Growing up as an orphan, I imagine a life full of misdirection and a lot of unanswered questions. Feeling unwanted can shatter so much of a child’s self esteem, and the story of Alex Wheatle shows the pain of that abandonment. The treatment of orphans is far from perfect in most situations, but in this film it portrayed Alex Wheatle (played by Sheyi Cole)starting life without hope.
The 4th episode of the mini series, focuses on the life of famous British novelist Alex Wheatle. It highlights the hardship of growing up as a black orphan without history, direction, and knowledge of self. He arrives in Brixton in the early 80’s, a Caribbean influenced community in South London. His presence in that community allows him to develop a sense of identity. As a result, he develops a love for reggae music and quickly gravitates to the fraternity of Sound System Culture.
This installment also displays the racism
and inequality the Black Brixton residents experience. The strained relationship between the black residents and the police in that time is palpable. April 1981 was “The Brixton Uprising” a protest against the Metropolitan Police that went on for 3 days. Young black Caribbean men led this protest, which Alex Wheatle was also apart of. He was arrested and sentenced to 4 months in prison for his participation in the Uprising. While serving his prison term, he gains perspective of his life with the help of his Jamaican Rastafarian cell mate, Simeon.
Sheyi Cole portrays the character of Alex Wheatle with passion and a brilliant range of emotions. Caribbean accents aren’t particularly authentic but it’s tolerable. Definitely a great episode of the Small Axe series.
-Lukey Flex
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