Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Brings an Abstract Nickel Boys Down to Earth

As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time immersed in the rich tapestry of cinematic art, I found “Nickel Boys” to be a profoundly thought-provoking and visually stunning exploration of human suffering and resilience. The film’s innovative storytelling techniques, reminiscent of a visual scrap quilt, resonated with me on a deeply personal level.

Individuals who value cinema are often vocal about their desire for filmmakers to take risks, to present fresh perspectives or at least broaden their vision. With his second feature, Nickel Boys, director RaMell Ross achieves just that, adapting Colson Whitehead’s poignant, beautifully written novel about two young men navigating a harsh reform school. While Ross’ innovative style might not entirely revolutionize cinema (Terrence Malick, for instance, has already explored similar techniques), it certainly challenges our perception and redefines the boundaries of what a movie can be.

In this story, Ethan Herisse portrays Elwood, a gifted teenager growing up in 1960s Florida. He’s full of potential, and with the help of an inspiring teacher (Jimmie Fails), he’s on track to attend a top technical college at no cost. Elwood is passionate about the Civil Rights Movement and is ready to participate in demonstrations, hoping to bring about significant change. As you learn more about his upbringing, it becomes clear why Elwood acts as he does, with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor masterfully playing Hattie, the woman who has nurtured him. Hattie is a hardworking hotel housekeeper, stable, generous, and providing a sense of balance; under her care, Elwood has known only love. As a resident of the Jim Crow South for her entire life, Hattie recognizes that Elwood and others like him represent the future, even as she worries about his safety.

The fears were not without basis. Elwood finds himself arrested for merely being in the wrong situation – on his way to a new school for the first time, he unknowingly hops into a stolen vehicle. Subsequently, he is thrown into the back of a police car, enduring a bumpy ride to a segregated reform school known as Nickel Academy. Upon arrival, he quickly identifies the tough, bullying students who resent him for his polite demeanor and apparent intelligence. However, he does manage to form one genuine friendship with Turner, who enlightens him about the school’s hidden cruelties.

The plot summary of “The Nickel Boys” is quite basic, but Colson Whitehead doesn’t narrate the story in a traditional manner. Mostly, we experience the narrative from Elwood’s perspective, not just as an observer, but as if we are one with him. This means we seldom see his face clearly: occasionally, it’s dimly reflected in a polished surface or perhaps we catch a photo-booth image of him, pre-arrest, enjoying a date. Occasionally, the perspective shifts, and we view Elwood through Turner’s eyes. This technique is effective because it’s slightly disorienting; it’s thrilling at first to keep up with Whitehead’s visual ideas. The film is structured like a carefully crafted, patchwork quilt of visual elements, sometimes focusing on Elwood’s life in the 60s and other times leaping forward to the present or near-present day. Sometimes we know exactly what we’re observing: once you’ve seen one dreary institutional cafeteria, you’ve seen them all. However, Whitehead’s approach is usually more conceptual. We don’t directly see the room where the beatings occur, but we sense its horrific spirit through a metallic, blurry impression. An eerie, almost inaudible drone barely suppresses the screams from within—they sound like ghostly echoes, things you’re not sure you’re hearing and hope aren’t real.

Ross, with a background in fine arts, particularly photography, created the 2018 documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening, which portrays the lives of African Americans living in Alabama in a delicate and innovative manner. His latest work, Nickel Boys, is a more complex project, although it doesn’t fully achieve its ambitious goals. As the story unfolds, the film appears to delve into metaphysical realms, which can be seen as a respite from the intense suffering portrayed, acting like a protective veil. However, whether this is beneficial is questionable. Movies that intensely focus on human pain risk becoming distressing by themselves. Ross has made it clear that he intentionally avoided making such a film; he’s a compassionate director with an eye for the subtle beauty in muted sunlight, close-up glimmers of gold, and human skin (the cinematographer is Jomo Fray). However, this approach occasionally makes the movie feel slightly detached, allowing viewers to appreciate it while maintaining a safe distance.

Additionally, this filmmaking style doesn’t primarily highlight the actors’ performances. For example, you may leave feeling that Herisse has given an exceptional portrayal of Elwood, but you might not be able to specifically identify how. In contrast, Ellis-Taylor’s performance as Hattie is unwavering. When Hattie discovers her grandson is hospitalized at Nickel (he was brutally beaten by the facility’s management, though she isn’t informed of this), she dresses professionally and tries to visit him, but is denied access by the authorities. Instead, Ross focuses on the immediate aftermath, showing Hattie standing helplessly on the school grounds, unsure of her next steps. We see these events through Turner’s perspective. Hattie is searching for someone who knows her grandson or has information about him; she also carries a parcel for him. She catches Turner’s attention. Could he possibly deliver her package?

In her radiant visage, as I see it, Ellis-Taylor portrays a woman who isn’t merely yearning for compassion in a world harshly unforgiving, but rather, someone brimming with an unrestrained generosity that’s as elusive as a drifting cloud. As an audience, we grapple with how an actor embodies such selfless bounty, something as intangible as the sky’s fleeting wisps. Yet, Ellis-Taylor masterfully encapsulates this evasive quality, grounding it in her every gesture and movement. Her presence on screen breathes life into the film’s deliberate abstractions, making them palpable and profound.

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2024-12-13 23:07