From Scene to Screen: ‘Normal People,’ a Review
At the heart of it, Normal People is a story about growing up. Written by Sally Rooney, the 2018 romantic drama takes place in Ireland and follows two vastly different adolescents who find solace in each another, as they navigate the intricacies of love and young adulthood.
A Shared Attraction
At first glance, highschoolers Marianne and Connell don’t seem to have much in common. He’s popular and well liked while she’s a recluse, quick to avoid others and social interactions alike. Yet something bonds them: a shared attraction, a mutual connection and a deeply rooted desire to love and be loved. In the span of four years, these characters and their vastly different circumstances overlap, bringing them together, no matter how much they try to stay apart. Mutual fascination is at the forefront of this love story, unveiling an unlikely bond between two very different people.
At University, Marianne and Connell’s roles drastically change. We see this shift in social settings, particularly those where Marianne’s confidence predominates and Connell’s falls flat, as he struggles to find his place post high school. This ebb and flow is an inherent reflection of their ever changing dynamic and a beautifully honest representation of what it means to navigate life and how our relationships fluctuate as a result.
From Scene to Screen
A few years after its publication, Normal People was adapted into a Hulu limited series. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, Hulu’s Normal People closely follows the original book with a minimalistic cinematic aesthetic, accentuated by neutrals colors, intentional close-ups and deliberate color grading that amplifies the emotional palette of this narrative.
For context, color grading refers to the color adjustment or enhancement in any film or television project, in order to realize a desired visual effect on screen. This is done by manipulating footage in a way that delivers a specific color palette. You might notice that horror films usually draw darker tones while romantic comedies illicit brighter palettes. This is done purposefully to emphasize the emotional ambiance of the story you are watching.
In the case of Hulu’s Normal People, color grading was intentionally washed with greys, whites and seemingly neutral undertones. This was likely done to simulate real life and emphasize a dark, dramatic and a somewhat nostalgic feel, accentuating the story’s genre, underlying themes and a distinctive emotional atmosphere.
Coming of Age and Coming Together
Segueing into themes, Normal People is a book that speaks to young adults and coming-of-age stories everywhere. It’s a story about growing up; about two young people who find each other amidst their own circumstantial struggles, insecurities and the inescapable turbulence of growing up. We see these recurring themes and sub-themes reflected in the first four years of these character’s young lives, which collectively speaks to coming-of-age stories everywhere: no matter where you’re from or what you’re going through, adulthood is just another transition, universally prefaced by inexperience.
In the span of four years, Marianne and Connell, played by actors Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal, unveil their own inexperience through first encounters, many of which they share together. From sexual and romantic relationships to high school, college and post-university life, these characters learn how to navigate and balance relationships as they begin to better discover themselves and their own self-worth.
Self-Worth & Identity
Sally Rooney’s hit novel encompasses varying themes and underlying topics but they all seemingly share one thing in common: the (sometimes) complicated relationships between ourselves and others. How we accept and reciprocate love is a direct reflection of how we view our own selves: we give and take the love we think we deserve. This concept is deeply rooted in identity and self-worth: thinking highly of ourselves attracts high quality relations but contrary to that statement, thinking poorly of ourselves will catapult us into poor quality bonds and connections.
In Normal People, identity plays a pivotal role in relation to self-worth and communal relationships. Specifically speaking, we see this theme reflected in Marianne and Connell, particularly in moments where low-self-esteem contributes to toxic dynamics and destructive relationships or encounters.
Ordinary People & Ordinary Things
In its most allegorical way, Normal People is a love letter: a love letter to young adults and ordinary people, going through ordinary things.
While vastly different from person to person, experiences are uniquely ours, tailored to who we are, what we need and what we want out of life. No two people are the same but we can slowly begin to unveil someone’s layers by finding similarities in ordinary things…proving that who we see on the surface is only a small percentage of who someone is, as a whole.
