Connect with us
Mangrove' Is A Necessary Call To Work For A Better World

Film

Mangrove is a Necessary Call to Work for A Better World

The first film in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology, Mangrove sees the acclaimed director expertly depict Black British history.

London Film Festival 2020

Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes) loves the unique and diverse West Indian culture of Notting Hill. To celebrate and give back to his community, as well as settle down after owning a raucous bar, he has opened a West Indian restaurant named the Mangrove. This is much to the chagrin of racist Police Officer PC Palmer (Sam Spruell) — emboldened by the ethno-nationalist babbling of Enoch Powell, including his famous “Rivers of Blood” speech, he dedicates his life’s work to making Crichlow’s a living hell. 

The police here are nothing less than gang members with a state-sanctioned uniform, constantly raiding the Mangrove on random suspicions; totally “legal”, but morally reprehensible. Crichlow doesn’t want to get involved, but he becomes activated by his victimization. Spurred on by Trini lawyer Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby) and Black Panther member and trade union organizer Altheia Jones-Lecointe (Letitia Wright), he organizes a protest against police brutality. Yet in scenes reminiscent of Black Lives Matter protests, the peaceful march soon turns violent as the police use excessive force. Based on a true story between 1968 and 1970, Mangrove details how nine of them fight for their freedom in a forgotten slice of vital Black British history. 

Mangrove

There is so much richness in detail here, celebrating West Indian, and more specifically, Trinidadian culture. From the quoting of the great soca bard Mighty Sparrow, to the fresh dishes of roti, to the use of slang like the elastic term “liming” to mean hanging out, drinking, or going for a walk on the town, to the steel band performances to the pitch-perfect accents, the beauty, and magic of Trini culture is firmly established in the first half of the movie. This focus before the upsetting scenes start to give an emotional attachment to these characters, letting us know exactly what is under attack. 

The second half of the film is dedicated almost entirely to courtroom drama, as the Mangrove Nine are indicted in the Old Bailey — a court usually reserved for serious crimes such as murder, treason, and terrorism — on charges of rioting and affray. Even here, where a lot of courtroom films can devolve into filmed plays, director Steve McQueen uses music-video-like visuals to highlight certain details and keep the action dynamic, proving once again why he is one of the most accomplished film stylists around. 

The film may be set 50 years ago, but the lessons on offer here are still yet to be learned within the UK. The twin tragedies of the Windrush Scandal — in which countless British citizens were deported to Jamaica — and the Grenfell Tower fire remind us that the struggle for people of colour is far from over. While Mangrove could’ve dialed back some of the speeches — which become slightly repetitious — and a husband-wife subplot, this is cinema with a searing moral clarity, a call to arms to continuously work for a better world. 

How exciting it is that this is only the first installment in Steve McQueen’s five-film anthology Small Axe, which will tell more stories of West Indian communities between the 1960s and 80s. If the rest of the films are as good as this, then we are in for a real treat! 

Mangrove plays as part of the London Film Festival, running from 7 -18 October. Learn more via their website.

Written By

As far back as he can remember, Redmond Bacon always wanted to be a film critic. To him, being a film critic was better than being President of the United States

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Patricia Cornwell Net Worth: The Crime Fiction Mavens Fortune

Celebrity

Box Office: ‘Dog Man’ Shows Bite With $36 Million Opening Weekend

Film

Cynthia Nixon’s 3 Children: All About Seph, Charles and Max

Celebrity

Jake Paul Claims Mike Tyson Had Parkinson’s Diease Before Their Fight & Cured It With Psychedelics

Celebrity

Denzel Washington dating history

Celebrity

Avatar: Fire And Ash Reveals First New Character, And Everything About Him Sounds Cool

Culture

French Montana Gets Torched For Dropping New Song With Lara Trump

Celebrity

Kendrick Lamar Declares ‘Game Over’ in Drake Battle With Triumphant Super Bowl Halftime Performance

Celebrity

Selena Gomez announces surprise album with fiancé Benny Blanco: ‘I always trick you guys’

Celebrity

Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy” Drops This February

Reviews

‘Cleaner’ Review: Daisy Ridley Deserves Better, And So Do You

Film

Kanye West Defends Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in Antisemitic, Slur-Ridden Rant

Celebrity

‘Zero Day’ Review: Robert De Niro Excels in Netflix’s Uneven Political Thriller

Film

‘Heart Eyes’ Review: Blood Spattered Comfort Food

Film

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Files $100 Million Defamation Suit Against NBCUniversal, Ample and Peacock Over ‘Making of a Bad Boy’ Doc

Celebrity

Sabrina Carpenter and Dolly Parton Release Country Take on ‘Please Please Please’ — with Video Nod to Ex Barry Keoghan

Celebrity

Connect