Mangrove

The Mangrove quickly became a place where black revolutionaries would come to discuss their ideas. Black Panther Altheia Jones-Lecointe (Letitia Wright), Trinidadian revolutionary Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby), and his partner Barbara Beese (Rochenda Sandall) are three of the major players in the political uprising of The Mangrove. After being raided a number of times, Howe convinces Critchlow to stage a demonstration against the police near the restaurant.

Howe and Jones-Lecointe speak at the rally. The march is mostly peaceful until they get to the police station, then Pulley and his cop buddies come out in full force against them. This later results in charges being brought against the demonstrators for “Riot and Fray.” The second half of the film is a great courtroom drama with excellent speeches by Howe and Jones-Lecointe.

“…helps tell the world a story that needs to be told, especially in times such as these.”

Mangrove, no matter how much we don’t want it to be, is very reminiscent of things that are still happening in civil rights, not just in the UK but around the world. McQueen dedicated the whole series of films to George Floyd, but this one feels like the one that speaks to and for him the most. Letitia Wright, Malachi Kirby, Rochenda Sandall, and Shaun Parkes deliver some intense and wonderful performances. The cinematography by Shabier Kirchner captures the spirit of the people with some genuinely breathtaking close-ups and other beautiful shots.

In my opinion, Steve McQueen is obviously a brilliant director who can do no wrong, or at least hasn’t proved himself capable of doing so yet. His work on the script, with Alastair Siddons, helps tell the world a story that needs to be told, especially in times such as these. So check out all of Small Axe, but especially Mangrove, if you want to learn more about black British history. It’s high time someone told these stories, and I thank Steve McQueen and his team for doing so.

Mangrove screened at the 2020 New York Film Festival.