Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Malcolm X 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Buy any means necessary.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 25, 2022

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Criterion debuts Spike Lee's seminal Malcolm X in 4K UHD a full decade after Warner Bros.' Blu-ray Digibook, which was later repurposed as a keepcase edition that omitted most of its prominent bonus features. Criterion's 4K/Blu-ray combo pack features a new restoration supervised by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson with Dolby Vision / HDR10 enhancement, lossless audio, and three new cast/crew interviews in addition to all the vintage extras featured on Warner Bros.' 2012 release. A stand-alone Criterion Blu-ray is also available.

For a full synopsis and appreciation of Malcolm X, please see Kenneth Brown's review of the WB Blu-ray linked above. I'd like to echo Kenneth's praise: along with Do the Right Thing, this is one of Spike Lee's best films and one that many fans would consider his magnum opus. It's a culturally and historically significant slice of cinema, still controversial and polarizing but extremely well-made and led by a career-defining performance from Denzel Washington. Featuring an outstanding supporting cast that includes Angela Bassett, Al Freeman Jr., Delroy Lindo, Giancarlo Esposito, Albert Hall, and Ernest Lee Thomas, as well as striking cinematography and a terrific original score by the reliably great Terence Blanchard, this is a true "total package" experience that can still stun first-time viewers 30 years later.

Malcolm X 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Debuting in 4K on a 100GB, triple-layered disc, it doesn't take long to realize that Criterion's 2160p, HDR/DV-enhanced transfer of Malcolm X stands well above Warner Bros.' 2012 Blu-ray. This is an absolutely luminous presentation that handles most of the film's visually varied source material perfectly well, from the soft and diffused but deeply saturated tones of X's formative years in Boston to the cold walls of prison (more on that later) and more naturalistic palette of his final years. Not only do we finally get the film in its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio, improved fine detail and contrast levels are immediately noticeable with color reproduction that shows a more largely nuanced level of depth and density. Film grain remains a fine but ever-present fixture from start to finish, obviously increasing in strength during several black-and-white "news clips" meant to evoke the particular stocks used in different areas. Black levels also remain true, showing much more satisfying amounts of shadow detail where Warner's old Blu-ray sometimes sacrificed it by using slightly boosted contrast that led to visible crush on costumes, skin hair, and background details alike. And while there are times when mid-range and deeper grays are somewhat hampered by excessive noise that could have possibly been managed more smoothly (it's a tricky balance, I know), these moments seem to be few and far between.

Perhaps my only objective complaint, and one that affects both the 4K and Blu-ray, is what looks to be obvious blue filtering that has been applied to the section of the film where Malcolm X goes to prison (seen below); whereas Warner Bros.' 2012 Blu-ray showed a still-cool but more balanced approach that did not greatly affect skin tones, this filtering flattens out the image in a slightly artificial way. (Please note that it doesn't affect everything during this section, such as the title character's vision of Elijah Muhammad, but it still prevalent enough not to ignore.) When you compare the below screenshot with a similar one from our 2012 Blu-ray review, the differences are obvious. It's not unusual for modern Blu-ray/4K transfers to tweak colors to fit modern styles -- sometimes counterbalancing excessive "warmness" added to DVD-era masters, to be fair -- but, while this one was was reportedly supervised by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, it's a possible baby step towards revisionism that may rub some fans the wrong way.

Where the 4K disc rebounds strongly is in its particularly good use of HDR enhancement. I viewed the film entirely in Dolby Vision (always my preference, if available) and checked it in HDR10 during a second run-through; both seemed to offer a similar overall presentation, one that brought with it all the expected strengths for a film of this type. Color saturation is particularly robust in certain aspects of Malcolm X's costume and production design, such as the vivid zoot suits worn by Malcolm and Shorty (Spike Lee) during the film's opening stretch, as well as the picturesque trip to Egypt and Mecca and a few (mostly unfortunate) encounters with fire. Likewise, filtered light through windows, as well as the soft light of table lamps, also look perfectly balanced with no signs of blooming or blown-out contrast. Muted and vivid colors alike also stand out strongly against darker backgrounds with no perceived crush or questionable edges. So while the real strength of this 4K presentation is due to increased resolution and the format's superior encoding, this HDR enhancement brings with it yet one more reason why Malcolm X flirts so frequently with visual perfection.

For my thoughts on the included Blu-ray's proportionately strong 1080p SDR presentation (which is where this review's screenshots are sourced from), please see my separate review of that title which also includes 40 more images.

Malcolm X 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Criterion's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix may be identical to the same-named track on Warner Bros.' 2012 Blu-ray, but I wouldn't be surprised if its new 4K restoration was also able to wrong more sonic detail out of its source elements. (It's been a while since I heard that older disc.) What I can say is that Malcolm X is a front-fueled affair during several long stretches but can be quite impactful at times, featuring countless moments that dig deeply into the rear channels for atmospheric support in crowded scenes and those in which Malcolm's words echo through large auditoriums and outdoor areas. Terence Blanchard's original score, only his second feature-length effort, is also represented well with a rich and dynamic sound. A handful of sonic flourishes are also on board almost as wild cards, from internal narrations to scenes where stress and danger all but necessitate discrete activity. All in all it's an extremely robust track, yet I wish a Dolby Stereo option were also on board to replicate what most people originally heard in theaters.

Optional English subtitles are included during main feature but not the extras; this is particularly annoying because most of the bonus features carried over from Warner Bros.' 2012 Blu-ray featured subtitles on that older disc.

Malcolm X 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Criterion's 4K combo pack of Malcolm X, like their stand-alone Blu-ray edition, serves up a host of bonus features on each included disc. Most are simply repurposed from Warner Bros.' 2012 Blu-ray and earlier home video releases (albeit now presented in AVC-encoded 1080p HD and looking quite good); these older bonus features are covered in more detail in that linked WB review, but three new and exclusive items of interest are clearly marked.

4K DISC (Movie)

• Audio Commentary - A 2005 commentary with director Spike Lee, cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, editor Barry Alexander Brown, and and costume designer Ruth E. Carter, all recorded separately.

BLU-RAY DISC ONE (Movie)

• Audio Commentary - Same as above.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO (Special Features)

• NEW! Spike Lee in Conversation (25:49) - This conversation between Malcolm X director Spike Lee and journalist/screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper was produced by Criterion in 2022. It very much feels like a casual chat between old friends, whose relationship began more than 30 years ago when Cooper was asked to write a foreword for Lee and Lisa Jones' 1989 book The Making of Do the Right Thing, and covers several different facets of the director's storied career and influences, including Malcolm X's turbulent production.

• NEW! Actor Delroy Lindo (16:42) - Likewise, this 2022 conversation with actor Delroy Lindo ("West Indian Archie" in the film) finds him in a reflective mood as he speaks openly about reading Malcolm X's autobiography and other works by author Alex Haley, other personal connections with the material, meeting Spike Lee, turning down a later audio for Do the Right Thing stories from the set, his Jamaican heritage, and more.

• NEW! Terence Blanchard (18:43) - In yet another exclusive 2022 interview produced by Criterion, the famed composer reminisces on his career-long collaboration with Spike Lee that began with School Daze, Lee's hands-off approach, the Lakers vs. the Knicks, blackface and Bamboozled, conducting the Harlem Boys Choir, and of course his memories of composing Malcolm X's score, only Blanchard's second full-length effort.

• By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Malcolm X (30:27) - A 2005 production featurette written and directed by Gary Leva featuring cast, crew, and contemporaries speaking about the film and its subject.

• Deleted Scenes (9 clips, 20:41 total) - "Malcolm and Shorty Watch Cagnie and Bogie," "Sophia and Peg Case a House," "Malcolm Reading in Prison," "The Evils of Pork," "The Pleasures of an Ice-Cream Soda," "Malcolm Teaches Benjamin Discipline," "The Sphinx's Nose and Lips," "Malcolm Must Return to America", and "A Second Chance to Answer the Question". All nine clips include an introduction by director Spike Lee.

• "Malcolm X" 1972 Documentary (91:41) - A very well put-together documentary, directed by Arnold Perl, which was made as a companion piece to "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" he co-wrote in 1965.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:49) - Watch it here.

Malcolm X 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Spike Lee's seminal Malcolm X is a polarizing but well-made film that still impresses 30 years later. Criterion brings it to 4K in style with a well-rounded package that pairs a brand-new, cinematographer-supervised 2160p transfer with great lossless audio and a selection of high-quality bonus features, some new and exclusive to this release. It's an absolute must-have for fans of the film and certainly worth a blind buy for interested parties. Highly Recommended.