Pi@LFF: Review of ‘Mangrove’ by Steve McQueen

Featured in the BFI London Film Festival 2020, ‘Mangrove’ by Steve McQueen delivers a tale of racial prejudice at a crucial time.

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In a heartfelt tribute to a community built in the face of racial prejudice, Steve McQueen’s “Mangrove” tells the true story of the Mangrove Nine, a group of nine men and women who were wrongfully arrested on the charge of inciting riot and subjected to a historic 55-day trial in 1970. The nine were acquitted of the most serious charges, but it is primarily remembered as a landmark achievement in the history of racial justice because of the judge’s concluding remarks on the case: “what this trial has shown is that there is clearly evidence of racial hatred on both sides.” “Mangrove” delivers this story with style, passion, and urgency in a way that will leave the audience touched and restless. It is the first instalment of “Small Axe”, a series of five films, all by McQueen, each following a different story related to London’s West Indian community between the late sixties and the mid-eighties.

“Mangrove” focuses on Frank Crichlow, played by Shaun Parkes, owner of the newly opened restaurant, the Mangrove. Despite not breaking any laws or causing any disturbances, the restaurant is subjected to frequent harassment and raiding from the police. Lively scenes of music and dancing at the Mangrove are intercut with quiet, desaturated scenes at the police station. Moments of tenderness and community amongst the denizens of Notting Hill are brutally interrupted by violent police raids. The film artfully contrasts silence and noise, setting a jagged pace that slowly but surely increases in intensity. The tension doesn’t build so much as it gets squashed into a tighter and tighter box. The whole first half of the feature feels like a sentence that is never allowed to reach a full stop. Instead, each character’s introduction is punctuated by brutality and prejudice. With each scene, you can’t help but hold your breath, waiting for the next interruption.

Crichlow is not your stereotypical activist, but he surrounds himself with people who refuse to sit still in complacency. Fiercely defensive of his community, he exhibits an urgent rage whenever it is threatened. Parkes as Crichlow is restrained, even weary at times, but this gives his moments of outrage and passion a searing intensity that draws you into the frustration and jagged movement of the plot. Letitia Wright as Altheia Jones-LeCointe, the leader of the British Black Panther movement, is restless and vibrant, a compelling contrast to the moody intensity of Parkes’ Crichlow. Malachi Kirby plays Darcus Howe, another young activist with a more calculated demeanour. Alongside a vital supporting cast, the three main characters provide impressive range and dimension in the telling of this story that until now has been mostly lost to history. 1970’s Notting Hill comes to life through the sets, costumes, and ambiance of the feature. The production design was clearly done with intention and love. Helen Scott, the production designer, used Jonathan Barker’s desaturated photographs of West London in the late 60s as a major source for the set. Relatedly, Lisa Duncan, the costume designer, used photographs of her family in the Caribbean and spoke to them directly for inspiration.

Following weeks of harassment from the police, Crichlow is finally persuaded to “take it to the streets.” Rousing chants of “the pigs! The pigs! We got to get rid of the pigs!” and “hands off Black people!” during the protest feel exhilarating, cathartic even. They march to the local police station to the sound of insistent drumming, like a heartbeat pounding harder and harder. The first moment of violence, incited by the police, feels like a dam breaking, and all rhythm is lost.

The second half of “Mangrove” sees the introduction to lawyer Ian MacDonald, played by Jack Lowden, whose poised but charming demeanour lends a welcome relief from the intense legal drama the film becomes. In the face of police officers lying during the trial, most notably PC Pulley who is played ruthlessly by Sam Spruell, and a clearly biased judge, MacDonald plays an invaluable role in giving the Mangrove Nine the opportunity to speak on their own behalf. Kirby as Darcus Howe is dazzling in the final climax of the film, providing the emotional high and release. Watched by everyone in the courtroom, from the blank stares of the jury, to the bitter resentful gaze of the police, and the skeptical eyes of the judge, he is utterly captivating and in full control, utilising this rare moment of freedom to speak to the maximum. In the production notes for “Mangrove,” it is mentioned that this was the most challenging scene for Kirby. He says, “there was something about that speech that felt very timely. I felt the weight of the possibility of those words. Not just how the speech would affect the court at that time but how it may affect the world and the audience listening to it now.”

In the end, “Mangrove” is still primarily about Frank Crichlow. During the scene in which the judge delivers the verdict, the camera slowly moves closer to Crichlow’s face. His face as each member of the Mangrove Nine is acquitted of their charges is solemn; this battle may have been won, but there are many more to come in the fight for racial equality. The poignant moment is allowed to breathe but there is still a sense of tension. We hear the sighs of relief and sounds of celebration in the background, but Crichlow’s stoic face keeps the audience sharp and focused. There is release, but it is not complete.

“Mangrove” arrives at a crucial moment in time following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement this past year. The film was dedicated to George Floyd and all other Black people who have been murdered all around the world. In addition to the fact that it is also the first part of a five-film anthology, it carries a sense of urgency and a clear call to action. With quotable mottos such as “take it to the streets” and “we must be the protagonists of our own story,” as well as undeniable visual parallels between the protests depicted in the film and the BLM protests of recent times, there is no possibility of leaving the message of this film in the past or in cinema.

The name “Small Axe” comes from the West Indian proverb “if you are the big tree, then we are the small axe.” The big tree has not been felled yet, but that is not to say that there is no narrative conclusion in “Mangrove.” In the final scene, Crichlow goes outside his restaurant for a smoke. It’s quiet and dark and he’s alone. One can’t help but wonder if he’s going to get harassed or attacked, given the context of the film. Instead, he calmly finishes his cigarette and walks back inside, finally allowed to simply exist uninterrupted, even for just a moment.