Hollywood is filled with stories of men fighting for their humanity.
Movies like Cool Hand Luke, The Great Escape, and The Defiant Ones are American classics because of the larger-than-life men who lead these films. They all attempt to break out of oppressive systems while retaining their sense of self. These films are powerful, breathtaking classics; however, there’s something to be said about similar stories that feature more grounded characters. Not everyone can be a Sidney Poitier or Paul Newman; having your lead be more relatable can help build empathy, which is director RaMell Ross’ goal with Gotham Week‘s latest showcase, Nickel Boys. Nickel Boys is a perfect exercise in empathy and a stunning cinematic feat of quintessential American cinema, building on the classics while maintaining a strikingly modern edge.
Set in 1962, the film follows Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a young kid who, after being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, is sent to Nickel Academy, a segregated reformatory school. There, he befriends Turner (Brandon Wilson), a more cynical but supportive student, and the two back each other up during the cruel, inhumane treatment in the school. The film is entirely told through POV, shifting between Elwood and Turner, but predominantly follows Elwood as you see his childhood leading up to the reformatory school. By showing the comics he’s read and his childhood sweethearts, Ross exhibits Elwood’s living a full and loving life. By the time he gets to Nickel Academy, we know him; we know he’s a different person than the guards see him, and we feel his strength as he tries to protect himself and plot an escape. Aided by Ethan Herisse’s fantastic performance, Elwood is a fully realized character.
The film occasionally references The Defiant Ones, even showing clips of Sidney Poitier defying the guards. Elwood is modeled after him and the characters of his ilk, men who fight and can’t be broken down. However, unlike Poitier, we’re in Elwood’s head; we see his fear; we feel his agony and struggles to maintain his hope. Even Turner is resigned to the idea that no one outside of Nickel Academy is waiting for him, his spirit crushed by the academy’s boot. The structure and hierarchy of Nickel Academy are designed to be oppressive, and the film’s aggressiveness only makes Elwood’s resilience more inspiring.
Nickel Boys is inspiring, intense, haunting, and, most of all, human. It’s rare to find characters with such power that feel so real. Elwood deserves to be recognized as a classic American cinematic character who doesn’t need to be larger-than-life for us to feel his resilience. Nickel Boys is a cinematic achievement that I’m confident will be revisited for years to come.
