'Small Axe: Mangrove' Review
TV-MA
Runtime: 2 Hrs and 4 Minutes
Production Companies: EMU Films, Turbine Studios, BBC Studios, Amazon Studios
Distributor: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Steve McQueen
Writers: Steve McQueen and Alastair Siddons
Cast: Shaun Parkes, Letitia Wright, Malachi Kirby, Rochenda Sandall, Sam Spruell, Jack Lowden
Release Date: November 20, 2020
Mangrove centers on Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), the owner of Notting Hill's Caribbean restaurant, Mangrove, a lively community base for locals, intellectuals and activists. In a reign of racist terror, the local police raid Mangrove time after time, making Frank and the local community take to the streets in peaceful protest in 1970. When nine men and women, including Frank and leader of the British Black Panther Movement Altheia Jones-LeCointe (Letitia Wright), and activist Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby), are wrongly arrested and charged with incitement to riot, a highly publicized trial ensues, leading to hard-fought win for those fighting against discrimination.
The more I see of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology film series, the larger the scope of his intentions become. With this series, McQueen tells the true stories of West Indian communities in Britain and the tribulations and triumphs they’ve experienced. I’ve already written about Lover’s Rock, which is like a satisfyingly sweet dessert after a four-course meal. This next entry, Mangrove, is the four-course meal before Lover’s Rock’s dessert.
Inspired by real events from 1968, Mangrove tells the story of the restaurant of the same name in Notting Hill owned by Frank Crichlow. Because it was the only Black-owned business in the area at the time, it immediately became a safe haven for the Black community, including civil rights activists and the British Black Panther Party. It also became a place for British police to raid and harass on the daily, inciting racial violence and terror on the innocent patrons at the restaurant. All of this led to the 11-week trial of The Mangrove Nine in 1970.
With each Small Axe movie, Steve McQueen brings major moments from West Indian history to a global audience with intricate detail, passion, love, and vigor. With his writing and his filmmaking, it’s evident that McQueen’s films aren’t just a glimpse into a history that audiences outside of West Indian communities aren’t aware of, but he also delivers a love letter celebrating Black triumph despite the pain that’s inflicted on us by the systematically racist powers of oppression.
McQueen does a stellar job at recreating this event in history, from the accurate imagery to the production design that brings this beloved restaurant to life. His attention to detail and care for authenticity cannot be matched and it brilliantly shows in every facet in this movie. Much like Lover’s Rock, he makes you feel as if you’re transported to that moment in time, and in this story, he keeps you on your toes throughout a painful and infuriatingly relevant moment in history. If you’re a Black viewer, especially in America, this is a relatively triggering watch due to the current issues weighing down our reality. There are ample scenes of police brutality and racial violence, but they’re not gratuitous nor do they paint us as victims. What McQueen gets right that not many filmmakers do (you know, because most filmmakers are White and love to see us get tortured before our moments of triumph) is the rightful anguish and rage that we feel. If you think that we’re mad at the abuse of police power and racism present today, imagine the anger the Black community in Notting Hill faced. You’re with them every second of the film, rooting for their triumph, especially during the second hour when the narrative transitions into a court drama.
Despite the intense scenes of police brutality, McQueen makes sure his primary focus is on depicting the strength of the Black community. From joyous scenes of West Indian culture being celebrated in the streets to West Indians putting up the “HANDS OFF MANGROVE” sign in front of the restaurant, McQueen shows that Black doesn’t break so easily no matter what struggles we may face. They’re powerful images that truly warmed — and then fired up — my heart during these crucial times.
The performances by the ensemble, who are all cast perfectly as they bear similarities to the real-life figures they portray, are incredible. Shaun Parkes delivers a top-notch performance as Frank Crichlow, who went from being the fearless defender of his restaurant to being the reluctant leader of this movement. Letitia Wright is absolutely phenomenal as activist Altheia Jones-LeCointe. She’s fully composed of charisma and strength as she delivers most of the best lines and powerful moments. She really showcases her range as Jones-LeCointe, exhibiting the ferocious talent that makes her so riveting to watch.
Mangrove delivers the same rage that we’d see in a ‘90s Spike Lee movie, for it speaks on police racism and the Black anger that has infuriatingly never been laid to rest. It’s brutal, soul-crushing, honest, and triumphant. Steve McQueen knows how to tell a great story about the Black experience. He doesn’t sugarcoat the pain nor does he go overboard. Mangrove details an important moment in British history for the Black West Indian community that still rings true today as Black communities continue to be marginalized. I’m glad that McQueen is now focusing on telling stories where, in the words of Jones-LeCointe, “We mustn’t be victims but protagonists of our stories, and what better way of representing ourselves but self-representing ourselves?”
