There are no major spoilers in this post, if you’ve watched the trailer you can read this post (but if you’d rather not know anything before watching then please, abeg just read this after).
This movie was a piece of art. It was raw, it was soulful, it was passionate… It left me feeling extremely emotional but also understood and represented in the most beautiful way.
I am not a film critic, just a layperson who was truly moved by the experience. I can’t not speak about it. The movie was one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. Every. Single. Shot. From the visual aesthetics to the message. Even just the lighting choices. It was all amazing. If you see me at the cinema for a second and third time, face your front.
So here is my rundown…
The Music
Let’s just start with the music choices, because wow. They had a diverse variety of black music ranging from Neo-Soul, to Blues, to Rap, to Motown. They had Solange, they had Moses Sumney, Ms Lauryn Hill, they had Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, they had Burna Boy, THEY HAD FELA KUTI. The music transports you through not only Queen and Slim’s physical journey but also the journey of their emotional growth. It allows you as an audience member to embrace your inner thug and then your inner child. When they are vulnerable, you’re also exposed. When they are brave, you are courageous. And as they grow, you fall in love.
Queen & Slim
Jodie Turner-Smith has such a presence on screen, she was beautiful. The emotion that she is able to convey, even with just her voice is powerful. The word that comes to mind when I think about Queen’s character is strength. Queen is the embodiment of what it means to be a black woman in this world. We are expected to be strong, always. The name is fitting. She is determined, regal, and when it’s time she doesn’t show weakness or admit defeat. She’s ready for battle and will fight to defend herself and black men. Queen’s character is not a caricature of what a black woman “should” be. She is nuanced. We see her scared, we see her vulnerable, we see her laugh and we see her attempt to be present in each moment of her journey with Slim.
As always Daniel Kaluuya did his ting. He acts with all his being, and shows so much emotion with his eyes. He really brought Slim to life for me. The word that comes to mind when I think about Slim’s character is innocence. He has a quiet confidence, he loves his family, will fight for what he believes in – there is a fire in his belly, but in spite of that, he doesn’t look for trouble. Unfortunately, it found him, in the form of a police officer. The action that Slim is forced to take is not in Slim’s nature and that is what gives the story it’s power. No one deserves police brutality, but Slim’s innocence highlights the fact that the treatment he receives is purely driven by racial biases.
As the movie goes on we see Slim learn from Queen, we see his determination and his appetite for living life. We see him fall in love.
The journey that these two characters find themselves on is particularly moving because of its incidental nature. The two begin as strangers and we follow them as they become a movement and a symbol of resistance and change. In private, the love story that unfolds before our eyes is pure and genuine.
Visuals
Every shot (and I mean EVERY shot) was visually stunning and meaningful. Nothing felt like filler, everything was there for a reason. The backdrop to Queen and Slim’s journey was an array of breathtaking landscapes. If you were to freeze-frame at any point in the movie, you would have a beautiful still shot. The way that they used the lighting in this film was amazing, not only was it re-fresh-inggg to see black people in the correct lighting for their skin tone, but the lighting was also used to tell a story. Lena and Melina captured us (black people) simply as we are. They found beauty in our existence and were able to translate that simple beauty so that the audience could see it too.
Messages
Queen & Slim is a provocative and political film. It deals with the horror and violence that black bodies are frequently subjected to and beautifully personifies the “young black male” that we so often see on our evening news. This film gives the “black male” that is stabbed, shot and incarcerated on our news feeds a voice. This story allows audiences to view the “young black male” as a person, rather than as a faceless statistic.
A running theme in the film was living for the moment. Due to the danger that the characters are in, they make a point of living life as though their time is limited. In reality, this is the case for all of us, tomorrow isn’t promised. Watching Queen and Slim embody this philosophy, continuously taking each moment as it comes, embracing the small things and living for the present was uplifting and inspiring. I aspire to live life a little more like Queen and Slim.
The movie also briefly touches on the idea of documenting our own experiences. This brings to mind an old African proverb, “until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter”. This adage is of personal significance to me, because it is part of the reason that I started this blog. If we do not speak our own truths and tell our own stories, they will be told by others who do not understand us and do not have our best interests at heart.
Final Thoughts
For me, Queen and Slim was a love story on more than one level. I watched the protagonists fall in love with each other on-screen, and as an audience member, I fell in love with my own blackness (in the same way I do every time I see myself represented) and was reminded of the passion that I feel when it comes to my people’s struggle.
Lena’s artistry is something special. The film is poignant, rebellious and bodacious. It ignites a fire in my own creative belly. It is truly a piece of creative genius and I am thankful that Lena chose to point her genius at these issues. I left the cinema with a feeling of hurt and sorrow for the people that have lost their lives due to police brutality, but also a feeling of connectedness to my brothers and sisters around me, a feeling of being understood. I felt Queen & Slim’s bravery within myself and I was reminded of why I feel such a calling to fight for the rights of people who look just like me.
Imperfect Activist 