As a cinephile with a penchant for unconventional storytelling and a deep appreciation for the art of film editing, I find Nickel Boys to be an absolute game-changer. The first-person perspective technique employed by director RaMell Ross adds a layer of authenticity and intimacy that is rarely seen on screen. It’s like peeking into the lives of these characters through a window, rather than watching them from a distant stage.
Nickel Boys could change the way we see faces onscreen.
That’s what editor Nicholas Monsour believes.
This year, one of the most distinctive and beautifully filmed dramas is “The Nickel Boys,” adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Director RaMell Ross chose an unconventional approach, narrating the story of two teenagers who end up at a cruel reform school in 1960s Florida through their personal experiences. The camera initially sees the world through the eyes of Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a boy who finds himself at Nickel after unintentionally traveling in a stolen car on his way to college classes. Later, it switches to the perspective of Elwood’s friend Turner (Brandon Wilson), a charismatic young man who initially accepts his unfortunate situation.
As a gamer, here’s my take: “Man, this movie does something extraordinary! The best part? Watching how the characters interact with each other – it’s a connection you rarely feel in other films. After seeing this movie, I can’t help but look at faces differently.
Monsour also believes the technique can help shed new light on characters.
Monsour notes that one intriguing aspect of the first-person perspective is how it lets us understand the character based on what they choose to focus on, and this became increasingly clear to him as he delved deeper into the story.
At first, Monsour, known for collaborating with Jordan Peele on films like ‘Us’ and ‘Nope’, discovered he was teaming up with a director who, having experience as an editor, had unique perspectives on how to construct a movie. (Notably, Ross had handled this task in his Academy Award-nominated documentary ‘Hale County This Morning, This Evening’.))
Upon Ross’s arrival in New York to edit the film, he and Monsour engaged in a discussion, as Monsour referred to it, on the concepts that Ross aimed to express. They delved into the historical aspects of subjective filmmaking, and Monsour revisited philosophical texts from his college days about phenomenology, focusing on the study of perception. He also studied the work of philosopher Lewis Gordon, who explores racialized perspectives, to aid him in justifying his editing decisions during their time in the edit suite.
In addition to drawing from actual events, “The Nickel Boys” makes extensive use of archival materials. The novel’s setting, the Nickel Academy, is modeled after the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Florida. However, it doesn’t just rely on visual similarities to the real location; author Colson Whitehead also incorporates various historical images, such as documentaries about the space race and Black life in America. By blending this archival footage with scenes shot by cinematographer Jomo Fray, a rich “tapestry” is woven, as described by Monsour.
Essentially, Monsour’s role as an editor was mainly about enhancing the audience’s comprehension of the characters based on Elwood and Turner’s perspectives. At times, archival images served as a symbol for the subconscious actions of the characters, but Monsour also leaned heavily on footage shot directly on set.
Monsour points out that they focused significantly on intimate moments, which not only reveal a lot about Elwood’s personal sensitivities but also his intelligence and creativity,” is one way to paraphrase the original sentence in a natural and easy-to-read manner.
Occasionally, the narrative leaps forward in time to reveal an older Elwood, portrayed by Daveed Diggs, delivering some of the movie’s most surprising scenes. (When Diggs appears onscreen, the camera seems to float behind him, attached to his body. According to Monsour, this gives a somewhat “spirit-like” impression.)
The challenge in the editing process was deciding when to jump to what time period.
He explains that it encompassed all the strategies found in a book, such as taking a step back, analyzing shapes and their rhythmic sequences, observing it, and noticing how changing its timing, either earlier or later, affected the outcome.
He’s still as excited about the initial transformation into the older Elwood as he was on the first occasion. “Modestly speaking, I still feel the same rush that I felt when we transitioned to the adult Elwood for the very first time, with a simple click at the scene that had the maximum emotional impact in the movie.
Check out other revealing stories about how movies get made at THR.com/behindthescreen.
This tale was initially published in a special December edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. If you’d like to get the magazine yourself, follow this link to subscribe.
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2024-12-05 23:56