Although sharing a name with one of the legends of the “Golden Age of Hollywood” may have sparked some initial confusion,Steven McQueenhas firmly established himself as one of the great directors working today. “Unflinching” is perhaps the best word to describe McQueen’s work, whether he was examining the prison strike in Ireland inHunger,the horrors of sexual addiction inShame, the extent of American slavery in12 Years a Slave, or the fundamentally racist and sexist infrastructure in modern day Chicago inWidows, McQueen has been able to showcase suffering and struggle in a manner that still feel artful. While each of his films demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible,McQueen may have reached his artistic peak with the five-part anthology seriesSmall Axe, which aired on Amazon Prime Video in 2020.
It has not become unusual foracclaimed filmmakers to take on television projects, but McQueen’s approach toSmall Axewas unique, even in comparison toAlex Garland’s work onDevs, or whatDavid Lynchdid withTwin Peaks: The Return.Small Axeis a collection of five films, each of which focuses on the individual experiences of West Indian immigrants living in England between the 1960s and the 1980s. Each episode is a film in its own right, and while the stories are standalone, they work together to paint a portrayal of the Black experience during a difficult period in history.Small Axeis an unparalleled achievement in bending the mediums of television and film together, and just may rank as the single most ambitious project that McQueen has taken on thus far.
What Is ‘Small Axe’ About?
The five segments ofSmall Axedon’t have direct continuity with one another, but considering that they all are eitherinspired or directly based on historical events, it is possible to view them as an episodic series.Mangrovecenters on the infamous “Mangrove Nine” court case from 1971, in which a group of Black British activists were put on trial for protesting outside of a Caribbean restaurant in Notting Hill, West London.Lovers Rockis a far more lyrical, artistic “slice of life” story that centers on two young people who fall in love throughout a wild evening at a reggae party in 1980.Red, White, and Blueis a gripping crime drama that shows how the black London Metropolitan Police Officer Leroy Logan (John Boyega) faced internalized racism when trying to make institutional changes.Alex WheatlestarsSheyi Colein the titular role of a black British man who discovers his talent for writing following his 1981 imprisonment. The final segment,Education, is perhaps the most emotional activism by the mother Agnes (Sharlene Whyte), who feels that her young son Kingsley Smith (Kenyah Sandy) has not been given the educational support that he needs based on his race.
Small Axeis able to point out the major issues facing the black British community at this point in historyby identifying how radically different their experiences are from their white contemporaries. A story likeMangroveis more complex thanThe Trial of the Chicago 7(which was ironically released within the same fall season), as the judiciary system is both opposed to the notion of protest, and unwilling to give its black defendants even the basic level of civil liberties.Lovers Rockismore than a traditional romantic comedy, as it was able to shine a spotlight on a segment of the population that rarely gets represented in mainstream cinema. Even more directly biographical installments likeEducationandAlex Wheatlesucceed because McQueen has the time to explore why these communities and their respective cultures are worth fighting for.
‘Small Axe’ Shows the Diversity of Steven McQueen’s Filmmaking
Small Axeallowed McQueen to draw from a variety of influences, as the anthology format gave him the freedom to change up his style with each episode.Mangroveis burdened by the weight of its historical importance, but it also makes use of the snappy, quickly-paced framing style that has grown out of fashion since thedominance of courtroom thrillers in the 1990s.Lovers Rockis perhaps the most extreme example of McQueen’s experimentation, as the seemingly formless, ambulatory nature of how the night is structured has a lot in common with the works by many French New Wave auteurs, such asJean-Luc GodardandFrançois Truffaut.
Even when working withinthe constraints of a standard biopic,McQueen focuses on pivotal moments instead of just summarizing the key events, which makes for television that is more involving.Red, White, and Blueis just as electrifying as a classic 1970s political thriller fromSidney LumetorAlan Pakula, it’s the heroic performance by Boyega that makes the nature of the issues at hand so frustrating.Alex Wheatleis better seen as an origin of the writer’s stories than a standard recounting of his life, as it singularly centers on what incidents led Wheatle to come up with some of his most iconic works.Educationshowed a level of intimacy, and even softness, that had been almost entirely absent from the majority of McQueen’s work; although it handles very important topics regarding how neurodivergent students are treated in schools, it is at its heart a very charming story about the love between a mother and son.
‘Small Axe’ Shines a Spotlight on Black Excellence
Although there are a great deal of setbacks that each episode calls out,Small Axeis ultimately a love letter to the black British community, as it seems intended to remind the survivors that their stories matter. Of course, the fact that the series aired on Amazon Prime Video means that it was available to a wide variety of viewers who may have finished viewing with far more information on this era of history. McQueen has done work in both visual art anddocumentary storytelling, butSmall Axeallowed him to merge visceral poeticism with true stories to make his most profoundly personal project to date.
Small Axeis streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
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