For all the lovers and rockers…
I’m a week behind, but we all need to focus on the masterpiece that is Steve McQueen’s Small Axe (now showing on BBC Iplayer) and in particular last Sunday’s episode ‘Lovers Rock’.
Now, it’s going to sound like I’m beating a dead horse here, BUT, my family is Jamaican. This is the experience of my mother’s generation being played out on screen, and it feels so familiar and refreshing to watch. I have often talked out the experience of Caribbean immigrants in the UK and also the experience of first and second generation Black Brits, but I’ve never in my life seen in played out so beautifully and accurately on mainstream British television. At a time when racism and prejudice is on the rise, this a BIG BIG moment!
Let’s start off with the cast! Some of my up and coming favourites are featured – Michael Ward, Kedar Williams-Stirling and Amarah-Jae St Aubyn. It’s my opinion that we produce some of the most versatile actors and actresses, and all three of them did an amazing job in this episode. I believed in all the characters, nothing about them felt false or exaggerated at all!
The entire casting of Small Axe is spot on to be honest!
Next, THE MUSIC.
Oh the music!! The soundtrack to this short film unlocked so many childhood memories for me. So many Saturday and Sunday afternoons were spent listening to all my mom’s lovers rock CD mixes, while doing all my designated chores, or helping with the cooking. I didn’t even know that I knew the majority of these songs until they played out on screen and I found myself singing a long word for word.
The impact of reggae and lovers rock is well known, but to see a 1980s blues party on screen, was the real treat. From the depiction of the set-up, the removal of furniture, the sound system set up, the cooking and the makeshift bar, to the queue along the stairs for the toilet. The subtleties really made this production what it is!
And at the heart of the story is the burgeoning romance between the two main characters, set against the back drop of an energetic party. Don’t get me wrong, the plot isn’t full of depth, but the overall style and mood of the film more than makes up for it. We don’t often get to see black love on screen, in a way that is authentic, truly representative and believable. But Steve McQueen manages it here, and that is one of the main reasons why I think this is the best thing I’ve seen on TV in a while. Martha and Franklyn, are just two young people who meet at a party. They could be you, and they could be me.
Small Axe continues tonight, Sunday 29th November, on BBC One at 9pm with the next film, titled ‘Red, White and Blue’ which explores the story of Leroy Logan.