Director: Steve McQueen
Writer: Steve McQueen, Courttia Newland,
Stars: John Boyega, Steve Toussaint, Tyrone Huntley, Nathan Vidal, Jaden Oshenye, Antonia Thomas, Callum Callaghan, Assad Zaman
Synopsis: Part of Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe”, an anthology of decades-spanning films that presents various lives in London’s West Indian community. Red, White, and Blue tells the true story of Leroy Logan, a young forensic scientist with a yearning to do more than his solitary laboratory work. Soon, he applies to become a police officer.
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Steve McQueen has presented two films that have conveyed the complexity of being a Black person in the United Kingdom during the 1960s – 1980s. These movies have proven to be realistic and eye-opening. However, once we get to Red, White and Blue, his final film selected for the New York Film Festival, the feeling of mastery is subdued by the results.
Red, White and Blue presents the real story of Leroy Logan, brought to life by a fierce and determined John Boyega that reminds us of a young Denzel Washington. Logan is a forensic scientist that is getting tired of being in the shadows and in isolation because of his work in a laboratory. He and his sister were brought up by a strict father (Steve Toussaint) who always demanded excellence and pride.
Precisely the relationship between father and son is the one that suffers the most once Leroy starts his career as a policeman, a decision that overlaps with an altercation between his father and the local police. While one chooses to join the ranks of the “enemy”, the other is determined to get his day on court and face the men that did him wrong. Unfortunately, once we start focusing more on Leroy’s career, we get less time with his father and with his mission to find any resemblance of justice.
However, Leroy’s intentions are in the right place. He says that he wants to change the organization from within, take out the rubbish, and serve the community as best as possible. These objectives, as wonderful as they sound, prove to be extremely ambitious for Leroy to conquer and for the movie to show. Alas, we only focus on him for several months, and his mission, if successful, would take years.
As with the previous Small Axe movies – Mangrove and Lovers Rock – Red, White and Blue cannot escape a critical eye that takes into consideration today’s events regarding the Black Lives Matter movement and the police brutality against Black people. As such, the story of a man that decides to become a policeman to make improvements from within feels a little too enthusiastic and naïve for the 1980s and today.
Although based on true events, the story does not convey a feeling of success and change. Instead, it shows the complex relationship between Leroy and the police department. We never get to see the way he changes the organization; we only see the emotional turmoil he goes through and several instances of discrimination and racism. The movie covers a noticeably short span of time; maybe a miniseries about the character would have been a better idea.
The idealistic message of Leroy starts to get messy and unfocused in 78 minutes that feel insufficient. Sometimes the movie even makes us wonder who is using who. Is he changing the organization or is he being used by it because of his good disposition? It only seems that he is helping to improve the image of a racist and malign institution.
I am uncertain what the message of the story is supposed to be. Even the real Leroy confirmed in 2013 that the police force was still institutionally racist, after thirty years as a police officer. Consequently, the movie does not work as a success story, but instead it is an effective reminder of the blatant racism that exists in institutions that shape the lives of people. It also allows us to admire the decisions of Leroy and to appreciate his commitment to his community. That is all.
The technical parts of the movie are extraordinary. The production design by Helen Scott and the costume design by Sinéad Kidao are effective and an enjoyable link to the past. The soundtrack, which contains its healthy dose of Al Green, is maybe the secret weapon of the movie, even though it is restrained in the second part of the film.
Red, White and Blue feels like unfinished business. As if McQueen and his co-writer, Courttia Newland, were preparing themselves for the next stage of the story where Leroy Logan fulfills his professional and moral objectives. Unfortunately, we do not get to see this. We only see the racism within the police department, the rejection by the local community, and the ideals that exist in his head but never come to fruition. Thus, the movie feels incomplete and rudely interrupted showing a story of conflict and excruciating idealism, only digestible because of John Boyega’s commitment to his character.
Grade: B-
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