‘Nickel Boys’ Review: RaMell Ross Breaks Free of Reform-School Tropes, but Loses the Plot in the Process

As a seasoned moviegoer who’s seen more than my fair share of films set in broken institutions and juvenile reformatory centers, I must admit that RaMell Ross‘ “Nickel Boys” stands out like a beacon amidst the sea of sameness. With his minimalist approach and unique storytelling style, he breathes fresh life into Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, making it more than just another tale of victimhood.

Movies like “Boy A” (where Andrew Garfield first shone) and “Zero for Conduct,” which feature boarding schools or reformatories with troubled pasts, are common. However, in “Nickel Boys,” director RaMell Ross brings new hues to this well-trodden genre, transforming a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel into a poignant minimalist symphony. While Colson Whitehead’s book is exceptional, much of its content might seem familiar on screen. So, Ross focuses more on visual storytelling, rather than words, to narrate the tale of Elwood, a Tallahassee teenager who transcends his role as a system victim.

Instead of simply recounting the story, Ross immerses us in it so deeply that I questioned whether I could have followed the plot’s shifts between the 1960s and early 2000s without prior knowledge of Whitehead’s book. It might prove challenging for others, who should view the unorthodox structure as an opportunity to delve deeper into Elwood’s journey beyond just the plotline. For about an hour, “The Nickel Boys” seemed like one of the most gripping narrative debuts since “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” However, Ross attempts something daring that doesn’t quite succeed, causing the experiment to fall apart.

Based on the Oscar-nominated essay-doc “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” from 2018, director Ross creates “Nickel Boys” through a collection of Elwood’s personal experiences: vivid recollections of his childhood, schooling, and teenage activism, all deeply impacted but not completely destroyed by unjust imprisonment. The film immerses us in Elwood’s perspective, prioritizing it as the main viewpoint, employing a style similar to that used by Terrence Malick in “The Tree of Life” to foster empathy.

Viewing the world through Elwood’s perspective, we focus on our surroundings rather than his skin color. We sense others looking at us, and are instructed to look away when necessary, causing the camera to lower its gaze, as if to dodge potential reprimands or punishment for disobedience. Rarely does Elwood himself come into view, glimpsed only in reflections on bus windows or snaps from photo booths.

Among individuals who recognize Elwood, some perceive promise – such as Elwood’s teacher, Mr. Hill (Jimmie Fails), who provides him with application materials for Melvin Griggs College and a recording of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches – while others strive to restrict him. The initial scenes portray an unspoiled purity, as Elwood is treated equally according to the nation’s own declaration, but learns differently from 1960s Florida society. Throughout this journey, Elwood remains mindful of Martin Luther King Jr.’s message about transforming “the ability to endure” into a tool for combating oppression.

Initially, in a crucial scene, Elwood takes a seat at the kitchen table as his grandmother (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) cooks dinner. His eyes wander to the refrigerator, where Mr. Hill’s pamphlet gradually slips towards the ground – symbolizing the fate of that chance in his life. Subsequently, Elwood enters a car mistake, which turns out to be a stolen Impala. Although he was merely catching a ride, the white authorities aim to discipline him, resulting in Elwood being sent to Nickel Academy.

Temporarily, Elwood considers furthering his studies at that place, but it’s not a school; instead, it’s an unlawfully segregated penal system where boys spend extended periods working or performing tasks under the guise of “community service” (which is actually selling supplies meant for students to local businesses). Over 90 years since the abolition of slavery, the community takes advantage of this loophole to exploit free Black labor.

As a passionate cinephile, I found myself deeply moved by Colson Whitehead’s novel “Nickel Boys,” which was undeniably influenced by the real-life horrors of the Dozier School for Boys. This institution, unfortunately known for its abusive treatment of Black students, is believed to have claimed over 100 lives, a tragic truth that was uncovered long after the novel’s fictional timeline.

These movies were significant in their era, but they often followed similar patterns – brutal beatings, solitary confinement, implied sexual abuse, and a death (either suicide or murder) that eventually drew attention from outside sources. Ross deliberately avoids replicating these tropes in this work, subtly omitting them within the narrative or keeping them just outside the scope of the visual frame.

Upon arriving at Nickel Academy, an extraordinary event unfolds for Elwood. Throughout his life, he had always felt isolated, but at Nickel, he encounters another boy who reminds him of himself – a realization that Ross takes somewhat literally, breaching the confines of Elwood’s personal experience and lunging towards Turner (portrayed by Brandon Wilson), a younger boy with lighter skin. Ross presents the scene from Turner’s viewpoint, allowing us to observe Elwood (depicted by Ethan Herisse) through his new companion’s eyes. From this juncture, the film alternates between their perspectives.

The change in approach in this movie addresses a long-standing issue: Up until now, viewers have yearned to witness human emotions up close, and Ross has kept these from us so far. This is one reason some audiences find the Dardenne brothers’ films challenging, as they focus more on the backs of characters’ heads than their faces. However, Ross intended for us to connect with Elwood, a task typically accomplished by focusing on his eyes in cinema. Now, with the introduction of Turner, we can finally analyze Elwood’s facial expressions, although I personally found them underdeveloped.

In reality, most people mask their emotions. While actors have tricks for inviting us inside their characters’ heads, Herisse plays Elwood as mostly inscrutable, his poker face hiding the young man’s recalcitrant idealism — a key dimension of his personality in the book, left largely unspoken here. But Ross has another reason for so radically rewriting cinematic grammar in this case, though it may spoil the twist to reveal it here. Suffice to say, the future is not what is appears, and Ross has reasons for hiding the film’s biggest star, Daveed Diggs (seen only from behind).

Similar to how “Moonlight” was divided into three distinct segments, Whitehead’s novel, “The Nickel Boys,” is also structured in this manner. It’s possible that Ross could have crafted an equally potent adaptation. However, the movie version becomes somewhat confusing as it juggles multiple viewpoints and timelines, veering off course with tangents such as archival footage of NASA missions and archaeological investigations at Nickel Academy. While you might interpret the boys’ experiences as a tragedy, the film seems to present it more as a learning experience. It appears that, in some way, they did manage to learn something after all.

2024-09-02 05:47

‘Nickel Boys’ Review: RaMell Ross Breaks Free of Reform-School Tropes, but Loses the Plot in the Process

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