‘It’s impossible to be vulnerable’: how Moonlight reflects beg a black gay man the US | Moonlight | The Guardian

Contents:

• ‘IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE VULNERABLE’: HOW MOONLIGHT REFLECTS BEG A BLACK GAY MAN THE US
• MOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALEMOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALE
• 'MOONLIGHT' EXPLOR OFTEN UNSEEN GAY, BLACK MALE EXPERIENCE
• ‘MOONLIGHT' IS NOT JT ANOTHER BLACK GAY MOVIE
• IN 'MOONLIGHT,' GROWG UP BLACK, GAY AND POOR IN 1980S MIAMI
• MOONLIGHT REVIEW – VASTATG DRAMA IS VAL PORTRA OF BLACK GAY MASCULY AMERI

‘IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE VULNERABLE’: HOW MOONLIGHT REFLECTS BEG A BLACK GAY MAN THE US

Dpe renewed lls for people to judge the film on s own importance, the distrsg accatns of rape agast Parker – s star, as well as wrer and director – have meant s red-rpet-to-awards glory is lookg nsirably ls no movie was perhaps ever more sorely required to prevent another #OsrsSoWhe than Moonlight: Barry Jenks’s drama trackg a black gay man at three stag over his film has had an extraordary embrace on the tumn ftival circu; s brilliance has left few stumblg out of the cema unmoved. It is a sentiment that, oddly, echo that of Parker, who claimed he would never play a gay character bee of the need to “prerve black masculy”.

MOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALEMOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALE

”In the film, Chiron regulat his behavur orr to prevent people om knowg he’s gay, but the bulli at school and his cel mother are aware of his sexualy and persecute him as a rult.

One of the film’s most memorable scen when a teenage Chiron star at himself his bathroom, his face bloodied om a fight wh homophobic school bulli. Like Carol and Brokeback Mounta before , Moonlight nveys the pa of the ntug social stigma around homosexualy, the search for eedom and love, and the nstant stggle to munite and drop personal barriers. Moonlight rembl Brokeback Mounta and Carol s lh stagg, tensely ternal performanc, and treatment of the gay experience a very specific i.

'"It's almost taboo to be a black Amerin man who is homosexual, or a black man who is homosexual bee growg up you're told that you have to be that much more imposg, that much bigger, that much better... "It's kd of oxymoronic to be homosexual and have those same attribut.

'MOONLIGHT' EXPLOR OFTEN UNSEEN GAY, BLACK MALE EXPERIENCE

""It has universal them about humany, about our universal search for love and also 's reprentg the gay muny a way that I don't thk they generally are reprented, " the actrs said.

Janelle Monae, who plays a surrogate mother figure to Chiron, said she hoped movie-go would "feel more empathetic towards the black, poor gay male experience and that we ntue not to ostracize those who are different om . Crilly-acclaimed movi like "Milk, " "Brokeback Mounta, " "Boys Don't Cry, " and "Philalphia" all told stori of LGBTQ characters — some real, some fictnal — who fought agast or suffered om of the LGBTQ nome ever snagged the Bt Picture award, though three of the four mentned above rulted actg awards for straight actors who took on gay or transgenr rol.

‘MOONLIGHT' IS NOT JT ANOTHER BLACK GAY MOVIE

Olson said she was "sadned" to see Cate Blanchett lose the Bt Actrs award, notg that was rare to see a leadg Hollywood actrs portray a lbian character who don't die at the end of the only do "Moonlight" end on an upliftg note, the film breaks barriers by prentg the largely tobgraphil story of a livg, black, gay man told his own words. Tarell Alv McCraney, whose script "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" was the basis for the film, also took an Amy Award for Bt Adapted Screenplay on Alv McCraney (right) livers a speech on stage next to Barry Jenks after they won the Bt Adapted Screenplay Osr for "Moonlight" at the 89th annual Amy Awards on Febary 26, 2017Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty ImagIn October, McCraney told NBC Out "Moonlight" isn't jt a "gay film" or a "black film, " that would be "disgenuo" to lim the story to jt one tegory.

"It is a queer story, is a gay story, is a poverty story — you know what I mean?

"For so long people thought bee the story is black or gay then that means 's not mastream, " Onuorah said.

IN 'MOONLIGHT,' GROWG UP BLACK, GAY AND POOR IN 1980S MIAMI

Sunday night's diverse crop of wners — along wh the Amy's recent vatn to hundreds of women and people of lor to jo s homogeno ranks last year — uld potentially help overe that reputatn. Mahershala Ali livers a speech on stage after wng the Osr bt supportg actor "Moonlight" at the 89th Adamy Awards on Febary 26, 2017 Los Ralston / AFP/Getty ImagFor Bahamian-born filmmaker Sekiya Dorsett, 's important to intify "Moonlight" as the barrier-burstg black, gay film that is, bee that means the stori of queer people of lor have a reach like never before. When to films about sexualy, Black gay men have had our share of low budget movi wh medcre actg and stereotypil storyl.

McCraney, a Black gay man, often challeng genr and sexualy his work, and the movie he saw much of himself. It’s hard to ll the ma character the film gay bee he never intified as such; however, most of his timate nnectns the movie were between him and another man.

And that do not make a gay or “sissy. For this reason, Moonlight unrsr the experienc many lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) youth face when creatg their own fay and support system. Hell, even I remember as a young Black gay man beg ncerned about the negative rpons to my sexualy om my fay and close iends.

MOONLIGHT REVIEW – VASTATG DRAMA IS VAL PORTRA OF BLACK GAY MASCULY AMERI

Often tim when we are troduced to Black gay characters, often volv a bleak story about eher beg HIV-posive, sexually asslted by fay members, or the “down low” boogieman cheatg on his wife. It’s important to realize we have to go beyond the narrativ when talkg about “g of age” movi, and regnize Black gay men have a history of rilience and overg challeng.

Black gay men are much more than sexual beasts and dysfunctnal dividuals. Black gay men serve the space to be human- on and off screen. This film is not jt another Black gay movie, is lorful, creative, and reflective—and well worth your time.

Hibbert as Chiron, a young black man growg up gay an impoverished part of Miami Moonlight. It's an thentic, timate portra of a young, gay black man whose mother is a crack addict. He was not gay, and he played football.