Small Axe Shines a Damning Light on the British Justice System

Steve McQueen’s Small Axe has caught the attention of Britons up and down the country for its bold statements, innovative ideas and nostalgic nuggets of remembrance. The main plot surrounds the events occurring after Empire Windrush brought thousands of West Indians onto British soil to help fill post-war labour shortages in June 1948. McQueen explores the struggles, perseverance and grind of the Windrush generation as they attempt to create a life for themselves in a foreign country. Small Axe itself is an anthology series consisting of five original films, gliding its focus over the 1960s-1980s. Two of the five films, Mangrove and Lovers Rock, have already premiered on BBC One and Amazon Prime, with Red White and Blue, Alex Wheatle and Education to succeed them over the next three weeks.

Series creator, Steven McQueen, who was born in London and is of Grenadian and Trinidadian descent, was not a direct member of the Windrush generation and therefore relied on the stories and inspirations of others. Nevertheless, McQueen nurtured the idea of Small Axe for over eleven years before it was given the green light for production. In that time, he directed and produced the tortuously emotional biographical period-drama 12 Years a Slave, and the heart-racing, women-empowering heist-thriller Widows, both of which were culturally and commercially successful films (the former won Best Picture at the 2014 Oscars). In January of that same year, it was announced that McQueen would write and direct a series surrounding the experiences of Black people living in Britain – a series that became Small Axe.

The first two films in the series are available now on BBC iPlayer. Mangrove, the first instalment, follows the story of the 1970 trial between Mangrove Nine, an activist group, against a racist police force in Notting Hill. Mangrove opened the 64th BFI London Film Festival this year to universal acclaim, and boasts an approval rating of 98% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the overall critical consensus labelling the film “a powerful indictment of institutional racism.” Mangrove includes Black Panther‘s rising star, Letitia Wright, who spoke to Dazed about her ambitions for the future impact of the film, explaining how she was hopeful “it moves us forward to that place where you don’t have to wake up and see a police officer put his foot on someone’s throat. To never have to go back there again.” To further enforce Wright’s argument, during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in June this year, McQueen’s daughter participated in the protests against police violence. McQueen supported his daughter, explaining that he was “very proud of [her] demonstrating in the street with her friends.” He was hopeful for the future, stating he was “feeling optimistic, because of the way that young people have responded [to the death of George Floyd].” Tragic events such as this highlight the relevance of creating educational series such as Small Axe to incorporate the normality of Black history and b]lack pride.

The serious and violent nature of Mangrove proves a heavy contrast to the plot and themes explored within fan-favourite Lovers Rock, Small Axe‘s second film. Lovers Rock tells the story of suburban darling Martha’s (Amarah-Jae St Aubyn making her glamorous screen debut) sneaking out her house to attend a reggae house party in West London. There she meets Franklyn (Top Boy‘s Michael Ward) and spends a wild night nestled in his arms, gyrating and grinding until sunrise.

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Based on the stories of McQueen’s auntie sneaking to blues parties in her youth, Lovers Rock encapsulates the experiences of many West Indian descendent teenagers growing up in the 1980s. In the electrifying 68 minutes of the film, audiences are transported to the days of Janet Kay’s “Silly Games” and Louisa Mark’s intoxicating “Keep It Like It Is”. “Silly Games”, in particular, has a stunning motif running throughout the film. From the women in the kitchen laughing and singing along to the track while preparing food for the party, to the nostalgia-inducing acapella sequence in which the entirety of the reggae party dance and sing along to an extended version for a whopping four minutes, the song has an integral role in the film. Lovers Rock, if anything, engages a generation of people who can sit and watch the film together, heartily sing along to the songs and reminisce on memories they forgot they had. It’s a visual, sensual experience of love and emotion and McQueen executes it beautifully, from the song choices to the costume design and the overall aesthetic of the film.

Succeeding Lovers Rock this Sunday is Red White and Blue, starring John Boyega as real-life officer Leroy Logan. The film surveys the experience of Logan, a first-generation British man who joined a police force that was terrorizing the neighbourhood at the time. Red White and Blue currently holds an approval rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus suggesting the film is “an urgent and timely biopic that’s as sumptuous as it is searing…”

What is most stirring about McQueen’s Small Axe is the pool of powerful, talented Black actors and actresses that appear within the films. With an actor’s reel consisting of talents such as Letitia Wright, Michael Ward, Saffron Coombe, John Boyega and Josette Simon, it creates an incredibly uplifting and inspirational experience for the Black community. To be able to support a series that arguably has the power to shape and direct more uneducated views in a more rational and logistical direction – as well as one which highlights the realism behind institutional racism in everyday life – is an appealing prospect, particularly to older generations.

Small Axe competes against more Eurocentric period-dramas circulating the film and television industry this season, including The Crown – which is currently relishing in the success of its fourth season on Netflix – and Downtown Abbey, which enjoyed six seasons and more recently premiered a feature film in 2019. What is clear is that there is a gap in the market for more screenplays which raise awareness of Black empowerment and emphasise Black incorporation – the success and enthusiasm surrounding Small Axe and its premiere is a testament to that fact. This begs the question – why was it not made sooner? Must the world have to suffer and witness racial injustice for people to want to become educated on Black history? Hopefully, Small Axe is just the start of what will become a successful film genre within British culture, and more stories of Black experience in the UK will be shared – not just those of sorrow and melancholy, but passion and celebration too.

Small Axe airs on BBC One, Sundays at 9pm.