Guava Island: The Militant Musical

What would happen if the political charge of our modern society was infused with a vivaciousness of a musical? Well, with Guava Island, now we know.

Frequent collaborators Donald Glover AKA “Childish Gambino” and director Hiro Murai continue on their cooperative artistry, but for the first time, with a feature-length film.

By all means a sleeper hit, no one had any idea what Guava Island was going to be due to a subliminal marketing campaign. Expectations were low if they existed at all. The result? Well… we don’t really deserve something this good.

Although short, with a runtime of 55 minutes, the film shines in nearly every single frame. Shot in grainy film, Guava has a slightly aged look to it, but the film allows the brilliant rainbow of colors to explode. A Hawaiian shirt will never look so good.

Murai continues his trend as an explosive star among rising directors. Coming fresh off of Glover’s FX series Atlanta, Murai’s framing, composition, and sense of character placement is at its best. But his subtle manipulation of atmosphere and setting sets his vision apart from that of Atlanta. How this is his only full-length movie is a crime against humanity.

Did I mention musical somewhere? Yes, although short, and containing a seemingly meager four songs in total, Guava Island is indeed a musical, and an innovative one at that. The songs come from recent experiments in Glover’s musical career, including the Grammy Award-winning “This is America”, but takes a much more grounded approach. The film mixes the songs with on-location sound, from street performers, to the clangs of factory machinery, in order to form the world of Guava Island itself.

I was somewhat disappointed in the film’s use of its stars. Glover is the exception, emitting a glowing charisma with every line. But the other co-stars, including Rihanna, Letitia Wright, and Nonso Anozie, although serviceable, are given almost nothing to do. Some more time focusing on development would’ve done much for this otherwise excellent story.

this isn’t your average musical. There are clear artistic inspirations, both in style and substance, from the militant cinemas of Latin American and Africa of the 1960s and 70s. Ripe with anti-colonial and anti-materialist imagery, Guava Island serves as a conduit for wider audiences to experience narratives from outside mainstream filmmakers. Often forgotten, African and Hispanic cinema is given a much needed devotion in Childish Gambino’s latest adventure.

Guava Island (2019) ★★★★