Malcolm X Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Malcolm X Blu-ray Movie Review

X marks the spot.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 25, 2022

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Criterion revisits Spike Lee's seminal Malcolm X on Blu-ray 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. Specs include a new 4K-sourced restoration supervised by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, lossless audio, and three new cast/crew interviews in addition to all the vintage extras featured on Warner Bros.' 2012 release. Also available from Criterion is a three-disc 4K/Blu-ray combo pack with Dolby Vision / HDR10 enhancement.

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Most of my comments about the separate 4K release can be applied to the nuts and bolts of Criterion's similarly strong 1080p Blu-ray transfer. Presented on its own dual-layered disc, this is likewise a great 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 get the film in its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio, better fine detail and contrast are immediately noticeable over WB's 2012 Blu-ray. Film grain remains a fine but ever-present fixture, obviously increasing during several black-and-white "news clips" meant to evoke the particular stocks used in different areas. Black levels remain true, showing more satisfying amounts of shadow detail where Warner's 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 affected by excessive noise that could have possibly been managed more smoothly (it's a tricky balance, I know), these moments are few and far between. Disc encoding looks to be very good with no noticeable artifacts or banding, aside from its almost unavoidable appearance in extreme fog and smoke.

Perhaps my only objective complaint, and one that affects both the Blu-ray and 4K, 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.

Malcolm X 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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Criterion's Blu-ray edition of Malcolm X, like their 4K/Blu-ray combo pack, 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.

BLU-RAY DISC ONE (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 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 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 back to Blu-ray in style with a well-rounded package that pairs a brand-new, cinematographer-supervised 1080p transfer with great lossless audio and a selection of high-quality extras, some new and exclusive to this release. It's Highly Recommended for fans of the film, worth an upgrade over WB's 2012 Blu-ray on its own merits, and good blind buy material to the right audience, but I'd get the 4K/Blu-ray combo pack if your setup supports it.