Why Nomadland Won Best Director
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- Опубліковано 26 кві 2021
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Director Chloe Zhao won the Oscar for Best Director at this year's Academy Awards. In this video I look at her direction of Nomadland, its origins in the work of Terrence Malick, why Chloe Zhao deserved to win, and how she might be helping to start a new stylistic movement in film.
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#ThomasFlight #VideoEssay - Фільми й анімація
My brother is one of the non-actors playing themselves in this movie. He's even in this video. Couldn't be more proud. :)
So there are no script?
was your brother compensated? did he agreed to sharing his story like that? was he aware fren is an actress?
@@abbi891 Yep! Everyone knew where they were and that they were filming a movie and whatnot. :) It was apparently a really cool place to be!
Nice
movie sucked
"The first follower is an underrated form of leadership."
I really like that quote.
This film was so beautiful. I still need to see other Oscar nominated films this year, but I was so happy that this won.
Minari was still better than this
Holy fucking shit. Film crew person here- can say, this is WILD
Are you from the crew of Nomadland?
@@oscarcastillo116 I think she is
Absolutely deserved win! Chloe Zhao made something really unique but really simple, even if you don't think the movie is that great, her vision is so refreshing.
I was a Nomad for 10 years. Awesome movie
Thanks. Sometimes I think I'm a Nobody Nomad. People are lame
Minari was 10000% better than nomadland
@@ulissesmendoza8752 I watched both and I enjoyed Nomadland more, even though as an immigrant I related more with Minari. They're both such good movies, and the craft in them is so high, that in the end I think it comes to personal preferences.
You nailed it on the spot Thomas. A lot of people seem to have missed Zhao's approach and philosophy to Nomadland. A highly deserved win.
The part where he talks about how Zhao was looking for answers to a question rather than stating the obvious was thrilling because it captured how the film was set up a so many people didn’t understand why the film was this way. People asked why she didn’t call out Amazon, or why she didn’t put a bold emphasis on the recession.
I never noticed the Malick influence in Zhao’s ‘till I watched this analysis. Just proves that Zhao is in her own league.
She’s definitely one of today’s directors to look forward to.
so happy MArvel sangged her before that oscar win.
This is interesting, because when I watched Another Round I honestly felt Malick influence in Vinterberg’s visual style. Perhaps he’s had a lot of effect on this years nominees!
I felt A LOT of Mallick’s style in Nomadland. Then, I searched it and - of course - Zhao is a big fan of Mallick, but sees herself as someone that sees nature as God, whereas Malick searches for God in nature. There’s perhaps even a Badlands reference in the scene (the name of the spa) - I know Badlands is the region where characters are located, but, y’know. Anyways, Malick rocks. So does Nomadland.
Malick is one of the most influential filmmakers in the last decades :D
Malick is an incredibly influential filmmaker, we learned about his directing and cinematography styles in film class
@nguyễn minh hoàng gonna watch it! I actually discovered Zhao because of Nomadland, so I haven't watched her other movies yet. And yeah, I really don't get how Mallick's voice-overs are so good. It really comes off as something hauntingly unique to me, especially those by Javier Bardem in To The Wonder.
@@ttime441 well I am not on film school but if you're studying Malick, you're studying the right stuff.
I really love how Nomadland feels so real as if you are watching a documentary.
one of the most deserving win this year!!!
movie sucked
I wonder if some day I will see a video about Wong Kar Wai in this channel.
The part where Linda leaves Fern is the only time I've ever full blown ugly cried while watching a movie, well beyond a "choked up cry".
it was definitely the swallow scene for me
I cried a few times, admittedly I was in a pretty emotional state when I decided to watched it and I connected with a lot of the film about not really feeling like you belong anywhere and always moving from job to job and place to place. I know it won't connect to everyone like that, but it's one of my favourite films of all time now ☺️
You have the best video essays about films in youtube by far. Your aproach is so interesting and you can really tell you know how to analyse a movie. Congrats.
That was really interesting I would have never thought to compare these two Directors
i know this is a video about best director but when you see how small the nomadland crew was and the reliance on natural light and how genuinely gorgeous the film is i have NO clue how mank won best cinematography over this
Mank's cinematography is a huge feat. If we're talking purely about actual skill and craft, Mank is more difficult to pull off than shooting with natural light.
Mank cinematography is amazing.
This style is easy compared to mank tbh.
I'm sorry but filming in pretty locations during golden hour is about the easiest cheat a filmmaker can take to making their cinematography look gorgeous. Mank's cinematography required a ton of technical, historical, and creative experience to achieve.
@@chumplafayette9561 Yes exactly thank you! It really is the easiest way I can think to get cheap but foolproof pretty shots. There were many times while watching Nomadland where I caught myself thinking "Wow, maybe even I could do that! I could direct this" ...I dont mean this in a sarcastic way, I mean it. I found this film more encouraging for the budding filmmaker than anything else ive seen this year. That you can make a beautiful professional motion picture with minimal resources and small sxale and it still works.
thanks I saw a lot of comments saying the movie was too depressing to have won the Oscars, I can now send them this video
Those people are either closed minded with short attention spans or they want some escapism from reality and they want a film to make them feel uplifted and hopeful, which is fine but they should avoid award shows that award films based on art. I guess it can be compared to people saying Frances shouldn't have won because she has two Oscars or that Chadwick should have won as it is his last chance or that Amy Adams should be handed an award after being snubbed every year. The award should go to the best in that category. It is subjective but for many people it is a participation contest and they just want their faves to win. You have stan twitter where half of people like to go against the grain and half like to go with whatever is trending. Once Nomadland became popular they started turning on it. When the media tried to do a hatchet job on it, saying it wasn't political enough, people jumped on the hate bandwagon... but they still wanted Chloe Zhao to win for ethnicity woke points, not because she actually deserved it. It should always be about the art but sadly for many it isn't. Fortunately I think the majority of people agreed with the awards. It is just a vocal hateful minority.
This is a point of view that I agree with ：
“I can’t feel the emotion it should provide, nor can I see the connections of other deeper things. I think its fragmented images and flat expressions are a kind of accumulation that will explode at a certain moment, but this The moment did not appear, everything it showed was raw and meaningless, which actually puzzled me-can I blame a movie for lacking more primitive driving force? In other words, is it a misstep or negligence to only present the image itself? Maybe it is, maybe it is not. Whatever the chaos, "A Place of Nowhere" is terribly pale, especially when it tries to incite the audience with its indiscriminate piano strings and desolate natural landscapes, what emotions can you incitement? What? And those images can never really become a part of the movie like the black water in "Leviathan". It lacks weight and lacks realism. Too often I feel strongly that I am not there, just passing by.
I also don't like the phrase "to all those who have to go on the road". Everything shown in the movie tells me that the director didn't really see the pain of those people, but regarded it as some kind of redemption. Instead of getting close to anything, she romanticized what she saw in a self-assertive manner. This person was hopelessly arrogant.”
The Oscar is no longer the previous Oscar. If a movie receives extra points for the participation of people of color (or directors of people of color), this is a contempt for people of color, and it is also a fake movie.
"the movie was too depressing to have won the Oscars" Schindler's List wants to have a word with them hahah
lol, when Green Book won they said that it was to comedic
I would’ve had The Father as the best film, just slightly. And Nomadland for best director, just slightly. A couple of films that are really incredible. Also couldn’t have given the acting Oscars to move deserving performances. Anthony Hopkins was absurdly great, honestly mesmerising, and Frances McDormand was so subtly brilliant!
Chloe Zhao is the future of filmmaking.
Marvel's Eternals
Gorgeous cinematography and sound.
Chloe deserves the accolades. 👏
The whole production does.
this film oddly gave me some feeling that i couldn't shake. it was like familiarity with nothing being familiarized at all. and i think that's whats great with it, the composition alone makes you feel something that connects you with Fern so easily.
I think you are at your best when you too are 'exploring' the work of a director you love and feel inspired by! The same part of me is touched - surfacing feelings and thoughts and inspiration - every time you make a video about Malik or people of his ilk and style of expression. They clearly speak to you, and so you 'speak' to us. Thanks for the insights, but more importantly the inspiration.
Zhao’s and Malick’s approach to producing is similar in respect to doing a dissertation. There’s would be an inductive approach where the answers they seek would arise unexpectedly to formulate their theory
Great video, and excellent breakdown! 👏
Thanks for explaining all this, it's really appreciated.
I'm so glad I'm waiting to see it in a theater (they are re-opening my local theater this friday and this is the first movie I'll see).
The Rider just blew away. I think about it all the time.
I saw it in theaters, and trust me, it’s worth it
Incredibly subtle and astute analysis of this innovative approach to filmmaking which the academy correctly awarded at the Oscars. This is the best description of why Chloe Zhao is one of the most adventurous filmmakers of our times. Bravo!!!
Thankyou so much Thomas, you let me know and learn things that I could not have learned myself😉😌☺️
Great video as always Thomas!
Great video essay, thanks 🎉
Amazing film, and another great video from this channel. I do hope at some point that we might see a video on Minari, if you happen to have any relent of that film you think is worth more analysis, it’s my favourite of 2020 :)
If you've seen "The Florida Project", it has a very similar directing style, I think it should've been nominated a few years ago.
a very much better film period.
the two films are vastly different in terms of the style. The only thing they have in common is the genre (socialrealist)
Yea... the “style” is called crappy and amateur. This director is only lauded because Hollywood wants to push women directors
Great video!! And, I LOVE Derek Sivers!! My two favorite quotes of his are: "When you're green, you grow. When you're ripe, you rot!" And, "You're 66% more likely to learn something if, at first, you fail."
One reason the Malick approach is more easily adoptable now is because of digital. You can do 20 minute, even hour long takes. You can shoot at 1600+ iso so natural light is easy. And you can have lighter more portable rigs (including stabilisation - alongside handheld, they used gimbals on Nomadland vs. bigger steadicam rigs) than were possible before.
A great review, tf. Some of your best work. I to am a fan of Derek sivers, all the way back to his cd baby days where he prophesized the independent artist in the internet age.
Great video! I was pretty disappointed by Nomadland and I don't think it'll ever be a movie I enjoy but this video really helped me appreciate Chloe Zhao's vision and her work
Interesting observation and comparison of style.
Really like your insights.
New sub here.
I feel like you prepared a video for "why (insert director name) deserved to win" for every director nominated
He would for sure for top 2
or else renamed it
"Why it should have won". He's smart
I feel like he'd have this video made in advance as "Why Chloe Zhao Would Deserve Best Director" and then just changed the verb tense when she won
👆
So what? Real time marketing rules are brutal, Bro.
GOLD!
Thank you,
Finally !
I really enjoyed Nomadland both on an emotional and spiritual level. One criticism viewing it in cinema's was that nearly every shot was blurry and contained high levels of noise, nevertheless composition, colour, lighting etc was flawless. On digital, it looks as sharp as ever.
This was an enlightening essay into her directing style and choices, especially her efforts to allow thr actors to lead the scenes rather than the camera. Though, I do not think it covers why she was deserving to win. Would need to compare her work to the other nominees.
Excellent video. Excellent movie.
Thank you! I was rooting for this at Oscars... but i don’t get it why people are so mad about that. And now i can send them this video
@Thomas Flight I think adding subtle captions at the bottom that flow as you talk would make your video a lot better. I really enjoyed what you were talking about, but i kept losing focus during the longer monologues because there's no editing to keep me with your points besides the film itself and title breaks sprinkled throughout. Idk how much time that'd take yet i think it''d be worth it :D
If you're a full time Nomad you should start a UA-cam channel to keep in touch with everyone. You don't have to make a bunch of videos all the time, just one every now and then so we all know you're alive and kickin. Don't worry about having a bunch of subscribers or monetizing, it's just about staying connected with a quick video so we know you.
Such a wonderful movie ❤❤❤❤
Can't explain the feeling. Really deserved oscar 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Need to see this film
Just lovely, thank you. I haven't been in a movie theatre for a year but I think I'm going to take Frances' advice and see it again on a big screen. (Well... bigGER. The BIG screens at the multiplex are taken up by "Mortal Kombat," another film OBVIOUSLY influenced by Malick.)
Brazilian indie cinema (the one that goes to festivals) has been produced like this for a lonnnng time already: Long Way Home (Locarno), Arabia (Rotterdam) and so many others...cheers.
Such a beautiful film! The swallow scene broke me up
I'm a big fan of Nomadland and Terrence Malick, but there are many other great Asian directors who have done the similar style for decades. Naomi Kawase, Lee Chang-Dong, Shunji Iwai, Lou Ye and even Wong Kar-Wai deserve more attention from American people, especially when you talk about Zhao and her style.
Nomadland is really great, but its style is not that unique as American people thought. It's great because Zhao exactly well utilized the way that many other pioneers have tried.
😍
Thanks!
Maybe a video on Another Round?
How about on Quo Vadis, Aida? instead. Too few have seen this truly unforgettable film and it deserves more time in the spotlight and more space in a cinephile discourse.
I was watching this movie and I realized I stayed on that campground in South Dakota with my parents 10 years ago or so. I also have a photo with that giant dinosaur
This is an excellent synopsis.
I was gonna skip seeing Nomadland, but I will now have too watch.
We don't rever to people as "non-actor" but instead, not professional actors, because we understand they are sure actors at work. :)
Give The Florida Project a gander is you enjoyed this film. Beautifuly made!
I have chills
gonna make me tear up just talking about the film and i havent even seen it, i guess i have to though
Thought Nomadland's cinematography was alright but I suggest checking out A Sun on Netflix which has the best cinematography and color palette of any 2020 film in my opinion.
I was blown away by nomadland
The Thin Red Line's Cinematographer is John Toll not Emmanuel Lubezki
Correct, the way a movie will look is not always an esthetic decision, but a practical one. I don't know about Malik, but for Zhao, I'd say that if she used a lot of hand held cameras they couldn't pull out focus properly, and it would have been way too challenging to pull out focus on a moving camera. There is a way to go around this, film everything at f/11 and everything will be in focus. I bet this consideration is not totally out of consideration.
Malick y Zhao son dos de mis directores favoritos,
Directing style is also similar to, The disciples by chaitanya , also nominee in Oscar 2021.
Really is like neorealistic italian cinema
Can’t talk about on location shooting without mentioning Wong Kar-Wai and Christopher Doyle.
seems to be this was done before in Leave No Trace and Winter's Bone.
Not only is the aesthetic of a film rooted in its approach, I think the story itself can impose its visual style beyond the director's or the screenwriter's control. That's the beauty of film, it sometimes escapes the creators' grip and it's their work to embrace it. The beauty is that Zhao absolutely embraces the stories of the people on screen. Great content as always!
I read the book last year and I was crushed. How does this compare to it ?
great from california i recognize nomad community in california from the movie
What’s the title of the piano music that starts at mark 4:44 please? Thank you
But this is nothing compared to F9 where Vin Diesel drove his car off a cliff while latching onto a wire. The car landed on the road of a different mountain. That is the truest form of Malick's philosophy I have seen in the movies.
Paul Anderson, abbas kirostami and Tartowsky also were the best in making meditative cinema
Great movie. Intelligent Chloe Z. Actors brilliant. xxx
love u thomas
8:41 very brilliant choice :D
How do you not get copyright claims
Thank you for that rich explanation! I loved the movie and it's touching portraits. Only one thing wasn't so great, when Fern has left her friend and his family, she is going to meet the striking waves by the cliffs, a strong scene with wonderful sounds. 9:20 . But all a sudden very prominent music is pushing apart all nature feelings ... this was awkward, disturbing to me, my relation to such experiences.
If you commit a work of art to pureness, stick to it.
I feel like Sean Baker fits this style and approach as well without feeling derivative of TM
You love Derek Sivers too? Wow, small world!
Watched this movie last night. It was amazing.
How she went from this quiet introspective movie to eternals i'll never know
Why she deserved best director for the rider?
Sadly I can’t really say I enjoyed the film; however, my film fanatic side of me couldn’t ignore how well it was made.
The best picture Oscar goes to not so best movie of the year.
Her work shows influence of terrence malick
Do The Platform
I really liked Nomadland, but wasn't quite convinced that Zhao should've gotten Best Director, and while this doesn't completely change my outlook - you made brilliant points and I'm pretty satisfied with Zhao's win now ! great work :)
such a deserving win!
This video and this MOVIE deserve far more attention.
Agree about the video but the film literally won best picture, not sure you can get much more attention lol
I find this movie similar to Under the Skin. The dash cams and city lights arrive as a necessity.
I don't like it when music cuts in the middle , it takes me away from what I am feeling.
Lovely.
Thanks for this... ¿lectures? i dont know, i have good time watching 🏋️♂️
Hey Thomas! I love your videos and your style, always incredibly informative and entertaining. I saw Nomadland in the cinema and enjoyed it a lot, but didn’t love it. What I liked most about it was the positivity it evoked in its messages about life and death. However, I’ve stumbled across this video that discusses the largely negative aspects of the film and its potential problems with its newfound prestige. I just wondered what your thoughts are on the issues discussed as I’m always intrigued to hear what you have to say. I’ve links the video below! Keep up the great work.
ua-cam.com/video/CocIxDrh1KY/v-deo.html
I'm really excited for Zhao Western Dracula, i mean.... how can't you? its Western.... but it's Dracula 🤣
EARLYYY!!!
When the whole world becomes your mise en scene
Need a video explaining the acting of Chadwick Boseman vs Anthony Hopkins to explain the "upset"
Here is that video: ua-cam.com/video/4kSGkGKwp9U/v-deo.html