When you are forced to speak out about your sexuality or identity, there is a time. Barry Jenkins has made the movie Moonlight. It shows Chiron, a gay African American boy living in Liberty City and Miami as Chiron. We are shown Chiron’s childhood, nicknamed “Little”, as he runs away from bullies and hides in a drughouse. This is the beginning of his struggles with his sexuality. Juan, a neighboring dealer in drugs, provides support and guidance. The next chapter follows Chiron as a highschool student. He has to deal with the bullying of Terrel at school, spend time with Theresa, his mother’s growing drug addictions and prostitution, while also exploring and defining his sexuality. After Terrel’s assault, Chiron becomes an adult and is known as “Black”. Although he appears to be financially well-off, he soon discovers that a relationship with Kevin is what satisfies him. The plot has its strengths, but the film’s cinematography won the Oscar Best Picture. Moonlight has elements of visual style that are not based on a documentary approach. It uses contrast, color, camera angles and lighting to give the film a dreamlike feel. The use of costumes, props and motifs in a realistic setting like Miami helps viewers make connections and feel authentic. These elements of visual art are used in four key scenes: Juan bringing Little to home, the crashing on the waves, Paula scolding Little, as well as the diner scene.
Moonlight has a strong visual design element: contrast. Contrast means a change in the brightness or color of an object or its representation in a display or image that makes it distinguishable. The film was shot using only one source of light, Miami’s sunlight. As light falls into shadows, it creates a stark contrast in the film’s visuals. Juan shows Little as he returns home from his visit with Paula. In the background, there are tropical palm trees. Juan’s skin looks distinct due to the removal of mid-tones and the addition blue to blacks. The result is a more intense color. Juan is seen in this scene with a dorag, do-rag, fronts made of diamonds, a crown on his head, and gold fronts. These costumes and props have a significant significance because they reflect Juan’s masculinity. Jenkins reconciles queerness with masculinity in chapter 3. Chiron takes over Juan’s role of drug dealer and embraces his gay relationship. Juan teaches Little how the waves crash. Juan calls Little to join him and the camera follows him. Although Little is eager to join Juan, the camera’s subtle moves show that he is hesitant to do so. Juan held Chiron until he could swim against the waves. This makes it clear that Juan is not only teaching Little how he can swim but also how to manage his life and stay afloat. Between the scenes of Little learning how it works and starting to have fun, there is jump-cutting. Jump cutting is used in order to emphasize young Chiron’s individual freedom.
Paula accuses Little of being rude as a pink glow emanates from Little’s bedroom. The scene’s intense mood is not matched by the pink aura, but it does play to the emotions of the viewers and adds to Paula’s personality. Although Paula is obviously upset about Chiron’s sexuality/identity, the universal hue of pink allows us all to feel for Paula while she deals with her own issues of drug addictions and prostitution. This scene shows how filmmaking tools can be used to deliberately alter our perceptions. This scene is memorable because it draws attention to Paula. It also makes it memorable for Chiron, who is constantly reminded by his mother of her disapproval.
This scene in a diner is where Kevin and Black reunite after years apart. The scene was deliberately portrayed using lighting, camera angles, eye contact, and camera angles. There wasn’t much dialogue. Black enters the diner and is lit by the blueish moonlight. This creates shadows that are dappled on him. This gives the scene more sophistication and visual distinction. The lighting in the diner was practical. The warm glow of the hanging lamps on the faces of the casts signaled softness. The diner scene’s lighting helps the audience connect their familiar experiences to the scene. Next, the diner scene needed to be shot from an eye level. High angles would render the character subordinate to children, while low angles would render them large and intimidating. The audience is more comfortable when the camera is close to their eyes. This gives them a real and intimate feel that brings them into the conversation. Eye contact was primarily used to express emotions and confront the audience. It was used to communicate Black’s intimate relationship with Kevin despite being years apart.
Visual design was not only shown in the four scenes but throughout the film via motifs. The film’s central motif is blue, which symbolizes trust between Juan and Little. Juan was once called “Blue”. It serves to connect Kevin and Chiron as their tryst happened in front of a blue ocean under blue moonlight. In the final scene, they are hugging each other under the blue moonlight and embracing their sexuality. Moonlight was also inspired by Miami’s Liberty City. Liberty City was historically a black community with the majority of residents living below poverty level. This, along with Barry Jenkin’s and Tarrell Alvin Mccraney’s similar experiences of living in Liberty City, created a compelling storyline that captured the support of viewers.
Moonlight is an African film that stars all-black actors. But it’s not just for Black people. The story of a young boy who struggles to accept his identity and finds little support from his mother is the focus of this movie. The film’s visual design elements highlight the child’s desire for freedom and the dangers he faces. Barry Jenkins and Tarrellalvin McCraney created a bold film. They used humanizing factors like contrast, color.
