Nomadland (2020)
Figures
Characters
- The creation of the fictional composite protagonist, Fern
Form & technique
- The casting and narrative function of real-life nomads (Linda May, Swankie, Bob Wells)
- The interplay between Ludovico Einaudi's musical score and the diegetic soundscape
- The opening sequence depicting the ghost town of Empire, Nevada
Tropes
- Amazon CamperForce warehouse scenes
- The recurring wide shots of vast, monumental natural landscapes
- Fern’s consistent refusal of stable housing → The Toxic Carrot
- Fern’s van, "Vanguard," as a domestic and mobile space
- The recurrent use of "magic hour" (dusk/dawn) cinematography
- The Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) community gatherings
- Fern’s final walk through her abandoned Empire home and storage unit → Hauntology
- The depiction of Fern's aging body performing physically demanding labor → The Managed Body
- The broken plate Fern salvages and repairs
Films most connected to Nomadland