After a factory in small-town Empire, Nevada, a place where the majority of the townspeople work, closes during the Great Recession, the majority of the locals moved to a more convenient location, one where they’d be able to find work. Fern (Frances McDormand) is one of the individuals who lost her job and has traveled a very different path. She travels between locations and places of employment in her ratty van, searching for a place to call home. Through a friend she has found a group very similar to her. While life can be difficult for the modern-day nomad, Fern manages to remain positive and appreciate the little things in life. This is Nomadland.
Nomadland relies almost entirely on McDormand’s acting and director Chloé Zhao’s directing. The film is slow moving and doesn’t present itself as a film that would be able to attract the masses. However, the combination of both McDormand and Zhao’s prowess throughout the course of this film allows it to shine.
There is something scary about Nomadland, something that has viewers fearing for what might come in their futures. Seeing such a great number of people struggling to survive is almost paralyzing to those watching, but in those moments of hardship, Fern is able to show viewers that there is more to life than living in a mansion, eating seven course meals, and having a consistent job. Nomadland sort of poses the question of whether or not these things are worth craving, and I’m not sure that question is ever answered. It does become clear, however, that different people desire different things, and while some things may appear outlandish to others, the things you hold near and dear to your heart can only truly be judged by you. McDormand’s simple and natural feeling performance allows this sentiment to resonate with viewers, and while I can’t compare hers to the other performances of 2020, it makes complete sense that she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.
Zhao is fairly new to the game. Prior to writing and directing Nomadland she is only credited with a small number of obscure films. She certainly finds her footing with Nomadland and is able to present the world with a story worth listening to. From her writing to her directorial prowess, Zhao captures the attention of viewers and implores them to listen to what she has to say. Heed her warning and understand that nothing lasts forever, and life is simply what you make of it.
This film, as a whole, is touching; it reaches the hearts and souls of the audience and allows them to understand many of the things it’s conveying. Nomadland, however, fails to be so emotionally drawing that viewers feel moved to tears. That is until Fern begins to quote the world-renowned William Shakespeare. The only way to understand and feel the importance of Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” is to see the words, read them, and understand the intensity and purpose of each word. Fern says the following:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
By the end of Fern’s monologue it seems fair to believe that viewers understand, to the fullest extent, what it is that Zhao and McDormand want them to understand. Everything that Nomadland had been leading to comes to light in this moment.
There are a number of things that viewers might feel for Fern throughout Nomadland, but the most prevalent thing is admiration. Zhao and McDormand develop a character that has very little in terms of property and even less in terms of aspirations. She has found her way in this simple life, and the world is able to see that sometimes bigger isn't better. Nomadland is a metaphor for how people should approach life; everyone should appreciate what they have and forget about the things they don’t. While I’m not sure that during a normal, pandemic-free year Nomadland would have been able to stand up to the slew of top-notch films, but its beautiful message, relatable content, and exceptional directing find success at the 2021 Golden Globes, and the praise is well-deserved.
Directed by Chloé Zhao.
Written by Chloé Zhao & Jessica Bruder.
Starring Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Derek Endres, Swankie, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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