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This year, Cleveland, Ohio, is probably best known for basketball—for LeBron James and the NBA championship that he finally brought back home. But there’s a lot more to Cleveland than just sports—and writer/director Steven Caple, Jr., shows a different, darker side of the city in The Land.
The Land follows four troubled teens who are desperate to escape their rough lives on the streets of Cleveland. They decide that their best bet is to enter a skateboarding competition and attract sponsors, which is sure to earn them overnight fame and fortune. But, first, they need the money to enter the competition. And when they decide to sell stolen drugs to make the money, they attract the attention of a ruthless crime boss known as Momma (Linda Emond), whose men put the boys’ hopes and dreams, along with their lives, at risk.
The Land doesn’t take place in the usual cinematic cities—New York or Los Angeles or Chicago. And its Cleveland setting gives the film a different point of view. It’s a different city with a different style and a different attitude—and it’s clear that the filmmakers were passionate about giving the film a Midwestern-city feel. The characters travel through the streets and neighborhoods, skating in abandoned buildings and stopping by greasy old diners and neighborhood markets—and all of these places give the film its personality.
The story, however, isn’t as distinctive as the setting. There’s really nothing new about the story of four friends who dream of a better life—of finding a way off the streets. And, of course, they make some horrible choices in the process. Instead of focusing on their education or getting a job, they skip school and joke about how uncool it would be to lower themselves to working in a fast food restaurant. No, they need to be rich and famous—and they need it now. So they decide to step up their lives of petty crime in order to get their big break. And as honest as that may be, it’s frustrating to watch these characters—kids who, in some cases, can be smart and thoughtful and charming—make such terrible decisions.
But The Land offers some pleasant surprises, too—especially from Emond’s Momma. She may look completely, deceptively average, in a middle-aged Midwestern woman kind of way, but she’s quietly terrifying—and as ruthless as they come. And she adds an intriguing twist to a familiar story.
The Land isn’t an entirely original film. The story has been told before—and in ways that are more poignant and thought-provoking. But its unexpected antagonist and its Midwestern personality make it a notable film nonetheless.
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