Nomad Land (2020)

Directed by: Chloe Zhao | 107 minutes | drama | Actors: Frances McDormand, Gay DeForest, Patricia Grier, Linda May, Angela Reyes, Carl R. Hughes, Douglas G. Soul, Ryan Aquino, Teresa Buchanan, Karie Lynn McDermott Wilder, Brandy Wilber, Makenzie Etcheverry, Bob Wells, Annette Webb, Rachel Bannon, Charlene Swankie, David Strathairn, Bryce Bedsworth, Sherita Deni Coker

They travel through the American landscape in their camper vans. Where there is work they work, where they can spend the night they spend the night. Sometimes they travel to the vast desert, where they meet like-minded people. Then they sit in a circle and tell their stories. Stories about economic malaise, about domestic suffering, about illness and misery. But also stories about freedom, mutual comradeship and overwhelming nature. Stories from the detached life of an American nomad.

In the tranquil drama ‘Nomadland’ we follow such a nomad. Sixties Fern left her beloved city of Empire in response to her husband’s death and the economic crisis. Since then, she’s been roaming America’s rugged west, hopping from job to job. As a warehouse assistant, cleaning lady or production employee. In ‘Nomadland’ we see how heavy and how attractive the existence of a nomad is. How disastrous it is to have a breakdown when the money is gone. How wonderful it is to drive around in complete freedom through vast natural landscapes.

‘Nomadland’ shows what it means to live in the moment. The nomads have ridden away from their past, into a future that starts anew every moment. They don’t have big plans, at most what the next job will be. Their stories and drawn faces prove that they were indeed shaped by the past.

‘Nomadland’ is a hybrid film. Based on Jessica Bruder’s non-fiction book, we follow the fictional character Fern who, along the way, meets all sorts of ‘real’ nomads who tell ‘real’ stories. At the same time, there are a number of slightly dramatized scenes, such as the one with Fern’s fictional sister Pam. The difference between those played and the more authentic scenes is mainly in the dialogues. These are more convincing and natural with the ‘real’ characters than with the invented characters. This makes the film a bit unbalanced at times. Moreover, due to a lack of plot and developed characters, ‘Nomadland’ lacks dramatic impact, something that the comparable travel drama ‘Wendy and Lucy’ by Kelly Reichardt had in abundance.

That doesn’t make this a bad movie. The tour is fascinating and the images are beautiful and atmospheric. In addition, Frances McDormand portrays a credible nomad. Because the film has no tension and does not delve too much into the past, you also live as a spectator in the exciting present of the nomads. Although you will be glad afterwards that your own house is not on 4 wheels and that you can still pay your bills.