RED, WHITE AND BLUE/ SMALL AXE

UK, 2020, 80 minutes, Colour.

John Boyega, Steve Toussaint.

Directed by Steve McQueen.

Small Axe is the title for a series of five short films made four British television but seen throughout the world. They are cowritten and directed by British director, Steve McQueen, who won an Oscar for best film with 12 Years a Slave.

This episode is based on a true story, policeman Leroy Logan, who served as a consultant for this film. The setting is the 1980s in the black community in London, the migrants some decades earlier from the West Indies, becoming part of British society, sometimes accepted, often not, target of attitudes of racism as well as racist violence. This is illustrated in the film in the experience of Leroy Logan’s father, bashed by police, falls accusations, but wanting his day in court.

Leroy is well educated, quite British, working in a forensic laboratory but wanting to do something for the community, to be out there, and makes the decision to become a policeman. The film shows him excelling in his training, going out on the beat, despised by local youth, involved in the chase with a criminal and not being backed up by the white police nearby, his challenging them in the pool room, their remaining silent, some of them sniggering.

The question is whether Leroy will continue as a policeman, discusses it with his girlfriend, who urges him not to allow racist attitudes to hound him out of the police force.

The films screened at the end of 2020, the year of major protests in the United States, Black Lives Matter.

1. The place of this film in the series? Made for television? British television? Worldwide?
2. Based on an actual story and character? Leroy Logan as consultant for this film?
3. The 1980s, London society, the place of the West Indian migrants, after the migration and settling in England, areas in London, local communities? The next generation educated in England? Becoming British?
4. The theme of racism? The release of this film in the year of American Black Lives Matter? The parallels with the UK? White superiority, arrogant looking down on black citizens, violence?
5. The opening, Leroy, waiting at school, the police searching him, suspicion of burglary? His father’s arrival, angry attitudes?
6. The introduction to the family, Leroy grown up, his studies, forensic laboratory work? At home, the extended family, playing Scrabble? Leroy and his parents? Aunts, siblings? His girlfriend, pregnant?
7. Leroy and the decision to join the police, the discussions with his friends and family, with his aunt who was a community/police liaison? His father’s opposition?
8. His father, going to the shop, parking the truck, the accusation by the police, obstruction, the fight, their brutality, kicking him, his going to hospital? Wanting his day in court? The discussions with his lawyer? The eventual offer of settlement, not wanting to embarrass the police, especially with Leroy as a policeman? The effect on Ken Logan? At home, silent, towards Leroy?
9. Leroy, going to training, his father, his father embracing him, his father later saying his mother gave advice to encourage people to do what they wanted to do?
10. The outline of the training, the demands, Leroy and his excelling, physical, tests, confronting the baseball bat wielding test? His good results, graduation? Assignment?
11. His being in his own district, the base chief, commenting on his record? The reaction of the others, the emerging races, Nigger on his door, not backing him up, the episode of the criminal chase, through the warehouse, the fight, Leroy overwhelming him? The call for backup, his Pakistani colleague the only one to come? Leroy challenging them in the pool room, the silence? The local head and his severe attitude, Leroy not getting promotion? Despite his agreeing to the request that his face be on posters for recruiting?
12. The reaction of the locals, at the clubs, walking out on him?
13. The Pakistani policeman, the episode with the attack on the shop, speaking Urdu, the local police demanding English? The Pakistani policeman wanting to transfer?
14. Leroy, being tested, the support of his family, the baby, talking with his girlfriend, urging him not to be pressurised out?
15. Leroy as a strong character, motivations in the 1980s, to be out there, to serve, to help the community? His subsequent career and adviser to this film?