By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer
Content warning: this piece talks in-depth about slavery and racial segregation.
Colson Whitehead’s novel The Nickel Boys tells the story of two boys doing time in a reform school. Elwood Curtis, who is falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit, sees all his ambitions stripped from him when he is sent to Nickel Academy. He meets Turner, who has lost hope in any chance of freedom. They’re both victims of systemic racism, as the story unfolds during the Jim Crow era, when racial segregation was common. The two characters have different viewpoints of life, but are confined to a space that has reduced their futures to becoming subservient to an oppressive system.
The novel dissects how Elwood, who refuses to give up his pursuit of freedom by resonating with the importance of the civil rights movement, is paralleled by Turner, who has seen what a place like Nickel can do to people. The novel is straightforward. It tells the story through a third-person point of view without any stylistic diversion. This makes the progression of the story even more shocking. Readers know there is some level of tragedy awaiting, but the way it unfolds is not only unexpected, but leads readers to review the context of the previous events leading up to the end.
Whitehead’s novel is based on the true story of the Dozier reform school in Florida, which committed multiple accounts of abuse, and was responsible for the death of attendees. The subject matter is heavy, yet Whitehead handles the story with so much compassion that it feels wrong to avoid it. While The Nickel Boys came out in 2019, it has recently been adapted into a film by director RaMell Ross. The film, which takes the word “the” away from the book’s title, follows the exact same plot as the book, but presents the story in a completely new light. To reduce the film as an adaptation completely detracts from how ambitious it truly is. Nickel Boys is shot from a first-person point of view. Unlike the book, which tells the story in a way where we see it unfold from the outside, the film lets us peer into the lives of Elwood and Turner.
Shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, condensing the projection to present us with a square look, the film confines us in the viewpoint of the two characters. While it mainly focuses on seeing what Elwood sees, it occasionally shifts to Turner’s point of view as well, giving us a glimpse into what Elwood looks like on the outside. These perspectives play out the same scenes but from two different angles, giving viewers more context.
“The subject matter is heavy, yet Whitehead handles the story with so much compassion that it feels wrong to avoid it.”
Despite the film’s composition making it seem like we are walking in the shoes of the characters, the cinematography is powerful. The shots often focus on an entire frame, then slowly bring it out of focus to show smaller details. There are shots that have similar elements, but take place at different parts of the film, allowing them to take on new context. One example of this has to do with Elwood’s point of view. As a child, he sits under a tree, observing little details in front of him. Later, Elwood appears under an orange tree, during his time in Nickel. The shot is almost identical, but this time he is picking the oranges, practically coerced into slavery as he serves his time.
Seeing this book adapted to film has shown how different contextual lenses can create an immersive understanding of history. The Nickel Boys’ devastating narrative becomes even more poignant when viewed in two different mediums.
Nickel Boys is streaming on Prime Video. Those interested in borrowing the book can place a hold at the VPL.
