The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul and the Capri Theater present Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 2. Tickets to First Thursday Films @ the Capri are $5 and can be purchased in advance at mspfilm.org or at the door the night of the show. The Capri is located at 2027 West Broadway.
Spike Lee directs this epic film depicting the life and times of Malcolm X, from his troubled youth and conversion to Islam, to his ministry, his pilgrimage to Mecca and his assassination in 1965. “Here’s a man who rose up from the dregs of society, spent time in jail, reeducated himself and, through spiritual enlightenment, rose to the top,” Lee says.
First Thursdays programmer Craig Rice adds, “This film projects the evolution of Malcolm X – the development of his personality and his philosophy of struggle. We see him learn and grow to be more of a populist who saw society not in terms of white versus black, but rather the “have’s” versus the “have-nots.”
As always there will be a discussion after the film, led this time by John Wright, Professor of Afro-American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota. These post-film conversations have proven to be a great opportunity to hear and learn from a diverse and thoughtful audience. There will be a 10-minute intermission during the film as well.
Malcolm X was released in 1992, soon after the riots had erupted in Los Angeles following the police beating of Rodney King. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote at the time, “Spike Lee is not only one of the best filmmakers in America, but one of the most crucially important, because his films address the central subject of race. He doesn’t use sentimentality or political clichés, but shows how his characters live, and why. …He puts human beings on the screen, and asks his audience to walk a little while in their shoes.”
Please join us for this highly acclaimed and timely film.
Note that the First Thursdays series continues with the family drama Lamb on March 2 and Beasts of the Southern Wild on April 6. All moviegoers are offered a “buy one, get one free” pass to the series through June. A full schedule is available at thecapritheater.org and mspfilm.org.
This screening of Malcolm X is part of Black Cinema: Under the Skin, a program of films by Black filmmakers exploring Black culture and experiences, funded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul receives additional support for this series from the law firm of Grey Plant Mooty and the Minneapolis Foundation.
More info: thecapritheater.org and mspfilm.org.