I put off watching the new Steve McQueen anthology series, "Small Axe," thinking that it was your standard television miniseries. Then, the individual installments started showing up on the year-end "best of" lists - not the lists of best television, but of best films. So I had some catching up to do.
This is McQueen's most ambitious project by far. "Small Axe" is a series of five feature films, ranging in length from 63 minutes to over two hours. Each tells a different story from the Black West Indian immigrant community of London in the 1960s and '70s, charting their fight for social justice and equality. "Mangrove" follows a court case where demonstrators were subjected to police brutality. "Red, White, and Blue" profiles one of the first black police officers from the community, while "Alex Wheatle" looks at the life of a prominent writer. "Education" takes aim at the failings of the education system, while "Lovers Rock" takes us to a house party where dozens of young people simply have a good time. In each story, living day to day can be a struggle, and the threat of violence is everywhere. The films are steeped in West Indian culture, and I confess I had to use subtitles to decipher some of the thick accents and unfamiliar terminology.
However, I love how the films are so celebratory of the culture, full of music, dance, food, and family, so many, many Black british actors. The most prominent stars here are Letitia Wright, who has a supporting role in "Mangrove," and John Boyega, who plays the protagonist in "Red, White, and Blue." But just as impressive are the performances by actors I was unfamiliar with - Shaun Parkes, Barbara Beese, Sheyi Cole, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn, Kenyah Sandy, and many more. The subject matter is clearly very personal and very dear to Steve McQueen, whose commitment to telling the stories of so many real-life figures and stand-ins for real life figures is clear. The films are unabashedly political, always staying firmly with the POV of the black community and the cause of social justice.
I found "Mangrove" and "Red, White, and Blue" to be the strongest installments. They're the two that are unquestionably feature films, being significantly longer and better developed than the others. They do the best job of setting up their stakes and characters, and presenting a keen look at particular social ills. "Mangrove" in particular is my favorite. It follows Frank Crichlow (Parkes), a black activist who opens the Mangrove restaurant in Notting Hill and undergoes constant harassment from the local police. This leads to a demonstration that turns violent, and Crichlow and other activists are arrested and accused of rioting. The second half of the film is taken up with the fascinating trial of the "Mangrove Nine," which casts a critical eye on the British judicial system. The sequence of events is so beautifully laid out, and gives us the time to really appreciate all the interests involved.
"Lovers Rock," however, has been getting the most critical kudos. It's a very different experience, an immersive visit to a house party where the attendees can dance the night away to their own music and their own rhythm. We see most of the evening through the eyes of Martha (St. Aubyn), who has to sneak out to attend with her best friend Patty (Shaniqua Okwok). They have a few skirmishes with trouble during the night, but for the most part the party is a welcome chance for them to enjoy themselves and connect with each other. I wish "Lovers Rock" had come later in the lineup of films, because it provides such a welcome respite from the heartbreaking stories of inequality and oppression that characterize most of the others. Instead, it's all about being young and having a magical night out, which makes it tremendously appealing. It didn't work as well for me as the more serious "Small Axe" films, but I definitely can appreciate its aims.
Taken all together, "Small Axe" is a beautiful accomplishment. After years of very good films, I'm so happy that McQueen was able to embrace this material and share this part of himself. There will be inevitable squabbles as to how HBO and the BBC are going to categorize these films for awards time - I expect they'll end up dominating the Made for Television Movie Emmy races - but make no mistake that "Small Axe" is quality cinema.
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