On D List of Movie Reviews

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Death of a Prophet (1981)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 4/07

4/07: I like to think of Death of a Prophet as Morgan Freeman's Hollywood screen test before he hit big.

There isn't much of a story, and the climax is the only aspect that the film has going for itself. Also, it's full of historical inaccuracies. To name a few: Malcolm X's family house wasn't firebombed the night before he died. It occurred much earlier. RFK's death was mentioned, but it didn't happen until three years after Malcolm X was assassinated. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., didn't die, either, until afterwards.

It's impossible to keep track of who anyone is, hence the need for references via captions. And last but not least, Morgan Freeman doesn't resemble the man himself but gives a serious, pensive performance that knocks off Denzel Washington's in the other biopic.

All in all, Death of a Prophet is a good try but no cigar.

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