Though Malcolm is definitely a different person, the limitations of his character are clearly evident. He sees the world in terms of black and white, a duality of opposites, in which black is good and white is completely evil. This limitation of perception is an inherent limitation of the new philosophy that he has adopted. Along with the duality of black and white within the Nation of Islam, there is also the duality of male and female, the flagrant chauvinism within the Nation in which women are treated as subordinates rather than equals. This chauvinism is epitomized on a banner at one of Malcolm’s lectures, which reads: “We Must Protect Our Most Valuable Property—Our Women!” To achieve complete identity integration in a Jungian sense, Malcolm must integrate his archetypes in a way that is balanced, rather than segregated. He must integrate his shadow, his hatred of white people, by accepting the fact that some whites can be good and helpful. He must integrate his anima, not in the form of a submissive woman who bows to him, but in the form of an equal partner who complements him. And he must integrate his wise old man, his true father figure.
Elijah Muhammed
Malcolm emerges from prison and encounters his next mentor, Elijah Muhammed. He becomes a full member of the Nation of Islam. With his new father figure and his new “brothers,” Malcolm is symbolically reunited with the father and brothers he lost as a child. Now in touch with his true identity as a black leader, he displays all the divine powers of a great hero who has found his calling. His ability to inspire others arises from his own inspiration, but the gifts of charisma, conviction and inner strength, Malcolm’s birthright from his father, make him a champion. Nevertheless, Malcolm’s message, the message he inherited from his new and ultimately false mentor, Elijah Muhammed, is a message of segregation rather than integration. He preaches “complete separation between the black man and the white man.” Malcolm’s refusal to accept the help of white people (his lack of integration of his shadow) is symbolized when he turns away a white Harvard student, telling her that she could do nothing to help the cause of oppressed back people in America.
Elijah Muhammed. Malcolm X encounters an inspiring metor figure. Elijah Muhammed (Al Freeman Jr.), left, with Malcolm X (Denzel Washington). Malcolm X (1992), Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks, JVC Entertainment and Largo International N.V.
Betty
Malcolm moves towards integration by marrying Betty (Angela Bassett). Their union for Malcolm is a “meeting with the goddess,” a moment in which he incorporates feminine strength and wisdom into his personality, and becomes more complete. Betty tries to open her husband’s eyes to Elijah Muhammed’s hypocrisy and to Baines’s betrayal. However, it is Malcolm’s message of hatred and complete separation that leads to his next identity crisis. By reacting to John F. Kennedy’s assassination with satisfaction rather than compassion, he alienates the Nation of Islam from the nation of America and he gives Elijah Muhammed and Baines an excuse to alienate him from the Black Muslims. When an assassination plot is revealed to him by a loyal follower, he has no choice but to go out on his own.
Mecca
The ordeal of betrayal from his two beloved mentors makes Malcolm stronger and more independent. He becomes a leader and preacher of his own words and ideas, founding the Black Nationalist movement. He is less opposed to the notion of white people helping the black cause, admitting that they share a common struggle. As a symbol of his new transformation, Malcolm makes a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he experiences another epiphany. Worldwide Islam is a transcendent experience for Malcolm, a “spiritual rebirth” in which he encounters fellow Muslims who are white, and integrates his shadow. Malcolm returns to America after this apotheosis in an ultimate form of integration. He declares: “I am not a racist.” The ultimate boon that Malcolm delivers to his people in America is a freedom to live without the chains of racism. He realizes that the ideal of black supremacy at the heart of the Nation of Islam is merely another form of racism. But after his conversion to Sunni Islam, Malcolm is finally able to understand his hatred for white people and overcome it. He sees himself as a “complete human being,” and defines himself with a self-chosen name, El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz.
Martyrdom
Malcolm returns to America with a message much like his father’s, the message of a spiritual and cultural migration of African Americans back to their African roots. Malcolm’s identity achievement at this stage is one step away from a complete resolution of the mythological hero’s character arc. Campbell’s stage of atonement with the father could be understood as an ultimate identification—an “at-one-ment”—in which the son actually becomes one with the father. This stage of archetype integration is achieved completely when Malcolm is assassinated, just like his father, and his spirit joins the spirits of other martyr-heroes in the realm of the collective unconscious.
Mecca. Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) experiences a spiritual rebirth during his transcendent pilgrimage to the Islamic holy land. He is reborn as El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz. Malcolm X (1992), Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks, JVC Entertainment and Largo International N.V.
At this point in the film, Malcolm’s life begins to mirror his father’s life when he was a child. He and is family are harassed and threatened by representatives of white society, i.e., the FBI, and disgruntled representatives of the Nation of Islam. Scenes of his house being burned down are intercut with flashbacks from his childhood of his father’s house being burned down. Like his father, he refuses to stop preaching. In a final meeting with a goddess figure, Malcolm is approached by a kindly old woman shortly before his death. She tells him: “Jesus will protect you.” The symbolism is simultaneously incongruous and true. Though Malcolm rejected Jesus as his personal savior, he is about to become an inspirational martyr and legend, much like Jesus.
Moments before his death, Malcolm says, “It’s a time for martyrs now.” He knows that he is putting his life on the line, but he is a willing sacrifice. His cause and his message are more important to him than his own life. He realizes that his legend is now the greatest inspiration that he could give to his people. In his final words before being gunned down, he apologizes to a woman that he snapped at earlier, signifying that in his last stage, he has a more mature and integrated attitude towards women, seeing them as equals rather than “property.” Malcolm dies in a crucifixion pose. He is eulogized as a “black prince,” a “champion” who when returned to the earth, “the common mother of all,” will become a “seed” that will grow forth and inspire future generations. In the final sequence, children in America and South Africa proudly declare: “I am Malcolm X!” Though he died, Malcolm’s legend and his message live on.
Filmography
About Schmidt (2002). Directed by Alexander Payne. Writing Credits: Louis Begley (novel), Alexander Payne (screenplay), Jim Taylor (screenplay). Starring: Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates.
Abre los Ojos (1997). Directed by Alejandro Amenábar. Writing Credits: Alejandro Amenábar, Mateo Gil. Starring: Eduardo Noriega, Penélope Cruz, Chete Lera.
American Beauty (1999). Directed by Sam Mendes. Writing Credits: Alan Ball (written by). Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Scott Bakula. Academy Awards: Kevin Spacey (Best Actor in a Leading Role), Sam Mendes (Best Director), Alan Ball (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen).
American Graffiti (1973). Directed by George Lucas. Writing Credits: George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck. Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat.
American History X (1998). Directed by Tony Kaye. Writing Credits: David McKenna (written by). Starring: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo.
American Pie (1999). Directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz. Writing Credits: Adam Herz (written by). Starring: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Shannon Elizabeth
Amistad (1997). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Writing Credits: David Franzoni (written by). Starring: Morgan F
reeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, David Paymer, Pete Postlethwaite, Stellan Skarsgård.
Angel and the Badman (1947). Directed by James Edward Grant. Writing Credits: James Edward Grant. Starring: John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey.
Angels and Insects (1995). Directed by Philip Haas. Writing Credits: A. S. Byatt, Belinda Haas, Philip Haas. Starring: Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, Patsy Kensit.
Animal House (1978). Directed by John Landis. Writing Credits: Harold Ramis (written by), Douglas Kenney (written by), Chris Miller (written by). Starring: Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst, Mark Metcalf.
Annie (1982). Directed by John Huston. Writing Credits: Harold Gray (comic strip Little Orphan Annie), Thomas Meehan (play), Carol Sobieski (screenplay). Starring: Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry.
Annie Hall (1977). Directed by Woody Allen. Writing Credits: Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman. Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelley Duvall. Academy Awards: Diane Keaton (Best Actress in a Leading Role), Woody Allen (Best Director), Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen).
Antwone Fisher (2002). Directed by Denzel Washington. Writing Credits: Antwone Fisher (written by). Starring: Derek Luke, Malcolm David Kelley, Cory Hodges, Denzel Washington.
Artificial Intelligence: A.I. (2001). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Writing Credits: Ian Watson (screen story), Brian Aldiss (short story “Supertoys Last All Summer Long”), Steven Spielberg (screenplay). Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Robards, William Hurt.
The Asphalt Jungle(1950). Directed by John Huston. Writing Credits: W. R. Burnett (novel), Ben Maddow, John Huston. Starring: Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore.
Baby Boom (1987). Directed by Charles Shyer. Writing Credits: Nancy Meyers (written by), Charles Shyer (written by). Starring: Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard, Harold Ramis.
The Bad News Bears (1976). Directed by Michael Ritchie. Writing Credits: Bill Lancaster. Starring: Walter Matthau, Chris Barnes, Tatum O’Neal.
The Bad Seed (1956). Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Writing Credits: Maxwell Anderson (play), John Lee Mahin, William March (novel). Starring: Nancy Kelly, Patricia McCormack, Henry Jones.
Beauty and the Beast (1991). Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. Writing Credits: Roger Allers (story), Kelly Asbury (story). Starring: Paige O’Hara (voice), Robby Benson (voice), Richard White (voice).
Ben-Hur (1959) Directed by William Wyler. Writing Credits: Lew Wallace (novel), Karl Tunberg (screenplay). Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith. Academy Awards: Charlton Heston (Best Actor in a Leading Role), Hugh Griffith (Best Actor in a Supporting Role), William Wyler (Best Director), Ralph E. Winters and John D. Dunning (Best Film Editing).
The Bible (1966). Directed by John Huston. Writing Credits: Vittorio Bonicelli, Christopher Fry, Jonathan Griffin, Ivo Perilli. Starring: Michael Parks, Ulla Bergryd, Richard Harris, John Huston, Stephen Boyd, George C. Scott, Ava Gardner, Peter O’Toole.
The Big Parade (1925). Directed by King Vidor. Writing Credits: Harry Behn, Joseph Farnham (play). Starring: John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, Hobart Bosworth.
The Blues Brothers (1980). Directed by John Landis. Writing Credits: Dan Aykroyd, John Landis. Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Directed by Arthur Penn. Writing Credits: David Newman (written by), Robert Benton (written by). Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons. Academy Awards: Estelle Parsons (Best Actress in a Supporting Role).
The Bride of Frankenstein(1935). Directed by James Whale. Writing Credits: William Hurlbut, William Hurlbut (adaptation). Starring: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Elsa Lanchester.
Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Directed by David Lean. Writing Credits: Pierre Boulle (novel). Starring: William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness. Academy Awards: Alec Guinness (Best Actor in a Leading Role), David Lean (Best Director), Pierre Boulle, Carl Foreman, Michael Wilson (Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium).
A Bronx Tale (1993). Directed by Robert De Niro. Writing Credits: Chazz Palminteri (play), Chazz Palminteri (screenplay). Starring: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Francis Capra.
Bubble Boy (2001). Directed by Blair Hayes. Writing Credits: Cinco Paul (written by), Ken Daurio (written by). Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Swoosie Kurtz, Marley Shelton.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Directed by George Roy Hill. Writing Credits: William Goldman (written by). Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross. Academy Awards: William Goldman (Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Material Not Previously Published or Produced).
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). Directed by Robert Wiene. Writing Credits: Hans Janowitz, Carl Mayer. Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher.
Caligula (1979). Directed by Tinto Brass, Bob Guccione. Writing Credits: Gore Vidal (screenplay). Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Teresa Ann Savoy, Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole.
Carrie (1976). Directed by Brian De Palma. Writing Credits: Lawrence D. Cohen, Stephen King (novel). Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving.
Casablanca (1942). Directed by Michael Curtiz. Writing Credits: Murray Burnett (play), Joan Alison (play), Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch. Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains. Academy Awards: Michael Curtiz (Best Director), Hal B. Wallis (Best Picture), Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch (Best Writing, Screenplay).
Chariots of Fire (1981). Directed by Hugh Hudson. Writing Credits: Colin Welland. Starring: Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers, Ian Charleson. Academy Awards: Milena Canonero (Best Costume Design), David Puttnam (Best Picture), Colin Welland (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen).
Children of the Corn (1984). Directed by Fritz Kiersch. Writing Credits: George Goldsmith, Stephen King (story). Starring: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R. G. Armstrong.
Chinatown (1974). Directed by Roman Polanski. Writing Credits: Robert Towne. Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston. Academy Awards: Robert Towne (Best Writing, Original Screenplay).
Cinderella (1950). Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske. Writing Credits: Ken Anderson, Homer Brightman. Starring: Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton.
Clash of the Titans (1981). Directed by Desmond Davis. Writing Credits: Beverley Cross (written by). Starring: Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Claire Bloom.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Writing Credits: Steven Spielberg (written by). Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr.
The Color of Purple (1985). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Writing Credits: Alice Walker (novel), Menno Meyjes. Starring: Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey.
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). Directed by Woody Allen. Writing Credits: Woody Allen (written by). Starring: Bill Bernstein, Martin Landau, Claire Bloom.
The Crowd (1928). Directed by King Vidor. Writing Credits: King Vidor (screenplay), John V. A. Weaver (screenplay). Starring: Eleanor Boardman, James Murray, Bert Roach.
Dazed and Confused (1993). Directed by Richard Linklater. Writing Credits: Richard Linklater (written by). Starring: Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Milla Jovovich.
Dead Poets Society (1989). Directed by Peter Weir. Writing Credits: Tom Schulman (written by). Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles. Academy Awards: Tom Schulman (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen).
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920). Directed by John S. Robertson. Writing Credits: Clara Beranger, Robert Louis Stevenson (story). Starring: Jo
hn Barrymore, Martha Mansfield, Brandon Hurst.
Doctor Zhivago (1965). Directed by David Lean. Writing Credits: Boris Pasternak (novel), Robert Bolt. Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness. Academy Awards: John Box, Terence Marsh and Dario Simoni (Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color), Robert Bolt (Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium).
Dracula (1931). Directed by Tod Browning. Writing Credits: John L. Balderston (story), Hamilton Deane (story), Bram Stoker (novel). Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler.
Dracula (1992). Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Writing Credits: Bram Stoker (novel), James V. Hart (screenplay). Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant, Cary Elwes, Bill Campbell, Sadie Frost, Tom Waits, Monica Bellucci.
Duel in the Sun (1946). Directed by King Vidor & Otto Brower. Writing Credits: Niven Busch (novel), Oliver H. P. Garrett (adaptation). Starring: Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lionel Barrymore.
E.T. (1982). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Writing Credits: Melissa Mathison. Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace-Stone, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote.
The Elephant Man (1980). Directed by David Lynch. Writing credits: Sir Frederick Treves (book), Ashley Montagu (book), Christopher De Vore (screenplay), Eric Bergren (screenplay), David Lynch (screenplay). Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft.
Empire of the Sun (1987). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Writing Credits: J. G. Ballard (novel), Tom Stoppard. Starring: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano.
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