Analysis of Malcom X

Malcolm X
Political Thriller

The opening of the film starts off with slow rhythmic music, with a subtle hint of violence, therefore it is a thriller, because it keeps you on the edge of your seat as your not completely sure where the story could go, although you know that it is going to be an ongoing battle between the two races, white and black, also the violence isn't graphic so its not classed as a horror. The American flag is shown as the background throughout the entire opening apart from when it briefly skips to the footage. When the main speaker starts talking badly about America, the American flag starts to burn, the assault of the American flag shows that the film definately has political meaning. The clip that keeps being shown in brief spurts is real footage which has been recorded by an eye witness, which adds a realistic touch to the film. The slow deep music at the beggining gets sharper and more intense, this enables the audience to relate more to the feelings of the characters. A lot of the opening is dark, the footage is filmed at night, and when the American flag burns it forms a black 'X' within it. You can tell within the first minute of the opening that it is going to be a political thriller.