Queen & Slim
Queen and Slim has been deemed one of the most prolific movies of this generation. Melina Matsoukas makes her directorial debut alongside living legend and screenplay writer Lena Waithe in this epic tale of love, injustice, and cultural relevance. The movie began and ended in my hometown of Cleveland,Ohio which immediately intrigued my interest. After some research I learned some key information. The director chose to use Tamir Rice’s hometown as the opening setting. The use of the white Honda was also intentional, as homage to all the cars that had been pulled over in Cleveland fitting the same description.The purpose of this blog is not to critique the movie, but point out some key elements that stood out to me and hopefully to you all as well.
What freaking back road did they take to get from Cleveland, to Kentucky, then all the way to New Orleans??? Never once did the dynamic duo get on an interstate and I just want to know how can I find this road to avoid tolls and crowded freeways?
There were so many slave /Underground Railroad references. The men working the fields alongside the road, while the white men sat on horses as they worked in the hot southern sun. It was a short scene but yet made an impact in the minds of audiences. In the midst of the beautiful countryside we see ourselves, as slaves. As Queen and Slim are on this journey they go from one house to another, following directions and paths given to them. When they were at the couples house in Georgia, they hid under the floorboards just as slaves did when abolitionists would hide them during raids. They followed dirt roads, and used no maps, in hopes of reaching their North Star.
Who were Queen and Slim? After this whirlwind of events we never knew their names. It wasn’t until the end of the movie at their final resting places we knew who they were. Sound familiar? In many cases our people are “suspects” “armed and dangerous perpetrators” Never known by their name. So my question is was this intentional by the writers?
Jr….. how many young men have we seen take the lead and step up in these recent protests? Our young men want to be heard, want to leave a legacy, but at what cost? He admired Queen and Slim so much so, he decided to take matters into his own hands sadly resulting in his demise. My main question is why did he shoot the black officer? Why? He told him to go home and boom he shoots. It could have been pure adrenaline or him thinking this is his legacy in honor of the many lives lost in the fight for truth and justice.
The protests...the outpouring of support from people around the country for Queen and Slim was real. How many times have we had to come together after tragedy when it comes to police brutality? Time after time we are gunned down, choked out, lynched, and unfortunately it’s normal. We have become desensitized over years of trauma. I couldn't help but see Selma,Ferguson,Charlotte,Cleveland in my head when the protesters were in the streets. The standoff, the tear gas was all relevant to this generation and all the ones before .
How many times have we been demonized in the media? We are the villains and always will be in this country if our stories are constantly told from the eyes of the oppressor. Even after Queen and Slim were gunned down the news story reported them as armed and dangerous even though no weapons were present. This movie was necessary to tell our story, through our eyes. The media controls the narrative. Even with proof from the police car camera, who was still the criminal? Even though he murdered a father walking his child to school for no reason, the melanated ones lose again to the police.
Queen, a complicated beautiful character. I knew from the beginning there were so many layers to her. Strong, intelligent, a leader. She took total control of the situation from the beginning until she decided not to let go of Slim’s hands. What was most inspiring to me is how over this 6 day run they were on, you slowly got to see her story unfold. The snappy lawyer admits to getting her uncle off after accidentally murdering her mother. It's almost as if she had shed some covering when she cut her hair. Its said that when a woman cuts her hair she's about to make some life changes, or if you're on the run from the police.She developed a shell, not having any family connection, living alone and in solitude for so long. In the end she felt a sense of freedom with Slim. Throughout her journey her relationship with God evolved from atheist to a praying woman. Her most prolific words in the movie made me drop tears. I felt it on a spiritual level. Quote, “I want him to show me scars I never knew I had. But I don’t want him to make them go away,” I want him to hold my hand while I nurse them myself. And I want him to cherish the bruises they leave behind.”
Epic poetic lines were fluid throughout the film. The words that came from the actors were so beautifully presented and really made you feel all the feelings, at least I know I did. At the end of the movie while guns were drawn with tears in his eyes, Slim says to Queen, If I had time, I'd kiss all your scars.” I was a mess! How did these two strangers go from having a horrible first date, to committing a crime, being on the run, discover themselves, and uniting the people , all in 6 days? The beauty of cinema.
Muthafucka! Who else was pissed about our brother with the gold teeth? This nigga...but lets be honest….we knew somebody would snitch. I was sure it would have been Mrs. Shepard. With the bounty being $250,000 per person, it was only a matter of who, when, and where. Were we really shocked that a brother ratted them out? let’s keep it real, it was just too sweet and there’s no way they would let “us” have a happy ending. It's our sad reality. We get so close to freedom and happiness them boom, our own people. It be your own people, claiming to have your back only to leave you hanging. (pardon my grammar but I had to articulate this , in this manner)
I have to give props to all the production, wardrobe, directors, and especially the music production. This film has one of the best scores since Black Panther. The music tells the story and sets the tone for the highs and lows throughout the movie. The imagery in this film is a classic! The soundtrack ranges from generations featuring Stevie Wonder, new Lauryn Hill, and Meghan The Stallion. The music takes you on a journey. The artistic portrayal of our reality will transcend time. An age old story that will be apart of our cultural revolution.
The truth about juke joints….back in the day the juke joints were staples in the black community. It’s where our people went to feel safe, dance, drink, and be free. In the days of our elders all our people had, was home, church, and juke joints. Somewhat sinful, but sanctuary from the world that was outside. It was in this scene in a Mississippi juke joint that we saw grandma twerking, women being seductive in all their melanin glory. It was the place Queen and Slim truly became enveloped in one another. One dance was all Slim needed even if that meant being caught and risking it all. Even after being recognized by the locals, they knew they were safe among the crowd.
Many people had a lot of negative things to say as far as the unrealistic story line calling it another slave movie. Like it or not it’s relevant to where we are right now in the United States. I know some people are hurting,and feeling some rage, which is totally understandable. You reserve the right to feel angry. What viewers have to understand is, movies are still created to entertain. They’re not always going to make perfect sense, and end how we would like.
I appreciated the small moments of comedy that minimized the severity of the situation. If you didn’t laugh when he hit ol boy in the truck...lighten up. Also, police don’t ever disrespect a black man’s shoes like that period!( Stop killing us for no reason, we would appreciate that as well.) I appreciate everything about Queen and Slim and considering going to see it again to further analyze it. There’s so many gems in this movie I could go on and on. I encourage everyone to watch it and try to gain some perspective. The underlying message (in my opinion) is Love & Legacy. Stand for something, build a love worth fighting for and leave your mark on the world even if it means your life. Salute to the Queens and Slims all over the world who have been victimized and brutalized by a system that does not protect us !
"Will you be my legacy?"
"You already are"