Is this an act or is he the victim

Luce by Michael Butler

By deftly examining the complexities of race and class in America, Luce is a sobering character study of a young man groomed to be a leader yet with no expectations of accountability.

The drama was directed by Julius Onah and was based on a play by J.C. Lee.

The film opens with the titular character giving a speech as a member of his high school’s debate team. Luce (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is a gifted public speaker who seems to captivate the audience in North Virginia High School’s auditorium with each word.

But his confident demeanor belies an uncertainty that forms much of the conflict in the film.

Pediatrician Amy (Naomi Watts) and businessman Peter (Tim Roth) are Luce’s charismatic parents. In a ride home from a school event, we learn that the white couple adopted Luce almost a decade earlier when he was an immigrant from Eritrea that had seen the horrors of a war zone. On the surface each parent works to show love as best as they can, but Luce’s adopted father has a fascination with babies that indicates he’s not happy with how his family came together.

Between leading his debate team and running track, Luce has his hands full as a top student. As the movie unfolds, we see that his peers don’t consider him Black enough because of his rearing by two white parents with great jobs and the way all his teachers praise him...

Except for one.

Harriet Wilson is played by Octavia Spencer and presents a rousing foil for Luce’s youthful exuberance. Through intense interactions with Wilson and complications related to Luce’s personal life that unfold as the movie continues, Luce develops a resentment for his teacher that makes viewers question morality in the suburban Arlington, Virginia town the film depicts.

As the film takes twists that see some of its cast members acting unfavorably, we slowly see the veil of civility cast aside and watch it give way to a rawness that each cast member captures well. Scenes like Luce’s dinner with his parents indicate a wish for pleasant life that is weighted by the unsaid thoughts on each family member’s mind.

The definition of Blackness and its perception by white people (or lack thereof) is an important theme throughout the film. At one point a white classmate notes that another of Luce’s classmate’s is “Black Black” whereas Luce is merely “just Luce.” At another point in the film, a Black classmate tells Luce that he’s like an “Obama.”

An immigrant from a war zone in Africa is not seen as Black enough, and that chip forms a boulder on Luce’s shoulder that only seems to get bigger with time.

Luce’s exploits do not all carry the message of light that his new name invokes. Luce was renamed by Peter at his adoption, but it’s a new name and ultimately identity that he faces immense pressure to honor.

One of the most special elements of Luce is the film’s ability to show the audience all aspects of its characters’ personalities. Amy is a mother who believes she is dedicated to her son when in reality she might be dedicated to the idea of him. Peter lets it be known that he isn’t happy, but he isn’t concerned enough to change his life. And Luce’s tense experiences shape how we view what is right and wrong.

Luce is a drama that makes you uncomfortable with its passion for detail and reminds audiences how all is not how it seems.