Film: Spike Lee's "Malcolm X"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the interracial sexual relationship between black Malcolm and white Sophie, in Spike Lee's 1992 film "Malcolm X is striking in the context of the civil rights movement, which only recently had begun to make such liaisons relatively safe and acceptable, and the narrative of the film, in which it develops into a criminal partnership. The author points out that Spike Lee positions this relationship as a direct result of Malcolm's ambition and power and Sophie's desire to realize her sexual fantasies. The paper relates Malcolm's ability to roam sexually in the upper class testifies to his personal strength and ability to succeed, an important theme in the film. The author concludes that Malcolm's relationship with Sophie serves as a symbol of the liberation of the civil rights movement.

From the Paper:

"With the emergence of the Civil Rights movement, black/white relationships lost at least some of their taboo, and increasingly became public. Both blacks and whites expressed profound distrust of mysogenation. As Michele Wallace, a black woman growing up the time, bluntly put it: "Only the rejects crawl for white pussy." In "Malcolm X", Laura's jealousy and disapproval at Malcolm's relationship with Sophia exemplifies this attitude. Interestingly, both in the historical record and paralleled in the film, the sexuality of black women seems less important than that of black men during this time period."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Malcolm X, dir. Spike Lee. perf. Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall. 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. 1992.
• Nagel, Joane, Race, Ethnicity, and Sexuality: Intimate Intersections, Forbidden Frontiers. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003

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• Film Review # 3245 : "Manipulating Malcolm"

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