Thursday, Film4, 11:35pm
In Nomadland (2020), director Chloé Zhao invites us into a world of modern American nomadism with a gentle, unfiltered gaze. Following Fern, portrayed with characteristic quiet brilliance by Frances McDormand, the film leads viewers through an America seldom seen in mainstream cinema—the land of abandoned towns, temporary communities, and vanishing industrial dreams. Fern is part of a generation that lives on the road by necessity, not as a romantic escape. Moving from one temporary job to another, the film captures the melancholy and hope within her journey, offering glimpses into real lives and stories that infuse this fictional narrative with a documentary-like authenticity.
The soundtrack, composed by Ludovico Einaudi, perfectly mirrors the film’s restraint and quiet majesty. Known for his minimalistic piano compositions, Einaudi brings an intimate, contemplative layer to the story, capturing the vastness of the landscapes with sparse yet deeply evocative melodies. Tracks like "Oltremare" and "Golden Butterflies" ripple through the scenes like waves, enhancing the solitude and beauty of the American West. Einaudi’s music, simple yet piercing, becomes almost an additional character, echoing Fern’s loneliness, introspection, and the solace she finds in nature. The choice of such an ethereal score is genius; it never overpowers the scenes but complements them, leaving room for silence—a valuable rarity in film music today.
Nomadland has been lauded for its stripped-back aesthetic, and its soundtrack plays a crucial role in this, earning Einaudi immense praise and making it a must-have for any serious collector of cinematic scores. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and though Einaudi's compositions were not eligible for the Oscar (as they were not originally written for the film), they remain inseparable from its identity. For listeners, this soundtrack isn’t so much a compilation of memorable hooks as it is an emotional experience—a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful music lies in what isn’t played. For anyone who appreciates a soundtrack that whispers rather than shouts, Nomadland’s score is a breath of fresh air.
- Paul Allen