MANGROVE: FILM REVIEW
The performances in Steve McQueen’s Mangrove are some of the most eclectic and emotional I’ve ever seen, adding volumes to an already powerfully resistant story about the Mangrove Nine. The pulse of their words fiercely color the film throughout.
McQueen’s Mangrove is the first of a larger series known as the “Small Axe” anthology, which consists of five full length features that tell stories about London’s West Indian community between the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Mangrove recounts the true story of the 1970 Mangrove Nine case, where a group of Black British activists were charged for incitement to riot during a peaceful protest against the police harassment of the Mangrove, a Trinidadian restaurant in Notting Hill. The trial was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom that led to the acknowledgement of racial discrimination by the police.
Mangrove is naturally organized in two parts: the events leading up to the trial and the trial itself. McQueen begins the film by introducing us to the Mangrove, giving the audience an intimate look of the restaurant’s community before building up the film’s drama, as events snowball into chaos. In the opening shots, the audience takes a stroll through the neighborhood with Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), the owner of the Mangrove and the film’s protagonist. On the outside, the Mangrove is a colorful and lively restaurant, with green colored walls and a purple tarp. On the inside, the Mangrove radiates warmth, and feels closer to being in a friend’s dining room than a formal restaurant. McQueen is excellent at using the premiere portion of the film to craft a complete picture of the Mangrove community, so when the film arrives at the trial, the audience is so deeply invested in the Mangrove Nine, through tirelessly witnessing the ways they have been constantly wronged by the police and larger community.
Frequenters of the Mangrove include activist Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby), British Black Panther leader Barbara Beese (Rochenda Sandall), and Black Panther Party member Atheia Jones-Lecointe (Letitia Wright). Early on, it is clear that the Mangrove is more than just a restaurant. As Atheia says at a Black Panther meeting, "The Mangrove is a focal point for Black people to come and sit, talk, and exchange views. That is a rare and precious gift.” The members nod in agreement.
The film’s first problematic encounter with the police occurs when bigoted cop PC Frank Pulley (Sam Spruell) knocks on the door of The Mangrove. PC Pulley is there for no reason other than to torment Frank and to remind him that his last business, the Rio, landed him in a bit of trouble due to illicit gambling activity. At the door of his own restaurant, Frank ardently defends himself and the Mangrove. PC Pulley leaves, but we know that won’t be the last of him. His swift return comes during a peaceful and celebratory night at the Mangrove, where PC Pulley and his police team raid the Mangrove, destroying everything in their path. Over the next few weeks, they do it again and again, with and without a warrant. It doesn’t matter to the police, because to them, destruction is just a game. To Frank and his community, it is their livelihood. In response, Darcus attempts to persuade Frank, who largely tries to stay apolitical, to organize a protest, painting the act as essential for the survival of not only the Mangrove, but the community as a whole. Frank reluctantly agrees.
The second part of The Mangrove revolves entirely around the trial of the Mangrove Nine, who are arrested at the protest. To describe this part of the film as a “courtroom drama” would be a severe understatement. Right from the start, it seems that the Mangrove Nine are walking into their own death trap. White horsehair wigs worn by the judge and attorneys stick out like a sore thumb, yet trial judge Edward Clarke (Alex Jennings) makes it a point to tell Darcus (who represents himself) to"take that ridiculous hat off." PC Pulley smirks on the witness stand, as he is more than confident that tales spewing out of his mouth will win the jury over.
However, the collective strength of the Mangrove Nine prevails. The performances of Malachi, Shaun, and Letitia, amongst others, are simply astounding, as they incessantly defend their community in a courtroom designed to jail them. The refusal of the Mangrove Nine to be convicted under the abhorrent lies of PC Pulley and the police can be heard in the tone of their voices, which are grounded and unwavering. In the courtroom, Darcus paints the Mangrove as an essential home for the Notting Hill West Indies community, which was born under the struggle of British colonialism. The vigor of his speech is so intense, it doesn't feel like a scripted performance.
While Mangrove centers around the Mangrove Nine and Frank Crishaw’s restaurant, it also more broadly portrays the struggle of a community to anchor its place in a society that terrorizes them. In Mangrove, McQueen brings the trauma and victories of the Mangrove Nine back to life, through crafting a film that is nothing short of jarring and filled with overwhelmingly striking performances dedicated to transporting the Mangrove Nine’s passionate fight for their community across decades and through the screen.