I remember the first time I watched Denzel on Silver Screen. He was not the reason for my watching, Russell Crowe was and the film was Ridley Scott's hugely underappreciated 'The American Gangsters'. It also happened to be my first dubbed Hollywood film and to be honest, I too didn't enjoy it much partly because of its unsatisfying ending. However, my journey with him continued and next stop point was 'Glory'. He portrayed a field slave-turned-Yankee soldier in the film and although he was 35 years old at that time, he didn't look a single year aged more than an American rookie Private. He won a best supporting actor Oscars for his tour-de-force performance in the movie which also starred our favorite black heavyweight Morgan Freeman and that too in a wonderful role. Denzel became the first back actor ever to win in this category at Oscars. In 1994, during the great run of Tom Hanks where he won back to back best actor Oscars for Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, Denzel starred with him in the later and rocked the scene. It was 'el fantastico' from two of Hollywood's youngest and brightest performers. In 2001, I watched him bullying a young Ethan Hawke in his role as a corrupt DEA official who gets entrapped in a drug trail gone horribly wrong. He was captivating on the screen and one of those rare villains whom you fear watching on TV or in life. The performance was so good and convincing that Academy decided to snub even Russell Crowe's unforgettable silver screen portrayal of that tortured genius mathematician John Nash. America went into frenzy and many still haven't forgiven Academy for it but I had been seeing a lot of Denzel lately and he surely stood a chance. Fortunately enough, Russell returned with ferocious intensity to claim his bragging rights in 'Gladiator' next year. My next Denzel project was 'The Great Debaters' that came out in 2007. Denzel Washington has always been a great speaker but how articulate and eloquent he could be, I got to see that in this movie. Again a underwhelming response to a great feature film denied him a chance at Oscars but man, once you got that Golden Lady, not once but twice, you would contend that it would do. However, there was one project of his that was still off the hook from me and that was his collaboration with Spike Lee on 'Malcolm X'. People would talk about that performance for decades to come, they both ensured.
You see, Islam and Communism are two philosophies that never got going in America. Jews were and have always been America's favorite sons and even Hinduism got a favorable response with Americans. The Honorable Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm X and John Reed are arguably three most important figures in America's history that let us all know that both of these philosophies did get a footing in America. Malcolm X, a fiery Muslim Minister and an eloquent speaker as good as anyone gets to be, rocked the American religious scene before and after John F. Kennedy's tenure in USA. Martin Luther Ling Jr., a leader as influential in world history as Gandhi and Mandela was in awe of him and Malcolm was Charismatic. He brought popularity to Islam in America and with it, a great press and plenty of money but unlike his fellow believers, he was a devoted Muslim who always remained faithful to Prophet Mohammed cause of spreading Islam in entire world. He never backed down from the statements he made and finally got shot in a daylight shooting of absolutely horrible kind because everyone of his colleagues and master himself, The Honorable Elijah Mohammed, thought that Malcolm is getting bigger than the cause he had got in his hands. Just like John Reed's, Malcolm's legacy too was cemented in yesteryear's America and although USA continues to be skeptical of these two philosophies, at least It got to know what they are and what they represent. Denzel Washington like Jamie Foxx copied Malcolm's mannerisms to perfection and everyone who had seen of Malcolm in his heydays knew that Denzel was doing something incredibly good with this revolutionary figure's life and character on silver screen. And although Academy snubbed Denzel for finally correcting its long standing mistake of not awarding Al Pacino an obligatory best actor Oscars by providing him with one for his performance of a retired, blind army general in 'Scent of a woman', generations to come knew both of Denzel Washington and Malcolm X.
This post thus in recognition of both these personalities' charisma to alter the course of many lives, offers a three fingers royal salute to them. May their Legacies forever motivate the others!!!!
You see, Islam and Communism are two philosophies that never got going in America. Jews were and have always been America's favorite sons and even Hinduism got a favorable response with Americans. The Honorable Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm X and John Reed are arguably three most important figures in America's history that let us all know that both of these philosophies did get a footing in America. Malcolm X, a fiery Muslim Minister and an eloquent speaker as good as anyone gets to be, rocked the American religious scene before and after John F. Kennedy's tenure in USA. Martin Luther Ling Jr., a leader as influential in world history as Gandhi and Mandela was in awe of him and Malcolm was Charismatic. He brought popularity to Islam in America and with it, a great press and plenty of money but unlike his fellow believers, he was a devoted Muslim who always remained faithful to Prophet Mohammed cause of spreading Islam in entire world. He never backed down from the statements he made and finally got shot in a daylight shooting of absolutely horrible kind because everyone of his colleagues and master himself, The Honorable Elijah Mohammed, thought that Malcolm is getting bigger than the cause he had got in his hands. Just like John Reed's, Malcolm's legacy too was cemented in yesteryear's America and although USA continues to be skeptical of these two philosophies, at least It got to know what they are and what they represent. Denzel Washington like Jamie Foxx copied Malcolm's mannerisms to perfection and everyone who had seen of Malcolm in his heydays knew that Denzel was doing something incredibly good with this revolutionary figure's life and character on silver screen. And although Academy snubbed Denzel for finally correcting its long standing mistake of not awarding Al Pacino an obligatory best actor Oscars by providing him with one for his performance of a retired, blind army general in 'Scent of a woman', generations to come knew both of Denzel Washington and Malcolm X.
This post thus in recognition of both these personalities' charisma to alter the course of many lives, offers a three fingers royal salute to them. May their Legacies forever motivate the others!!!!
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