The American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and the emergence of the Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam's Malcom X had an effect far beyond the shores of the U.S. This British movie explores the effect of these American currents in the lives of a close-knit group of blacks and others. One central figure in their lives is a man who achieves local notoriety as Michael X. The story is told in flashbacks from 1972 and covers the nine previous years.~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide