Steve McQueen's Small Axe Miniseries- 5 Movies Weekly(Prime Video)

TheGodling

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This Breh early in episode 4 is like the coli’s every stereotype of British black people :mjlol:
Can't lie, I chuckled how goofy dude was moving. But overall I thought this was probably the "weakest" entry so far. We get a good image of Wheatle living in that particular time and place that defined him but in the end his story was just a bit lacking in dramatic substance. It also stayed on the surface level of some of the things I wanted to know more about, like his upbringing in that children's home or the New Cross fire and subsequent Brixton riots. Overall it felt this episode was the most held back by the one hour running time.
 

TheNatureBoy

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Just finished watching Mangrove - really powerful film :wow:

All the main actors did their thing :ehh:

Definitely plan to check out the remaining movies in the series.
 

TheGodling

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Alex Wheatle seems to be the weakest film in the series so far
The more I think back on it the more I feel this was too much of a surface level biography. It shows but doesn't really go deeper on his pent up anger issues, his awkwardness with women, his self-education in prison, etc.

But then again, if the biggest struggle he had as a black man in prison was that his cellmate had diarrhea all the time maybe there was just no deeper substance to touch upon.
 

DaRealness

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- First episode about the Mangrive nine was powerful. Letitia Wright and dude who played Darcus Howe did their thing in this. Here are the real people behind it:



This episode was very hard to watch, particularly the first half hour. If you think the police are racist now (which they still are of course), they were a much bigger beast back then. Police were fukking with black people just because. They had a problem with us because we were the most resistant and put up a bigger fight than anybody.

They were fukking with that restaurant in particular because not only was it successful, even celebrities from here and abroad used to visit there and it was a local black power meeting place. What the episode also shows is how the police resent any form of black success. People might think its different now, but not much has changed. They still resent it when black people do well. I already made a thread on a brotha they kept harassing in the same way just because he was financially successful. They pulled the same shyt...harassment, accusing him of drug running and other bullshyt.

Most importantly, it showed how BLACK PEOPLE fought a battle against a blatantly racist (in)justice system that benefited everybody else, including the Asians who many of them like to label us as lazy and always talk about how we don't do as well as them economically, when they've been pretty much allowed to set up their businesses all over the place without enduring half the sabotage we had. Even on a street level it was mainly us doing the fighting - and winning.

- Second episode. The music and clothing was on point, but eh....gotta agree with the older folks on that one.

- Third episode. Boyega is getting better as an actor. some people may knock Leroy Logan's change in career, but being a scientist ultimately wasn't his calling and he made a legacy.

I didn't know his cousin was part of that group Imagination. Despite the :dame:, 'Illusion' is a classic tune.

:pachaha:

- I haven't watched the fourth episode yet.
 
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Jean toomer

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The more I think back on it the more I feel this was too much of a surface level biography. It shows but doesn't really go deeper on his pent up anger issues, his awkwardness with women, his self-education in prison, etc.

But then again, if the biggest struggle he had as a black man in prison was that his cellmate had diarrhea all the time maybe there was just no deeper substance to touch upon.
The theme of the series is the Caribbean experience in the UKs. He was abused in the foster system, a bed wetter, disenfranchised in the prison system, exposed to daily racism. Had to self medicate with weed. Dude was mentored by dread who provided a foundation to become a reader/writer. If that doesn’t inform the questions you ask above then god bless you.
 

TheGodling

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Final ep went from:mjcry: to :wow: in fabulous fashion.

Supposedly McQueen based it partly on his own experiences as a young child in school but it's truly a universal tale about how systemic discrimination was built into the educational system. At the same time it highlights the importance of overcoming shame and pride, for parents to know what their children are learning and that even without systemic discrimination education is white washed.

Despite its hopeful ending there is also a quick but deadly reminder that the people kept down by the system are in the hands of the people who run the system. A single name drop is enough to make you shiver knowing their situation will not be treated with empathy.
 

FlyRy

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My enthusiasm decreases weekly for this. Need to finish Wheatle
 

BXKingPin82

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Watching 1st movie now.

Im feeling this.


Aaaaaaaaand here comes the KKKoppers to ruin shyt.

:beli:
 

TheGodling

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My enthusiasm decreases weekly for this. Need to finish Wheatle
Alex Wheatle is the weakest entry by far. Not sure how I would rank the others yet but I know in a ranking that one is at the bottom.

But I'm also not even sure a ranking can be done since the four other films are so close together in quality yet so different in style.
 

FlyRy

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Alex Wheatle is the weakest entry by far. Not sure how I would rank the others yet but I know in a ranking that one is at the bottom.

But I'm also not even sure a ranking can be done since the four other films are so close together in quality yet so different in style.
I think Mangrove set the bar too high out the gate. I've liked them all to varying degrees though. Watching Wheatle tomorrow.
 
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