NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (November 2022): Criterion have transferred Spike Lee's Malcolm X to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New 4K digital restoration, supervised by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson". This is quite a major improvement in the 1080P image by Criterion. Toggle between, even, the full resolution subtitle captures. The film approaches 3 1/2 hours and Criterion have chosen to allocate it to one dual-layered Blu-ray disc to maximize the bitrate. The extras are on a second Blu-ray. It is notably higher than the 10-year old Warner transfer. Of course the Criterion 4K UHD will advance upon that as well - we will post comparative screen captures when we are able. The Criterion colors are deeper and richer - it is in the proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio and contrast is another step-up. The Criterion shows more information in the frame. The Warner looks softer by direct comparison. It's fairly obvious on my system.  

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a robust DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. Malcolm X has some separations - a few subtle and others more pronounced. They come through with more bass response on the Criterion audio transfer. The score was by Terence Blanchard (Eve's Bayou, Summer of Sam, Love and Basketball, Bamboozled, 25th Hour, Miracle at St. Anna, Inside Man, Dark Blue.) He's one of my favorite modern film composers. There is other music in the film by Donny Hathaway's Someday We'll All Be Free performed by Aretha Franklin plus music by Big Joe Turner, Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, The Honeydrippers, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Sam Cooke etc. sounding beautiful in the lossless transfer. Criterion offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray include the 2005 commentary by director Spike Lee, Dickerson, editor Barry Alexander Brown, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter. Criterion add a new 26-minute conversation between Lee and journalist and screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper. There is also a new 1/4 hour interview with actor Delroy Lindo, who portrays West Indian Archie in Malcolm X. Also new is a 20-minute conversation with composer Terence Blanchard who reflects on his career-long collaboration with director Spike Lee and his personally resonant experience of composing the Malcolm X score. Found on the 2012 Warner Blu-ray and included here is the 1 1/2 hour feature-length documentary, also known as Malcolm X: His Own Story as It Really Happened, directed by Arnold Perl in 1972 and is based on the book The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley. Assembled from archival interviews and news footage, the film features "biographical narration" by actor James Earl Jones and appearances by a range of Black activists, civic leaders, and sports figures from Malcolm X's lifetime, as well as people who were on the scene when he was assassinated. Lastly are nine deleted scenes preceded by an introduction by director Spike Lee plus there is a trailer for the film.

Spike Lee's Malcolm X was the second of four film collaborations between Denzel Washington and Lee. It's an epic biopic showing the titular individual's defining childhood incidents, including Malcolm X (born 'Malcolm Little', later 'Malik el-Shabazz') father's death, his mother's mental illness, his experiences with racism - dramatized in flashbacks - and his assassination on February 21st, 1965. He was a controversial figure accused of preaching racism and violence, but is a widely celebrated figure within African-American and Muslim American communities for his pursuit of racial justice. It seems to be a film Spike Lee was destined to make. The Criterion Blu-ray and 4K UHD packages are a wonderful improvement on the previous BD in image, audio and supplements. Malcolm X is very much worth seeing and owning.

Gary Tooze