Moonlight film trip

Moonlight is a coming of age movie that focuses on 3 different chapters of one person's life. This movie is directed and written by Barry Jenkins. The whole plot of this movie was that there is this boy living in a ghetto area where he grows up in. Growing up with his mother, she was addicted to drugs which led him to struggle with his identity and his sexuality. Essentially, with no guidance from his mum, he ended up in jail where years later, he comes out as a very big and masculine character. 

Chiron is a character of few words. Why is this? How do the three actors use body language to communicate Chiron’s emotions to the audience? Why is he reluctant to make eye contact with people?

- Within the film, Chiron is a character that was always bullied and harassed from young age due to his looks and the way he dresses with not much care from his mother. Simply being called names and not having many friends led to his low self esteem which resulted to Chiron being a character with few words. Also, his lack of eye stare when talking reinforces the idea of how uncomfortable he is.

Did anything about the Miami setting surprise you, compared to its party image in popular culture? How does the saturated colour capture the image of the city the filmmakers are trying to convey?

- The Miami setting did surprise me because when thinking about Miami, I imagine beautiful places with extravagant nightlife and a beautiful city. But instead, it showed ghetto areas and silent beaches. The colour theme of the city is perhaps dull and urban which suggests how the city is trapping Chiron. There is no escape for Chiron.

What is the significance of Juan? How is his influence felt over the entire film, despite the fact he is only present in the first chapter?

- The significance of Juan in the first chapter is extreme as he was the only person alongside his girlfriend that cared for Chiron; he didn't antagonise Chiron for his sexuality and the influence is felt over the entire film because Chiron becomes the man he is because of Juan.

Several key sequences take place on the beach, or near the ocean. Why do you think the filmmakers centred so much of the film around this location?

- The filmmakers centred the film so much around this location because it was where Chiron experienced his first sexual interaction with another man. Also, it was where Juan taught Chiron how to swim and played with him which showed how he didn't antagonise him but instead took care of him as he was vulnerable.

Did anything about Chiron in the final chapter surprise you? To what extent do you think he is being true to “himself” before and after his reunion with Kevin? What did you make of his various nicknames? 

- The change in Chiron in the final chapter was very surprising as he becomes this massive, masculine man that is pimping weights and is very fearless. He no longer is few of words nor has the lack of eye stare when talking. Him becoming muscular was a change in the sense that he was no longer a target for the bullies. In terms of Chiron being true to himself, I think the fact that he started to sell drugs is something he once hated so I don't think he is true to himself. The various nicknames such as "Black" and "Little" clarify his lack of identity. Being called "little", it suggests how vulnerable he was and how much of a target for people he was.