Moonlight (2016)

“Little”, “Chiron” and “Black” are the nicknames used to mark three key points in Chiron’s life. They represent the three main identities he is given, chooses and shifts between. This film explores sexuality; however, sexuality is not the main subject of the film. This film is also about how important the people Chiron loves are to him, his identity and the perception of masculinity.

In the first part, young Chiron is found by Juan and Teresa who provide him with a place to sleep and eat. Despite his profession as a drug dealer, Juan provides emotional support for Chiron – something his mother couldn’t do enough. It is clear that specific character traits in Juan have appeared in Chiron as, in the third (last) part, Chiron has followed in Juan’s footsteps in becoming a drug dealer, his head covered with a do-rag and gold grills just like him. This repetition portrays Juan to be a strong role model to Chiron, his biological father absent. Chiron takes Juan’s strengths as his own, but with them collects underlying criminality. He walks a thin line between the possibility of dying a young criminal like Juan, and aspiring to be a loving giver also like Juan. Juan teaches Chiron to swim, being tough around others and opens the door to morality. Juan teaching Chiron to swim was the first real introduction to the significant theme of water and is the first important memory he keeps surrounding the ocean. After, the theme crops up multiple times throughout the film as a reminder of what it means to Chiron. The theme is present during Chiron’s intimate encounter with Kevin by the ocean, carries strong connotations here and there when Chiron recalls the ocean, and the film ends beautifully with the shot of young Chiron, Little, looking back towards the ocean. This is presumed to be the place his mind rests. “In moonlight black boys look blue” – this is a memorable anecdote from Juan during their visit at the beach. This “blue” is important to Juan; it is an identity to Juan as “Little” or “Chiron” or “Black” are to Chiron. This intertwines with the moment also occurring at the beach, with Kevin, when Chiron admits to crying so much sometimes, he feels like he’ll “turn into drops”, like he’d become the ocean. Chiron’s way of describing his tears suggests water is part of him, and, as water is often associated with the colour blue, Juan’s anecdotal “blue”, along with the ocean, is a significant piece of Chiron’s identity.

There is a conflict in Chiron – he is someone capable of committing serious crime, but he still loves those close to him. His personality is complex from having such a disadvantaged childhood and then having to build himself up to be tough. Kevin asks Chiron “who is you?” in an attempt to figure him out, but even Chiron is lost with that one. Both characters’ identities were lost and muddled at some point in the narrative, but also both came back in the end when they found each other. I personally loved the film. I thought ‘Moonlight’ was breath-taking and other-worldly, and, accompanied by the soundtrack, told the story with a beautiful sadness.