“Moonlight”

   Moonlight is not just a film, but a powerful journey into identity, self discovery, and stereo-types. The film takes a deep dive into the struggles of Chiron through his sexuality, family, and community. The themes of the film help to guide us through everything. The film splits Chirons life into three parts- Little, Chiron, and Black and does more than just show time passing by. This structure helps the audience to connect on a deeper level with all of Chirons struggles at every stage, making his journey feel real and personal. It like we are right there with him navigating those moments of life with him.

   The structure of this story is very important in the storytelling of the film. It shapes a connection between the audience and our main character Chiron by aging us along side him by showing us what we need to know to understand him during his stages of life. We are able to see through the eyes of Little, Chiron, and Black to get the understanding of what it feels like to be him. The actors in the film also help us to build this connection to the main character as he grows into him self. The three different actors responsible for playing Chiron throughout his stages of life all use similar body language as each other to show the audience how Chiron is still the same on the inside regardless of how he’s appearing on the outside. This really helps to convey the emotions and the character to us as an audience.

    Throughout the film sound is something that continued to grab my attention. We could hear static in quiet moments which I think made the film feel more real. In quiet more intimate moments the sound often appeared to silence making sure we are really focused on the characters feelings. Other times in the film the music swells to match emotions on screen. The sound design also includes whispers, city sounds and even waves. The sound of the ocean is used a lot throughout the film to symbolize Chirons’connection to the ocean and the color blue. The color blue is used as a heavy prop in this film. It is used to symbolize Chirons feelings and the mood. It’s almost life blue is wrapped around him, showing us his vulnerability and his struggle to find himself. The color blue often appeared during moments of self-discovery and intimacy so that they feel more emotional and personal to us. These sound choices and visual props work together to give us a more powerful experience, it’s like it is telling us about the bigger ideas of growing up through sound and prop.

   The film directors often used close-ups to zoom in on faces, especially Chirons so that we catch every emotion. It’s like they want us to see exactly what he’s feeling inside, all of his confusion, pain, and even hope without us being distracted. It also places us inside his head to see his feelings that went unspoken. These close ups make the story feel extra personal like we are experiencing Chirons world firsthand. Sometimes the camera focuses on lingering hands or eyes to use emotion. The way the lighting lingers on these moments it slows down time, giving us the time to reflect on what is going on.  The editing of the film also plays into the emotions being shown through cinematography. The editing often uses slow cuts to hit you with all the right feelings. It also stitches together the chapters of Chirons life showing us growth without it feeling rushed. Some scenes use fades to feel like a dream, and the pacing also changes along side the mood. These techniques together create a powerful connection between the audience and Chiron giving us an emotion experience while watching the film. The editing and cinematography is the rhythm that controls the story making sure that every scene is just right keeping us hooked on Chirons story.

    Throughout this film I definitely felt emotions that the film alerted wanted the audience to feel. In the scene were we find out Juan died, scenes were Chiron was being bullied not just at school but also at home by his own mother, and many other scenes really made emotions high. The narrative structure, performance, sound, mise-en-scène, editing, and cinematography all play into the masterpiece of the film “moonlight”. Moonlight is a powerful exploration of identity, vulnerability and connection, shown through the eyes of Chiron as he navigates through the challenges of growing up.