coward. Regardless, the drivers must work together in overcoming obstacles along the way. What makes the film so successful is the way Clouzot pays attention to the subtle details in order to create a foreboding sense of fear. Having the eldest driver too scared to let go of the steering wheel for even a split second to take a sip of coffee or a puff from a cigarette, or using close ups to show the sweat on their brows or the treads of the tires as they go over potholes in the road are examples of this. Even though the story line is relatively uninteresting, at no point in the film is the viewer ever board, which is a testament to the director’s skill. As a bonus, the film has a very clever ending that ties everything together in a dark and ironic way that only like a master like Clouzot can.
What distinguishes Steve James’ documentaries is the exceptional character development and evolution witnessed in his films. Hoop Dreams (7.5), documents the journey of two promising basketball ball players from South Chicago over the course of five years through high school, ending with both of them starting college. At the beginning of the film the only thing matters to the boys is making it to the NBA, but as they grow up their priorities change as their lives unfold and they become victims of circumstance and chance. Slowly, the game becomes less and less important to them, changing from an all-pervasive way of life, to simply a means to an end. Seeing this evolution first hand on film, and watching the two boys become men in the span of two and half hours, is incredibly engaging; even if you don’t really like the sport. Because it is real, this character development is so natural and fluid, making the film very enjoyable to watch. 
His latest film The Interrupters (7.75), also takes place in South Chicago and focuses on personal evolution as a major theme. It is about a group of ex-gang members who patrol the streets, putting their lives at risk on a daily basis to pacify confrontations. The camera documents their encounters, as they intervene in fresh conflicts and follow up on people from previous episodes. It is amazing to watch how these volunteers, simply by taking someone aside and letting them cool down for a couple minutes can save lives. One exceptional case, where a man, leaving his house gun in hand with intention of extracting revenge on a rival gang, grudgingly accepts an invitation from one of the volunteers to lunch. After putting away his weapon, he cools down over fast food, and begins a relationship that eventually saves his life. At the end of the film, we see him gainfully employed, extremely grateful for the program and acknowledging it for saving his life. Capturing these precious seconds where people make life and death decisions on film, makes for incredibly powerful and engaging cinema. Akin to ‘Hoop Dreams’, the film has fluidity and realism that no director could ever recreate with professional actors in a studio, not even Ozu! This is what makes James such an exceptional documentary filmmaker and truly raises the genre to new heights.
Spike Lee, 1992
