The depiction of harsh reality is one of the most intriguing themes in present-day movies, and “Queen & Slim” is no exception to the rule. In this story, the main characters, Queen and Slim, are dining out on their first date when something unexpected happens. On their way home, they have a conflict with a racist cop who demonstrates an unexplainable aggressive attitude to the Black couple (Matsoukas, 2019). As a result of this clash, Slim kills the cop, and the two young people have nothing to do but flee in the hope of reaching Cuba (Matsoukas, 2019). However, the fight for their lives is not the only storyline here since their love begins during the journey.
In the movie, the key issues are the importance of Black lives and the impact of injustice on citizens. The former is presented by the main characters’ sad fate, and this situation is contrasted by the positive qualities inherent in them. Thus, for example, Slim is a very religious person who prays before eating and lives in accordance with Christian morality (Matsoukas, 2019). This fact shown at the very beginning of the movie indicates the good nature of this man. The latter, in turn, is directly connected to the varying perceptions of Slim and Queen by society and authorities (Matsoukas, 2019). In this way, the help of common people understanding the situation’s underpinning and the negativity of the government are balanced in the demonstration of social injustice.
Indeed, this provocative story’s success is partially conditional upon the correlation of the traits which the main characters display throughout the film and the specified issues. Slim is a hard-working man living a decent life (Matsoukas, 2019). Queen is a criminal defense lawyer who realizes the futility of her work in a state where skin color can be evidence against people (Matsoukas, 2019). From this perspective, the former’s attitude to life is more optimistic, and this fact explains the aggressive reaction of Queen to the cop (Matsoukas, 2019). Therefore, the qualities of the characters demonstrated in the film define their behavior in life.
One of the most vital scenes in the movie is the protest in support of Queen and Slim, and its importance is defined by the characters’ influence on other Black people’s actions. In this scene, a young boy shoots a Black cop, and this event seems illogical at first (Matsoukas, 2019). However, it has a deep meaning from the perspective of responsibility. It reflects on the fact that a uniform indicates that he not only belongs to the ethnic minorities but also institutions violating the rights of people. Hence, this man is a symbol of another conflict related to the representation of racism in police forces.
To summarize, the movie “Queen and Slim” is an excellent example of Black classic film which films the ongoing struggles of the people. It narrates the critical issues of this population group’s rights and social injustice to them. These problems are demonstrated through the lens of the characters’ personalities who, in general, are good people. From this point of view, the shooting of the white cop is an act triggered by him rather than the couple’s negative tendencies. Nevertheless, their impact on society attempting to protect the criminals is also tremendous in terms of the need for action. Thus, the message of the movie is the danger of suppressing the social problems of Black people.
Reference
Matsoukas, M. (2019). Queen & Slim [Film]. 3BlackDot.