Directed by Irene Lusztig, a U.S. nuclear company town stakes its identity on its little-known atomic origin story in this timely examination of the habits of thought that normalize the extraordinary violence of the past.
Straight off the bat, it’s genuinely fascinating and horrifying to watch the casual nature with which this town views one of most disgusting acts of war that the world has ever seen. Richland dives right in with the almost dystopian and disturbing way that some of this town’s people perceive that moment in history. Part of how effective the tone is, is that Irene Lusztig approaches these subjects with a clean slate, there’s no leading questions or judgement, they’re simply given space to voice their opinions. It’s deceptively clever, because their perspective is so unnerving that it speaks for itself, without need for larger context and debate.
Another element of that is throwing back to the workers building these appalling weapons of destruction, and how much harmful material they were exposed to. It’s sadly one of many moments in history where manual labourers have been thoroughly taken advantage of; using their wish to provide for their family, to put them in dangerous situations with long-lasting consequences. All of which is enrobed in this surprisingly calm atmosphere, there’s no outrage and shock, it just lets the atrocities flow. There’s a pointedness to its calm tone, as if it’s finding almost a satire in the unbelievable unawareness of these citizens.
It’s especially interesting when it switches gears to the younger generation, the ones who have access to all the relevant information and should know better. Yet, it still feels like they’re on the fence, as if it’s a battle between logic and loyalty to your hometown. It’s a strange moment to watch unfold. Lusztig also employs the use of poetry throughout the film, which has mixed results, there are some moments where it feels out of place and other moments where it perfectly matches the emotion of the subject. The film does eventually flip the script and focus on people who have a more acute understanding of the impact of this town, which helps to drive home the message further, even if the scenes aren’t as strong.
Richland unknowingly gets under your skin, watching this fantastic reminder of cruelty and abuse of power gradually buries its way in until you’re hit with the poignancy of its ending. There’s a laidback yet pointed approach to the subject, and that casual perspective gives the anecdotes of its subjects a haunting edge. There perhaps was room to expand the outsider view and further challenge these notions of pride but it’s easy to see what Irene Lusztig was going for with her stylistic and tonal choices, and they work well.
FilmCarnage.com 
[…] remains on the short term. There have only been a few films touching on the long term impact, Richland and Mothers of the Revolution are great examples, and now joining them is Downwind. Even the […]
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