Nomadland

“Following the closure of a gypsum mine in the Nevada town she call home, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road in this “exquisite” film (Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal). Exploring an unconventional life as a modern-day nomad, Fern discovers a resilience and resourcefulness unlike any she’s known before. Along the way, she meets other nomads who become mentors in the vast landscape of the American West. From Searchlight Pictures, written for the screen and directed by Chloé Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder, the film also stars David Strathairn and features real-life nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells.”

Nomadland, nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Frances McDormand for Best Actress as her portrayal of Fern, dives headfirst into the world of Nomads; people without a home, who prefer to travel around the country living free of the binds they perceive the rest of the country to be subjected to. After the death of her husband and the closure of the gypsum mine he worked at, the company run town of Empire shut down the community, forcing everyone out. Instead of finding a new place to plant roots, Fern travels around the mid-west in her van, moving from job to job each season, always going where the work is.

This fascinating insight into the nomad community is particularly interesting today, as the closure of Empire and the displacement of countless families could easily mirror the state of the economy in the midst of a pandemic. Although the Empire closure isn’t the main focus of the film, it’s a catalyst that leads Fern to an alternative lifestyle that most of us couldn’t imagine. She’s not homeless, as one person asks her. She’s houseless. A big difference to the culture of nomads that roam freely. As you listen to the people talk in the film, many of which are real life nomads, their biggest joy in this lifestyle is the sense of freedom they have, despite the limited space they eat and sleep in, as well as limited means of parking their respective vehicles in areas without getting chased away. Many of them choose this life, speaking out against consumerism and regular nine to five jobs that they perceive as prisons for the rest of us. Nomadland doesn’t try to convince you one way or the other, it just presents Fern’s life and how she lives it.

One of the main differences between Nomadland and other typical films, is the lack of story the film presents. There’s no catalyst for Fern that propels her on a journey of change, no subplots to speak of. While this isn’t particularly ideal in terms of entertainment value, what the film does is present itself the exact same way as the life of a nomad: aimless, free from the structural norms you may expect. The life of a nomad and the people you meet don’t have a beginning, middle and end, they simply say “see you further down the road”, and I can’t think of a better metaphor for the film than that. The film is poignant, well crafted, with even the real life nomads giving accounts of very emotional times in their lives that will leave you reflecting on your own life. Does this translate to something everyone will enjoy? I really don’t think so, as there are so many people needing that structure and that story to guide them in both their own lives and in the films they watch that it’s alien to them to watch a film that has no real plot. For me, there were moments that I felt the film was a bit mundane, but the overall metaphor and theme of the film juxtaposed with the nomad lifestyle invoked a lot of thinking of the story days after I watched it.

Frances McDormand is simply phenomenal in the role. Though her scenes are mostly her by herself, struggling to get through routines, and making ends meet, when she is with other nomads, you can tell her situation is a bit different. Although to her family and friends she’s committed to this lifetstyle, when she is among other nomads you can tell she’s struggling to find herself, still clinging to her past, and not moving forward emotionally after the death of her husband. Her character is fascinating in that way, as you spend literally the entire film with her, she may not be going through a journey of change, but you can witness the sorrow and exhaustion she feels almost the entire way through. As I said before, some of the real-life nomads in the film give some great performances as well. I shouldn’t say performances, because I do believe some of the stories they tell are genuine, making it even more emotional. Overall, it’s a great study of character and the nomad life that I for one didn’t know much about.

Video

Nomadland is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. The film is also nominated for Best Cinematography, which is evident when you see it. As we travel across the mid-west, we see all kinds of landscapes, the bright orange-hues of the deserts, lush green cliffs and roaring oceans, all looking beautiful, crisp and clear in this Blu-ray transfer. The colors of the widely varying landscapes are vivid, bright, looking exceptional overall.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This is a great track as well, mostly coming through the center channel in the form of dialogue, but there are also long stretches with no dialogue, as Fern travels by herself to breathtaking places. A great balance between the center channel and surrounds, and although you won’t expect this to be a film you might want to show off your system with, it’s beautiful in its simplicity.

Special Features

Some nice extras on the set, one bonus you get for picking up the Blu-ray versus streaming. These include:

• The Forgotten America
• Telluride Premiere Q&A with Frances McDormand and Chloé Zhao
• Deleted Scenes

Nomadland is a beautifully crafted film, telling a unique story of nomads the only way you could accurately tell one. Although the structure may not be for everyone, it deserves the recognition its getting during award season, and in a year where we don’t get a lot of new releases, this one is worth checking out.