One of the films that stood out for me and kept me thinking during last week’s film watching was Luce by the Nigerian-born American director Julius Onah. Luce, his third feature film, premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival where it was a nominee for the Grand Jury Prize.

Luce is the black, adopted son of white parents Amy and Peter (played by Naomi Watts and Tim Roth). Luce has been adopted from Eritrea with war experience and trauma in his bagage. Amy and Peter have invested love, time and much energy to bring him to what he is today: a son to be proud of, a much admired and beloved student on an elite school. He is an excellent athlete and a great public speaker. 

One day, a much respected teacher Ms. Wilson (played by Olivia Spencer) alarms the school leadership about an essay Luce has written, in which he seems to open for violence to overthrow power structures. She finds further evidence that Luce may not be the person he seems to be. Ms. Wilson has another view on the place and pitfalls of young black men in America than Luce has who sees himself as an example of the American Dream, with unlimited chances to succeed. His parents and the school leadership are shocked and start to question their views, expectations and motives. They need to struggle with the question of the real self and the motivations of this model boy. 

Luce is a film about prejudices, race and expectations. The story becomes somewhat strained, but it invites to further conversation, because things never get too clear. The film continues to sow seeds of ambiguity in the motives and behaviour of all the characters. In that sense, the film itself can be criticized as even contributing to the prejudices that already exist. Yet, when it helps us to discuss how our prejudices are expressed, how they are nourished and how we deal with projections and aspirations from others on us, then it serves an important function.

RB, Mar 2020

*image & trailer posted under fair use 
of copyright material in recommendation of the film

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