Respond to these rapid questions in our Nomadland quiz and we will tell you which Nomadland character you are. Play it now.
Fern (Frances McDormand) is mourning the loss of a life that has been ripped from her grasp. It appears that she was relatively content in Empire, Nevada, one of the many small towns in the United States that were built around industry. When the gypsum plant in Empire was forced to close, the town of Empire was forced to close as well. The entire zip code was removed from the list in six months. Fern’s husband passed away while she was in this nightmare state, leaving her completely alone and, well, she prefers the term “houseless” to “homeless” because it sounds better to her. Fern sets out on the road in search of work as a seasonal employee at an Amazon fulfillment center. She eventually becomes involved with a group of modern nomads, people who sometimes form makeshift communities, but she eventually finds herself back on the road, traversing the American landscape. Fern is the unforgettable focal point of Chloé Zhao’s masterful “Nomadland,” a film that finds poetry in the story of a seemingly ordinary woman, played by a talented cast. Beautifully shot, it alternates between being dreamlike in the way it captures the beauty of this country and being grounded in its story about a type of person we don’t often see in films. Everything about it appeals to me.
Filmmakers and artists in general have a tendency to pass judgment on the characters they are creating. Here’s the good guy, and here’s the bad guy, in reverse order. Listed below is the problem that needs to be resolved in order for the leading man or lady to be happy at the conclusion of the film, or to be damned because of their bad behavior. The true story of “Nomadland,” based on the book by Jessica Bruder, has been melodramatized and turned into a film about redemption. There’s a much lesser version of the true story, “Nomadland,” based on the book by Jessica Bruder, that does all of this. Fern does not believe she is in need of redemption or salvation, and Zhao does not push buttons in an attempt to make us feel sorry for her, while at the same time never underestimating the loneliness and sadness that she is experiencing in her situation. The end result is a film that earns its emotions, which are derived primarily from genuine, honest empathy rather than any other motivation.
Of course, with a lesser actress than Frances McDormand as the focal point of every single scene, this is impossible to achieve. We are given a glimpse of this world through McDormand’s performance, which is one of the most subtle and refined of her professional life. Her character, Fern, is a stunningly complex woman, someone who can be restless to the point of feeling self-destructive, but who is also incredibly warm and open with her friends and family. She meets new people everywhere she goes, such as the ladies she meets at an RV show or the young man she helps by turning on a light for him. A single glance or a wry smile can convey so much information that other actors would be unable to convey in an entire monologue. In this performance, we get to see a complete life. Every beat, every choice, and every decision has a backstory. It’s one of the best performances of her career from one of our most talented actresses. It’s simply breathtaking to behold.
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As for Zhao, she matches the attention she receives from McDormand in “Nomadland” with her incredible technical prowess. She re-teams with Joshua James Richards, the cinematographer who worked on “The Rider,” and the two of them discover new beauty in the landscapes of the United States of America. With long shots of the horizon, many of which appear to have been shot at the magic hour, Zhao and Richards draw Fern’s attention to the grandeur of the world around her. Fern’s journey takes her all across North America, and Zhao and Richards revel in the majesty of the world around her. It’s a beautiful film to simply watch, and it’s not just because of the “beauty shots,” either. Everything about “Nomadland’s” visual language is arresting—even the way Richards and Zhao slowly glide their camera with Fern through a community of van-dwellers can feel lyrical while somehow never losing sight of the truth and grit of the situation. It’s honestly difficult to comprehend how Zhao managed to create a film that is both visually stunning in its compositions and yet somehow manages to retain a sense of having dirt under its fingernails. A beautiful score by Ludovico Einaudi, who is easily my favorite composer of the year, adds to the poetry of the whole experience.
Nomadland Quiz
The majority of the people Fern meets along the way in “Nomadland” are non-actors, people who are actually living this nomadic lifestyle. (The only other well-known face is that of David Strathairn, who is excellent as the man who Fern befriends in the film.) Fern’s conversations and interactions have an improvised, natural quality to them that helps the film to feel grounded. Their stories of not wanting to die with their dreams of traveling the country unfulfilled, their tips on how to live safely on the road, and their support for one another are unlike those of their neighbors who live in traditional homes, who are rarely supportive of one another. Because it reminds us how many people are out there with stories to tell and dreams that have yet to be realized, “Nomadland” becomes more than just a fictional account of a fascinating woman. Despite this, it never wallows in sorrow or misery.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Nomadland quiz.
Grief, of course, is always present, riding shotgun with us. It can be seen in the way McDormand smiles when she overhears someone else talking about their deceased loved one. She’s probably thinking about her husband at the moment. A different interpretation of “Nomadland” is that it is the story of a woman fleeing from grief and becoming disassociated with society after everything she knew was taken away and vanished. Part of what you say is correct. However, it is also the story of so many Americans who are currently feeling lost, unsure of where to turn next or what the future will hold for them. When it comes to the images of “Nomadland” that feel like answers to the unrest and anxiety of 2020, the ones that stand out are those that contain so much beauty in the most basic of things—the smile of an old friend or the dip in the river or the kindness of a stranger. Despite the fact that we may not all be able to relate directly to Fern’s difficulties, we can all relate to her sense of unease and uncertainty. Perhaps we should take to the road.
About the quiz
It was submitted in conjunction with the Toronto International Film Festival’s premiere of the film in this review. On February 19th, 2021, it will be re-released in theaters and on Hulu, marking the film’s theatrical and streaming debuts.Also, you must try to play this Nomadland quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: Joe Bell Quiz.
