PRIDE AND PREJUDICES校園中的傲慢與偏見
Identity goes under the microscope in Luce.
《Luce》仔細檢視身份標籤。撰：文 Amanda Sheppard
There’s good, bad and very little grey area in between. That’s an undeniably simplistic view of the world, but one that appears to have been constructed for Luce Edgar (Kelvin Harrison Jr), the titular character in director Julius Onah’s drama Luce.
He’s the poster boy for success and the redemptive power of America – from child soldier in war-torn Eritrea, to A-star student, all-star athlete and debate champion. Luce can do no wrong. That is, until teacher Harriet Wilson (Octavia Spencer) voices concerns over an assignment she fears may prove his traumatic childhood is not behind him.
Throughout the film, a quietly simmering battle ensues between student and teacher, drawing in Luce’s adoptive parents (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) and his peers in the process. When his behaviour is called into question, fingers are quick to point and perception quickly shifts.
Onah’s film, based on co-writer
JC Lee’s off-Broadway play, is a timely examination of prejudice and predispositions. Onah – who was born in Nigeria before moving with his family to Arlington, Virginia – draws on his own lived experiences, situating the film in his hometown.
But Luce’s real strength lies with its two lead actors. Harrison Jr portrays a boy who is simultaneously wide- eyed and naïve, and also hardened by the horrors of war. As he rehearses a speech in an empty assembly hall, viewers are shown just how much practice goes into the appearance of perfection. The actor’s performance transforms mundane scenes into chilling ones, turning lingering smiles into potential threats.
Spencer flits between self-sacrificing teacher with the greater good at heart and woman with a vendetta, and we are left questioning whether she is the victim of psychological warfare – or, in fact, a woman on the brink of a breakdown.
This film highlights our tendency to typecast. Luce may seem like the golden child, the prototypical success story: but that’s a stereotype, not reality. As events progress, we question our quickness, and our ability, to judge. Is Luce good or bad, saint or sinner? Or can we find room for him in that grey area in between?