NOMAD L AND
It’s invigorating to see McDormand – an actress known for her tenacity and serrated agency – guide the film without ever taking possession of it. Instead, her sturdy, sometimes mischievous presence is used to elevate the enduring nonfictional elements of Nomadland. As with The Rider and her directorial debut Songs My Brother Taught Me (2015), Zhao sought out and persuaded non-professional actors to bring their experiences and collective spirit to the film. Their contributions sit at the heart of some of Nomadland’s defining moments. Shared stories by firelight, and a tear duct-prickling scene in which Fern’s departing friend Swankie recounts past adventures in her kayak, linger on account of their untampered sincerity and ground the film in the absence of any significant plot. Around these wandering souls, Zhao and her longstanding cinematographer, Joshua James Richards, capture the film’s geography with patience and poise. When Fern embarks on her many solitary walks, a glacial tracking shot trails slightly behind her and a nourishing stillness is preserved in this distant, reverential framing of her chosen world. Zhao edited the film alongside writing and directing it, and here also seems motivated by the desire to observe rather than overly dictate, with generously lengthy shots that conjure an unrushed, even stately rhythm within the film.
BEST FILM NOMINEES M o l l y e As he r, Da n J a nve y , F ra n c e s M c D o r m a n d , P ete r Sp ea rs, C hl o é Z ha o
O T H E R N O M I N AT E D C AT E G O R I E S Ad a pted S c re e n p l a y , C i n e m a tog ra p hy , Di re cto r, Ed i t i n g , Lea d i n g Act re s s, S o u n d
It would be tempting to weave political commentary into the film’s fabric given how it opens in the wake of a global recession, and with many of the nomads in Fern’s company nudged onto the road after being failed by the state. Zhao resists however, and instead subtly celebrates the ways in which the community strengthens each other through unrequited kindness. She also interrogates what truly matters in the face of grief and healing. While eating a banana and peanut butter sandwich on her lunch break, Fern’s neighbour shares a tattoo made up of Morrissey lyrics that cut right to the heart of the film: “Home, is it just a word? Or is it something you carry within you?” Beth Webb is a contributing editor at Empire Magazine
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