How Steve McQueen Pulled Off the Year's Best Movie Scene
November 22, 2020 7:36 AM Subscribe
Lovers Rock, the second installment in Steve McQueen's Small Axe film anthology, is about one such night in 1980, when a few dozen Black Londoners congregate at a house party to hold each other close and sway and thrash and grind. On paper, the film is a dreamy series of party scenes; onscreen, it's a passionate, restless achievement. Love, frustration, togetherness are communicated in small gestures and details - a gently horny ass-grab, a yearning gaze from across the room, a delightfully chaotic line for the bathroom. The rest of the Small Axe films feature racist cops, racist bosses, racist courts. Lovers Rock shows what happens when white people aren't looking - the rapture in Black joy, experienced privately.
By Hunter Harris
By Hunter Harris
Oh that sounds like an amazing movie, I will look for it
posted by emjaybee at 9:39 AM on November 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by emjaybee at 9:39 AM on November 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I was expecting a car chase through San Francisco.
posted by Liquidwolf at 10:13 AM on November 22, 2020 [14 favorites]
posted by Liquidwolf at 10:13 AM on November 22, 2020 [14 favorites]
Oh that sounds like an amazing movie, I will look for it
It looks like right now you only get access if you pay for a Prime subscription? I couldn't find a way to just rent this specific movie.
posted by curious nu at 12:24 PM on November 22, 2020
It looks like right now you only get access if you pay for a Prime subscription? I couldn't find a way to just rent this specific movie.
posted by curious nu at 12:24 PM on November 22, 2020
it's on BBC iPlayer - geographic restrictions may apply - VPN may also apply ...
posted by burr1545 at 12:50 PM on November 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by burr1545 at 12:50 PM on November 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
also related - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00010mt
Steve McQueen in conversation with Miranda Saywers around his use of music in his films etc
posted by burr1545 at 12:53 PM on November 22, 2020
Steve McQueen in conversation with Miranda Saywers around his use of music in his films etc
posted by burr1545 at 12:53 PM on November 22, 2020
I have Amazon Prime, and right now I only have access to the previous episode and the Lovers Rock trailer.
posted by Wilbefort at 1:34 PM on November 22, 2020
posted by Wilbefort at 1:34 PM on November 22, 2020
It looks like it's not quite out yet.
Amazon Releases Trailer for Steve McQueen’s ‘Lovers Rock’
Amazon Prime Video has released the official trailer for Lovers Rock, the second film in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology. Starring Michael Ward (Top Boy) and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn making her screen debut, the love story releases on the streamer on Friday, Nov. 27.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 4:41 PM on November 22, 2020
Amazon Releases Trailer for Steve McQueen’s ‘Lovers Rock’
Amazon Prime Video has released the official trailer for Lovers Rock, the second film in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology. Starring Michael Ward (Top Boy) and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn making her screen debut, the love story releases on the streamer on Friday, Nov. 27.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 4:41 PM on November 22, 2020
The Wikipedia disambiguation function is working overtime this week.
posted by The Potate at 9:32 PM on November 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by The Potate at 9:32 PM on November 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
The Wikipedia disambiguation function is working overtime this week.
Yes - to clarify, this is the Steve McQueen who:
In 1999 won the Turner Art Prize
In 2011 was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the visual arts
In 2013 directed 12 Years a Slave for which he:
- became the first black filmmaker to win the Academy Award for Best Picture
- won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
- won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture
- won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director
In 2020 was knighted in the New Year Honours for services to film
Wonderful and moving article smcg - I'm really looking forward to watching the five films.
posted by Kiwi at 7:24 AM on November 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
Yes - to clarify, this is the Steve McQueen who:
In 1999 won the Turner Art Prize
In 2011 was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the visual arts
In 2013 directed 12 Years a Slave for which he:
- became the first black filmmaker to win the Academy Award for Best Picture
- won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
- won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture
- won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director
In 2020 was knighted in the New Year Honours for services to film
Wonderful and moving article smcg - I'm really looking forward to watching the five films.
posted by Kiwi at 7:24 AM on November 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
I have made a Fanfare post for the first episode of Small Axe, Mangrove.
posted by larrybob at 11:40 AM on November 24, 2020
posted by larrybob at 11:40 AM on November 24, 2020
I got mixed up and watched The Story of Lovers Rock, a documentary, before I watched McQueen's film. I was later glad I did because having done so enabled me to put a lot of Lovers Rock in proper context. I had never heard of Lovers Rock as a reggae subgenre before and didn't realize how much of it encompassed certain lifestyle choices like clothing and hairstyles, which for women was rather conservative and literally church-worthy.
Both films have made me look at the band The Police in a different light. I was a fan of theirs from their first album and have recently realized how much of their early sound was appropriated from Lovers Rock, not just inspired by reggae in general. At least Sting sort of acknowledges it now, in part I guess via his collaboration with Shaggy.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:22 PM on November 29, 2020 [3 favorites]
Both films have made me look at the band The Police in a different light. I was a fan of theirs from their first album and have recently realized how much of their early sound was appropriated from Lovers Rock, not just inspired by reggae in general. At least Sting sort of acknowledges it now, in part I guess via his collaboration with Shaggy.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:22 PM on November 29, 2020 [3 favorites]
Finally watched it, and it was great. Now reading the links here. Interesting tidbit in the first comment link from Slate about the centerpiece song, Lonely Girl - there’s a cameo by its writer:
“Of course, the old gentlemen in the dance with a hat on is Dennis Bovell, who actually wrote and produced the song. He’s amazing. Also, he produced a lot of punk bands, including the Slits. Nice little cameo for him.”
Wikipedia: Dennis Bovell
“He has produced albums by a wide variety of artists including I-Roy, The Thompson Twins, Sharon Shannon, Alpha Blondy, Bananarama, The Pop Group, Fela Kuti, The Slits, Orange Juice and Madness. He has collaborated with poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson for much of his working life.”
posted by larrybob at 8:19 PM on December 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
“Of course, the old gentlemen in the dance with a hat on is Dennis Bovell, who actually wrote and produced the song. He’s amazing. Also, he produced a lot of punk bands, including the Slits. Nice little cameo for him.”
Wikipedia: Dennis Bovell
“He has produced albums by a wide variety of artists including I-Roy, The Thompson Twins, Sharon Shannon, Alpha Blondy, Bananarama, The Pop Group, Fela Kuti, The Slits, Orange Juice and Madness. He has collaborated with poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson for much of his working life.”
posted by larrybob at 8:19 PM on December 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Just found out the 1980 film Babylon that Dennis Bovell did music for, and is based on Bovell’s prosecution for running a sound system. It’s available on Kanopy.
posted by larrybob at 8:36 PM on December 6, 2020
posted by larrybob at 8:36 PM on December 6, 2020
« Older Dune as a measure of our discontent | What the White Witch from Narnia’s apartment would... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by ActingTheGoat at 9:37 AM on November 22, 2020 [3 favorites]