Moonlight Film Trip
Talk about it
This film is about a young black man growing up in a poor area of an
American city. Based on other films you have seen, what expectations do
you have about its main character, and the sort of film this may be?
I expected the film to be about the main character overcoming the obstacles he faced throughout his life and possibly even moving out of the "poor area" to pursue his dreams. However after watching the film it did not conform to the typical expectations and instead showed how Chiron grew up in a place that he's always felt uncomfortable with, but still managed to outgrow his fear of discrimination.
Discussion points
• 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?
Chirons character doesn't talk to people as he doesn't trust them. Also if he did he believes that they would not understand the things he's going through and knows that they will judge him for being who he is. Little barely speaks in the first part of the film. His head is always down and he has an expressionless face. He almost looks quite guilty at times as if he deserves the treatment he gets, for being the way 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?
Miami is usually presented in movies as a place where people go to have fun and live their "lavish" lifestyle. However in Moonlight, we see the other side of Miami- the urban areas where drug dealers thrive and the working class live.
• 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?
He is presented as a father figure throughout the movie, as Chiron's real father was not around when her was younger. Towards the end of the movie we see that Chiron follows in the footsteps of Juan, we see that he becomes a drug dealer in the third phase of the movie- "Black". Both characters also seem to share similar interests- they both find that the beach is a place where they can be who they really are.
• 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 beach symbolises a place where Chiron can escape and feel safe. At one point in the film, Juan tells Chiron a story of how he used to got to the beach and a lady would say "You're not black, you're blue"(under the moonlight). This suggests that Chiron feels comfortable being at the beach, and in particular under the moonlight as he can really be who he is, and not be judged for what he looks like on the outside ( a young black male).
• 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?
I think that in the end he sort of came to his senses and truly believed that it was acceptable to be a gay black male, as he confronts Kevin. When he first meets him he appears quite hostile, but after they both go to Kevin's house, he opens up about the day they were intimate. I think its quite ironic that Kevin was not really true to himself, as he ended up having a kid with Samantha, even though hes gay.
This film is about a young black man growing up in a poor area of an
American city. Based on other films you have seen, what expectations do
you have about its main character, and the sort of film this may be?
I expected the film to be about the main character overcoming the obstacles he faced throughout his life and possibly even moving out of the "poor area" to pursue his dreams. However after watching the film it did not conform to the typical expectations and instead showed how Chiron grew up in a place that he's always felt uncomfortable with, but still managed to outgrow his fear of discrimination.
Discussion points
• 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?
Chirons character doesn't talk to people as he doesn't trust them. Also if he did he believes that they would not understand the things he's going through and knows that they will judge him for being who he is. Little barely speaks in the first part of the film. His head is always down and he has an expressionless face. He almost looks quite guilty at times as if he deserves the treatment he gets, for being the way 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?
Miami is usually presented in movies as a place where people go to have fun and live their "lavish" lifestyle. However in Moonlight, we see the other side of Miami- the urban areas where drug dealers thrive and the working class live.
• 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?
He is presented as a father figure throughout the movie, as Chiron's real father was not around when her was younger. Towards the end of the movie we see that Chiron follows in the footsteps of Juan, we see that he becomes a drug dealer in the third phase of the movie- "Black". Both characters also seem to share similar interests- they both find that the beach is a place where they can be who they really are.
• 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 beach symbolises a place where Chiron can escape and feel safe. At one point in the film, Juan tells Chiron a story of how he used to got to the beach and a lady would say "You're not black, you're blue"(under the moonlight). This suggests that Chiron feels comfortable being at the beach, and in particular under the moonlight as he can really be who he is, and not be judged for what he looks like on the outside ( a young black male).
• 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?
I think that in the end he sort of came to his senses and truly believed that it was acceptable to be a gay black male, as he confronts Kevin. When he first meets him he appears quite hostile, but after they both go to Kevin's house, he opens up about the day they were intimate. I think its quite ironic that Kevin was not really true to himself, as he ended up having a kid with Samantha, even though hes gay.
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