RaMell Ross’s Nickel Boys, based on the novel by Colson Whitehead, does not start with an exhumation as the book does, but with signs of life and vitality. Featured at the Telluride Film Festival and slated for the New York Film Festival next month, Nickel Boys uses sensory details to portray the passage of time and family rituals. The carefully crafted visual representation gives an evidence of an existence lived.
Ross, who had previously directed the Oscar-nominated "Hale County, This Morning, This Evening”, again wields his unique style of storytelling to breathe life into the Nickel Boys. This debut narrative, an adaptation of Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, explores themes of Black boyhood and masculinity, community, and the secrets of the landscape.
Nickel Boys follows the story of Elwood Curtis, a young Black boy living in Tallahassee with his grandma during the peak of Jim Crow era. Despite the racial prejudices in society, Elwood finds solace in the teachings of Dr. King and aspires to make positive changes. However, a twist of fate lands him in a reform school after he is wrongly accused of being an accomplice in a car theft.
Director Ross handles the boys' experiences objectively, not sensationalising the horrific incidents at the reform school. Furthermore, grainy interstitial footage linking Elwood's experiences with the broader American history lends a deeper perspective. All these build a poignant representation of systemic racial injustice.
In a flash-forward to a contemporary time, an adult Elwood, played by actor Daveed Diggs, is seen looking at images of exhumed graves discovered near the school, hinting at possible justice. Ross and cinematographer Jomo Fray build a distinct visual language that closely follows the characters, giving the viewer a intimate look into their world.
The film highlights the friendship between Elwood and Jack Turner (played by Brandon Wilson), whose different worldviews and responses to their situation offer rich character development and narrative depth. This focus on character perspective deepens the cinematic immersion, proving once again Ross's ability to represent Black characters authentically.
While the film may draw comparisons with Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight", for its take on Black boyhood and masculinity, it is apparent that Ross is carving out his own unique style in portraying these themes. The distinction lies in the poignant details.
