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Arts & Entertainment
fhursday, November 19, 1992
The Battalion
Page 3
Malcolm X
Movie provides detailed account
of controversial Muslim leader
By ANAS BEN-MUSA
Reviewer of THE BATTALION
"X"
Starring Denzel Washing
ton, Angela Bassett, Spike
Lee
Directed by Spike Lee
Rated PG-13
Playing at Cinema III
Wc declare our right on this
earth to be a man, to be a human
being, to be respected as a human
being, to be given the rights of a
human being in this society, on this
earth, in this day, which we intend
io bring into existence by any
means necessary. . .Malcolm X
1963
This is an example of the
words that have created so
much hate, confusion, and inter
est about a man and a leader
called Malcolm X.
The fervor of interest to un
derstand this complex and con
troversial leader has enabled
Spike Lee to create the first big-
budget, epic film by an African-
American director.
The result is a powerful and
masterfully detailed account of
the life of Malcolm X.
However, if you want to
learn about Malcolm X this
movie is only a start.
Malcolm X was born Mal
colm Little in Omaha, Nebraska
in 1925. His father, a Baptist
minister, was killed by the Black
Legion, a white supremacist or
ganization, when Malcolm was
still a child. His mother was
soon taken to the state mental
hospital because of a nervous
breakdown. Malcolm was
raised in a foster home and at
the age of 16 moved to Boston
to stay with his aunt.
During the next five years
Malcolm degenerated, becom
ing a drug user, drug seller,
thief, and much more. He was
finally caught and sentenced to
prison for several years at the
age of 21. During his prison
The life of Malcolm X is the
focus of Spike Lee’s new movie.
stay, Malcolm learned about the
Nation of Islam from his family
and later converted.
The Nation of Islam teaches
that mankind was black until a
scientist created the "devil-
race," white men, who took
over the world and enslaved the
black man.
This theory or philosophy
created a hatred toward white
people. After being appointed
as a minister in the Nation of Is
lam, Malcolm X began to preach
for total segregation from white
people, whom he considered an
evil influence on African-Amer
icans. ,
In the film, Lee squeezes in
an enormous amount of infor
mation and knowledge from
Malcolm X's speeches and auto
biography, but what he presents
is his own interpretation and
understanding.
Lee does not try to distort
Malcolm X, but he had to pick
and choose parts of speeches
and the autobiography in order
to create the film. That in itself
is an interpretation and under
standing of the most important
aspects of Malcolm X's life.
A 3-hour, 15-minute film
cannot encompass all of Mal
colm X's life.
For example, Lee concen
trates on Malcolm's adult life
and uses flashbacks to explain
what happened to him in his
childhood.
Both parts of Malcolm X's life
shaped and defined him; unfor
tunately, Lee could only focus
on one part.
But what Lee showed in his
film was mesmerizing.
It seemed only five minutes
had passed and then the film
was finished.
Denzel Washington's por
trayal of Malcolm X is spectacu
lar.
In one particular scene,
Washington is passionately
reciting a chapter from the Ko
ran in Arabic. He is precise in
articulation and from this mo
ment I realized Washington tru
ly was Malcolm X.
See Malcolm X/ Page 5
Lecturer promotes cultural unity,
encourages student creativity
By JULIE POLSTON
Feature Writer of THE BATTALION
One Texas A&M lecturer in
particular continues to create an
atmosphere where all students
have a place to be somebody.
Charles Gordone, an actor, di
rector and playwright, won the
Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for his play
entitled No Place to be Somebody.
He teaches in the English and
Speech Communications Depart
ments at A&M, and fosters cre
ativity and individuality among
his students.
Yet, Gordone has little interests
in his accomplishments.
"I'm not into fame and fortune
anymore; and what I know, I want
to give to young people," he said.
Currently, Gordone is teaching
Speech Communications 489:
"American Voices: Race, Gender,
Ethnicity." Although this course
will not be taught in the spring, it
will be offered again next fall.
SCOM 489 interprets popular
culture in a historical context
while allowing students to recog
nize cultural diversity as a benefit
to society.
"If your thinking is always Eu
rocentric, you won't see how the
cultures overlap," he said.
Gordone said he does not be
lieve in multiculturalism in a
sense, because it has a trendy con-.
notation.
"We need to redefine multicul
turalism," he said. "There's only
one culture — the American cul
ture, and we have many ethnic
groups who contribute."
"You can't mandate students to
learn about other people," he
added. "That's not the way this
country works."
After living in New York for
more than 35 years, Gordone
spent a summer in New Mexico
on a D.H. Lawrence writing fel
lowship before coming to Texas
to 1^0^5230'^
One year Exchanges for , 93- , 94
(Junior Year Abroad)
Any & All Majors are Eligible for this Program.
Attend this Informational Meeting and speak to past
and present Reciprocal Exchange participants, and
pick up an application for the program:
Friday, November 20
3:30 - 4:45 in 251 West Bizzell Hall
Or visit the Study Abroad Programs Office,
161 W. Bizzell Hall from 8:00 - 5:00 M-F.
Requirements: 3.0 GPA, Proficiency in Spanish
(3 or 4 semesters of college Spanish), and be a U.S. Citizen.
4444
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til
The Garden District
Store Hours
Monday - Saturday 10-6 Sunday Noon -5
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. Mon - Fri 11-2 Sat 11-3 ^
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108 North Ave.
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GRAND OPENING
SATURDAY, NOV. 21
JR. MEDLOW AND TORNADO ALLEY
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OPENING ACT: WORN OUT SOULS
JOIN US AFTER THE GAME
FOR MUSIC AND BUFFET
COMPLIMENTS OF
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BUFFET BEGINS AT 8:00 - MUSIC AT 8:30
muuj uj mm mill ii
MW
The Capital City A&M Club
if is sponsoring a tailgate fajita party immediately
following the A&M Corps of Cadets march down
Congress Ave. at 11:00 AM.
Date: Thurs. Nov. 26
Location: The Hirshfield-Moore House
814 Lavaca
Tickets are $5.00 & Must be Pre-purchased
Call the Capital City A&M Club at 472-4443 or Sadie
(512)892-5886 Holly Belden 693-5630 ygj
am ;'
Osn IPhg&Osi
One year Exchanges for , 93- , 94
(Junior Year Abroad)
Any & All Majors are Eligible for this Program.
Attend this Informational Meeting and speak to past
and present Reciprocal Exchange participants, and
pick up an application for the program:
Monday, November 23
3:30 - 4:45 in 251 West Bizzell Hall
Or visit the Study Abroad Programs Office,
161 W. Bizzell Hall from 8:00 - 5:00 M-F.
Requirements: 3.0 GPA, Proficiency in Spanish
(3 or 4 semesters of college Spanish), and be a U.S. Citizen.
Jennifer Lockard/ THE BATTALION
Charles Gordone challenges students to think independently and freely.
A&M in 1987.
"I wanted to go where I could
teach a class the way I think it
should be taught," he said.
Gorddne fosters group interac
tion and involvement among his
students, and challenges them to
think independently and to speak
freely. He knows his students by
name, but more importantly, he
knows his students.
In one of his classes, Gordone
began the discussion with a poem
from a reading by Ed Stabler the
previous night, leaving only 20
minutes of "traditional" lecture
time. The poem described the life
of a married couple who lived in
the country.
As Gordone watched his stu
dents drain every bit of meaning
and life from the poem they could
muster, Gordone worked his mag
ic: taking a poem by a western
folk singer/songwriter and apply
ing a universal theme for all of his
students to relate to.
He called on one of his stu
dents to answer a question about
the poem, and she asked him,
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because you're getting mar
ried," he replied.
Gordone is aware. He takes
time to really know his students,
and he tries to make students see
the big picture of the class discus
sions by relating lectures to their
own lives.
Gordone, who served in the
Army and then graduated from
Los Angeles State College (now
California State University at Los
Angeles), went to New York in
1952.
"I was not going to teach," he
said. "I was going to go to New
York and be rich and famous."
Gordone had a few parts as an
extra and bits in movies, but said
he was more interested in the
theater.
See Gorddne / Page 5
CLASS OF '94
DON’T MISS TINE LAST
WEEK TO mjY
ELEPHANT WALK
T-SHIRTS, SWEATSHIRTS,
A NlYr! LITTON S.
NOV. 17-21
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CarePlus is open when you
need them 7 days a week
with affordable medical
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CarePlus\>fH
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2411 Texas Ave. and
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693-0683
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Study Abroad
in England
As a Reciprocal Exchange
Student in Lancaster
One year Exchanges for , 93- , 94
(Junior Year Abroad)
Any & All Majors are Eligible
for this Program.
Attend this Informational Meeting and speak to past
and present Reciprocal Exchange participants, and
pick up an application for the program:
Monday, November 23
2:00 - 3:15 in 251 West Bizzell Hall
Or visit the Study Abroad Programs Office,
161 W. Bizzell Hall from 8:00 - 5:00 M-F.
Requirements: 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. Citizen.