Jeff Nichols is on a roll this year with two releases so far, Midnight Special and now Loving. Will quantity be at the cost of quality? Resoundingly not.
Loving is something of a departure for Nichols, from whom we expect something out of the ordinary in terms of storylines and visuals. Perhaps he decided that this true story is extraordinary enough, and he would be right. Loving is the surname of Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) from Central Point, Virginia. He’s a white construction worker and she is black. Their battle to have their marriage recognized by the state of Virginia would lead to a change in the constitution of the USA and paved the way not only for interracial marriage but also same-sex marriage.
The film opens with Mildred announcing her pregnancy and the couple’s decision to head to Washington D.C. to marry. With his golden blonde crewcut, bulldog face and monosyllabic conversation, Richard looks like he’d fit the bill to play a white supremacist, but actually he is more at home with his black friends and Mildred’s family than with most of the whites in his town. In fact, the couple live with Mildred’s family, with only Mildred’s sister Garnet (Terri Abney) a little jealous and wary of her white brother-in-law. Initially, Mildred comes across as a quiet and mousy young woman, but as their story unfolds we see that her mousy exterior belies the lion beneath.
Nichols spends a lot of time with the couple and depicts their lives and backgrounds before arriving at their initial arrest. He shows the land so beloved of Mildred and depicts the couple’s ties with family and friends. Whilst there is the odd raised eyebrow around town, Mildred and Richard might not be approved of but their relationship seems accepted. It almost comes as a shock when we are back in that familiar territory of hicks and racists who despise blacks and the whites who fraternize with them.
To say this film is understated is itself an understatement. There are no lengthy courtroom scenes, no public battles, no histrionics, no lynch-hungry mobs, and very few tears. And when those tears do come – when we see Richard finally break down and cry apologetically in front of his wife – they are all the more moving. Edgerton’s performance as this man of few words and little education is incredible and at times extremely funny, his huffs and grunts or single-word responses as eloquent as any speech. Negga portrays the maturing Mildred convincingly.
As her family grows along with her frustrations, she is the one who sets off the change in their fortunes. She is as unwavering and determined in this battle as her husband was in believing in their marriage in the first place. And what the actors show via these under the radar performances is the quiet dignity and immense love of the Lovings for each other and for their children (with whom there are some lovely shots and scenes).
Michael Shannon also makes a brief appearance as the Life photographer who stays with the Lovings. This film is something of a departure for Shannon, too. Usually so taciturn, so intense and at times terrifying, here we finally get to see more of his warmth and lightness. May he and Nichols continue to work together for many years to come.
