Caleb Landry Jones and Essie Davis in Nitram movie

Movie Review: Nitram (2021)

By peerynt | Whizzing Tripod | 21 Jul 2022


[The photos in this post are from www.nitrammovie.com, used here on Fair Use basis.]

Nitram is Martin spelled backwards. Once upon a time late last century Martin lived in Tasmania, an island state of Australia, where about thirty years later a film based on him and his life was met with a general disapproval. Nitram is a film about why a lot of people in Tasmania wouldn’t like it.

Among the films Nitram’s director Justin Kurzel have been working on before are two practically in every sense different beasts: True History of the Kelly Gang and Assassin's Creed, except for the main characters that are outlaws and recluse types. The subject matter of outcasts and death has been taken in a more controversial direction in Nitram, and to an outstanding effect at that – the film is a chilling journey, where there is a gradually disappearing sense of doubt and guessing about where it is all going. I went to see it last month at the cinema not really knowing anything about it, and, as so many times is the case, I felt I’ve gained more from being oblivious to everything it deals with than if I had taken an interest in doing some research before my visit to movie theatre.

Caleb Landry Jones as Nitram in Nitram movie

Apparently, Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus on Nitram contains a praise that reads as following, “well acted character study”, which I wholeheartedly agree with, and the truth of which is reinforced by the fact that Texan born Caleb Landry Jones (Antiviral, Get Out) received Best Actor award from Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) as well as in Cannes last year for portraying Nitram’s title character. Writer Shaun Grant (who received AACTA and New South Wales Premier's Literary Award for Nitram’s screenplay) has indeed stripped down the real life facts, on which the film is based, leaving only the necessary features for Nitram’s cinematic portrait. The character traits, the issue with not always controlling impulses as well as inadequate emotional reactions, intellectual disability and occasional absence of concern for one’s own survival are all thrown in front of the audience to make what it wants of it. But all that still fits in the chain of events well, which at first is even somewhat surprising because of the chain's sequential, coherent manner, when what the spectator would have likely expected instead would have been a chaotic mix of moments from someone’s life given that lack of logic in Nitram, at least from a sane person’s point of view, is a recurring problem.

Caleb Landry Jones as the titular character in Nitram movie

When comparing the outline of real life events to film’s screenplay, it becomes clear that Nitram is a journey with checkpoints. Without being a psychiatrist, one could see the warning signs, each of which, in my opinion, equals to a checkpoint. Beyond each of these checkpoints lies something with a more tragic outcome than before. In my opinion, exactly this kind of gradual build-up is the most impressive aspect of this film. I was sitting in my seat at the cinema and midway through the movie there was already enough of that chilling feeling under my skin which comes with intuitive awareness regarding the oncoming, likely unpleasant experience. Next checkpoint proved to be even more frightening than the one before that – I mean, dealing with anger, anxiety or disappointment by first trying to inflict damage on a car, later turning to air rifle, and, of course, the progression doesn't end there. It was like watching a movie with death sitting next to me – the feeling of watching a report containing cold, inevitable, predestined experience from the realms of afterlife, filled with dread and confusion. Both, Kurzel and Grant have decided to present the most horrifying moments in Nitram with an approach which, at least in theory, says that what is more important than what's being shown to the audience is that what is not being shown. But what really made it an intense affair for me was not just the intentional build-up and realism of it all, but the confusion which comes with the lack of familiarity regarding the basis of lead character’s behavioural patterns, where you gradually spot certain patterns that don't make you feel like there's a happy ending to it all, realising there is a finite number of ways it can all play out and none of those exclude aggression and violence. How’s this for the fear of the unknown? Question which brings me to the rest of the film’s main cast, all of whom received AACTA awards for their roles in it. In an indeed remarkable way the cast acts as an interpreting medium helping to understand what is going on. Anthony LaPaglia (Anabelle: Creation, Underground: The Julian Assange Story), who plays Nitram’s dad is mentioning to lead character’s mom about how she is always pushing the guy when Nitram, who receives a disability pension, chooses to move out of his parents’ house. The mom is played by Judy Davis (Ratched series, Naked Lunch). Hers is a face of passionate smoker, which makes the movie’s final frame all the more powerful. In fact, Nitram’s final frame is one of the best I have ever seen, and I'm not writing something like this lightly. If you’ve never been a smoker, you probably won’t understand the power of nicotine which can help to alleviate or even overcome grief, but to a smoker of many years the character of Mrs. Davis would certainly speak on another level because smoker’s behaviour, expressions and that what you can see in person’s eyes can be a universal language in itself.
Cigarettes aside, when you see her having a conversation on her son’s birthday with Helen (played by Essie Davis, the wife and collaborator of director Justin Kurzel), Nitram’s only friend, it instantly becomes clear why Judy Davis has had two Oscar nominations throughout her career; not to mention other accolades. I was left with a question as to whether in the above scene there were any ad-libs because the level of authenticity when it comes to being a parent, and sharing that experience was striking. Sometimes it seems like there is some kind of trade secret in that field known only to Australian filmmakers and actresses. As an example I can mention a movie called Candy from 2006, about which I wrote earlier this year here, and which features an actress named Noni Hazlehurst playing mom. Perhaps Aussies are just experts in dealing with teenage dramas?

Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis and Anthony LaPaglia in Nitram movie

Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis and Anthony LaPaglia in promotional still of Nitram movie.

The whole scene in the gun shop in Nitram is yet another level of chilling for a number of reasons. I won’t say anything else about it except mention to unaware reader that in 1996 Martin Bryant had an I.Q. equivalent to that of an 11 year old kid, and shopping was something he was most familiar with.

Peer Ynt


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peerynt
peerynt

Translator, interpreter turned small time investor and crypto enthusiast during the Covid pandemic. Areas that interest me: visual arts, writing, history; everything you see in a good horror film.


Whizzing Tripod
Whizzing Tripod

Whizzing Tripod is a blog title inspired by the novel "War of the Worlds", written by H. G. Wells back in the 19th century. I consider it to be a phenomenal piece of written word from every angle - the choice of the style of storytelling; the core idea (aliens) and how realistically it's presented; the portrayal of people as well as aliens; the conflict and how it develops throughout the story; the machines! On my blog I just publish some occasional rants.

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