The Black Power movement tends to be associated with the United States, but it is interesting to note that it had its counterparts in other countries, with an excellent example being the United Kingdom. In fact, much as how COINTELPRO was aimed at discrediting and disrupting the Black Power movement as well as other political movements in the United States, the Black Power Desk performed much the same function in the United Kingdom. Guerrilla is a six-part miniseries set in 1970s London, where a politically-active couple free a political prisoner before starting a radical underground cell, thus putting their relationship as well as their personal values to the test.
Here are five reasons that people should consider watching Guerrilla:
Fascinating Period
Guerrilla is not based on real people, but it is based on a real period of time. As a result, it is familiar enough for viewers to make instant connections with its characters, but at the same time, it is unfamiliar enough to create excitement as the plot continues to unfold throughout its six parts. Summed up, there are few TV shows that can match Guerrilla when it comes to its appeal for people who are fascinated by historical fiction of the not so distant past.
Stellar Cast
The people playing the characters on Guerrilla bear names that should be familiar to a lot of viewers. For example, Idris Elba plays Kentoro “Kent” Abbasi, Freida Pinto plays Jas Mitra, and Babou Ceesay plays Marcus Hill.
Outstanding Writing
Interestingly, Guerrilla isn’t just co-directed but also co-written by a pair of famous names. The first is John Ridley, who should be familiar to some as the man who won the Academy Award for 12 Years a Slave. In contrast, the second is Idris Elba, who has won both the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Award. Better still, there seems to be none of the conflict that has troubled other partnerships in other media, as shown by the compliments that the two have paid to one another in their statements to the media.
Good Reviews
So far, Guerrilla has received some criticism for minimizing the role of black female activities by casting the Indian actress, Freida Pinto, as the female lead, though it is interesting to note that the former British Black Panther members involved in the production have defended the decision by citing the role of Asian women in the historical movement. Regardless, the overall reviews for Guerrilla have been quite positive, citing the pairing of spectacular performances with beautiful crafting for the footage, though some have mentioned the rather uncomfortable nature of the material here and there because of its subject matter.
Remembering the Past
Finally, it is worth noting that Guerrilla is increasing awareness of a little-known period of history. In fact, the people behind the mini-series had to conduct their research by looking into national archives and filing Freedom of Information requests, which is a stark contrast to the volumes and volumes that have been written about the Black Power movement in the United States. As a result, Guerrilla seeks to inform more people about what happened in the past so that those mistakes will not be repeated in the future.
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