NOMADLAND: The Fragile Post-COVID America
Searchlight PicturesAlthough it is hard to truly say that any film has benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic – due to a beyond shaky marketplace and film landscape – from a thematic perspective, it is hard to ignore how much the now Best Picture-winning Nomadland took away from the climate it was released in. Neither Chloé Zhao nor the rest of the Nomadland crew knew when the film was filming back in 2018 that their work would carry such a haunting resonance with the fears of the average audience member. Without ever mentioning the pandemic, Nomadland naturally captures a rare yet terrifying perspective on just how fragile modern society can be, which became a daily worry for the public during the modern global pandemic.
From the opening text seen within the feature, it is clear that the heart of Nomadland belongs to a failed America. Fern (Frances McDormand) is seen throughout as a strong and independent individual who is willing to do whatever is needed for survival, but the situation she finds herself in is no fault of her own. Drawing from the real-world tragedy of the once-prosperous town of Empire, Nevada, which saw hundreds lose their jobs due to a slump in the construction industry and left them with nowhere to turn for support or a brighter tomorrow, Nomadland builds a backbone on the forced separation between Fern and a traditional society, as well as the deeper truths of the human experience she finds while on the road. One likes to imagine that security is found within a society. If someone works hard and plays the game as laid out in front of them, their society will protect them and give them a path to a better tomorrow. Yet, as seen with Empire, this is simply not the case.
Nomadland would always be an impactful feature, with the authenticity of its emotion and the endless amounts of power and empathy Frances McDormand is able to conjure in whatever role she is given, but its context of release adds so much. The general public no longer has to research small examples like what happened in Empire to see the fragility of society for themselves. In early 2020, the world fell apart unlike ever before. Almost overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we knew it, possibly forever. Simply going outside became a genuine medical concern, which led to businesses across the globe shutting down in accordance with local laws for the sake of saving lives.
This led to over thirty-three million individuals on a global level becoming unemployed nearly overnight with no end in sight. Though some businesses have started the long road to recovery over a year after the first lockdowns, others haven't. Take the industry of malls, for example. As seen in the rather haunting documentary Jasper Mall, a large number of these once highly successful and influential pieces of culture have fallen on hard times and were in the perfect position for COVID to wipe out. There is no guarantee of a better tomorrow for any business or individuals and, even with the pandemic coming to a close, the effects can be permanent.
The overnight collapse of society left many without a road forward. Suddenly, the journey Fern found herself on became a painful reflection of reality for many. The once seemingly sturdy castle of society has been exposed as a house of cards, and there is no going back. COVID-19 has cost a shocking 3.85 million lives with the counter still ticking. It has also cost countless individuals their futures. Businesses can rebound and financial stability can be reached once again for some, but even the luckiest of people will feel this impact forever. Modern capitalist society is built on a rather paint-by-numbers game plan which leads to eventual retirement, and the loss of savings and stability can put this predetermined path into question. Generations will have to deal with incredibly complex systemic failings due to this pandemic, which easily can lead to things like homeownership being harder than ever for some. Yet again, it seems like this is something society should be able to account for and assist with, but the sad truth for these individuals is that they are alone in a system which will do everything in its power to have them fail without even a hint of remorse.
While this insecurity is the backbone of Nomadland, it isn't the soul of the film. If there is one positive take away from Nomadland, it is how much deeper life goes than just the game of society. Even if society falls apart around us, it can't take away the humanity that we carry. Friends and family still will hold firm and, ultimately, that is much more of the purpose of life than the rat race generally faced. Fern has lost everything but finds a community on the road which is accepting and supportive of her and her pain. It is easy to feel alone in a society filled with relentless systems and unforgiving decisions based on a profit margin, but the truth is we are all in this together. Even on the darkest of days, this sliver of light can be found and offers at the very least a possibility for something bigger to be found somewhere down the road.
