Contents:
- ‘MOONLIGHT’ CAPTUR THE COMPLEXI OF GROWG UP GAY AND BLACK AMERI
- IN 'MOONLIGHT,' GROWG UP BLACK, GAY AND POOR IN 1980S MIAMI
- THE LEGACY OF JUAN; MOONLIGHT’S UNSUNG HEROJUAN, BROUGHT TO LIFE BY ACTOR MAHERSHALA ALI, LEAV A LASTG IMPRSN THROUGHOUT THE FILM.LREN JACKSON·FOLLOW9 M READ·MAY 16, 2020--3LISTENSHAREJUAN HOLDS A YOUNG CHIRON (LTLE) WHILE THEY GO FOR A SWIMWH BETIFUL CEMATOGRAPHY AND POWERFUL ACTG, ’S NO SURPRISE THAT THE MOVIE MOONLIGHT WON BT PICTURE AT THE OSRS.THE ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE OF THREE ACTORS THREE SEPARATE ACTS: LTLE, CHIRON, AND BLACK, SHOWS THE PAFUL STGGLE OF INTY AND HOMOSEXUALY OF ONE YOUNG BLACK BOY GROWG UP MIAMI, FLORIDA (SI NOTE: I’LL MOSTLY BE ADDRSG CHIRON BY HIS ACTUAL NAME STEAD OF BY HIS TWO NICKNAM; LTLE AND BLACK).CHIRON IS THE FOL POT OF THE STORY, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER CHARACTER WHO STOOD OUT TO ME MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE THE FILM: JUAN.JUAN; THE UNSUNG HEROJUAN’S CHARACTER IS ONLY THE FIRST ACT OF THE FILM.JUAN FDS A YOUNG CHIRON HIDG OM THE OTHER YOUNG BOYS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER THEY CHASE HIM DOWN FOR BEG “DIFFERENT”, FOR APPEARG WEAK; FOR BEG GAY.WHETHER OR NOT CHIRON ULD PREHEND IF HE MAY HAVE BEEN GAY AT THE TIME, THE OTHER BOYS TARGET HIM. EVEN CHIRON’S OWN MOTHER, PLA, NOTIC THE PECULIAR WAY HE RRI HIMSELF. SHE TELLS JUAN, “YOU EVER SEEN THE WAY HE WALKS, JUAN? YOU GON’ TELL HIM WHY THE OTHER BOYS KICK HIS ASS ALL THE TIME?”BUT THIS DO NOT CEASE JUAN OM TAKG LTLE CHIRON UNR HIS WG, HELPG THE YOUNG BOY FD HIMSELF AND GA NFINCE WHO HE WAS.WHILE JUAN’S APPEARANCE THE FILM IS VERY SHORT-LIVED PARED TO THE RT OF THE CHARACTERS, THE IMPACT JUAN HAS ON CHIRON IS PROFOUND.HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY:CHIRON’S BAPTISM THE MIAMI OCEANJUAN’S BIGGT IMPACT ON CHIRON WAS WHEN HE WAS, WELL, “LTLE”. JUAN TAK CHIRON TO ONE OF THEIR LOL MIAMI BEACH AND HOLDS HIM THE WATER. TEACHG HIM HOW TO SWIM AND HOW TO TST. CHIRON WAS ACCEPTED BY JUAN, PLETELY AND EFFORTLSLY, AS THE DIVE OCEAN EMBRACED THEM.JUAN AND CHIRON’S MOMENT OF TST.AFTER THAT MOMENT ON THE BEACH, CHIRON WOULD OFTENTIM SHOW UP AT JUAN’S ONT DOOR SEEKG REFUGE OM HIS NEGLECTFUL HOME LIFE AND DG-ADDICTED MOTHER, PLA.THE CCIFIXN OF JUANTHE LAST SCENE WE SEE OF JUAN IS WHEN A YOUNG CHIRON ASKS JUAN IF HE IS A DG ALER, TO WHICH JUAN RPONDS WH A PAFUL AND HONT:“…”.JUAN’S HEART-BREAKG GUILT FOR BEG THE REASON WHY CHIRON’S MOTHER NTUED DOWN HER NEVER-ENDG RABB HOLE OF ADDICTN BRGS JUAN TO TEARS.THIS WAS THE LAST TIME WE SEE JUAN ALIVE.LEFT: JUAN, MIDDLE: CHIRON (LTLE), RIGHT: JUAN’S GIRLIEND, TERATHROUGHOUT THE RT OF THE FILM, IS ONLY EXPLAED THROUGH DIALOGUE THAT JUAN HAS DIED. THE DIENCE IS LEFT TO ASSUME THAT JUAN HAS BEEN CCIFIED BY THE EVABLE, DOOMED LIFE OF ANY LONG TIME DG-ALER. EHER WAY, JUAN HAD GONE MUCH TOO SOON CHIRON’S STORY.WHETHER OR NOT WAS TENTNAL OM THE WRERS OR THE DIRECTOR OF THE FILM, THEY NEVER STATED EXACTLY HOW JUAN HAD PASSED. HE IS SIMPLY…GONE. BUT AS I WATCHED THE FILM, WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT JUAN NEVER LEFT.HIS PRENCE STAYED THROUGHOUT THE FILM. CHIRON NTU TO RRY JUAN WH HIM UNTIL THE VERY END.BLUE IS THE WARMT COLORAFTER THEIR MUNN ON THE MIAMI OCEAN, JUAN TELLS YOUNG CHIRON OF A STORY OM WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG BOY LIVG CUBA. JUAN SAYS:JUAN TELLS CHIRON A STORY.“I WAS A WILD LIL’ SHORTY, MAN, JT LIKE YOU. RUNNG AROUND WH NO SHO ON WHEN THE MOON WAS OUT. THIS ONE TIME, I N BY THIS OLD LADY. I WAS NN’, HOLLER’, CUTT’ A FOOL, BOY. THIS OLD LADY, SHE STOPPED ME. SHE SAID ‘NN’ AROUND TCH’ UP ALL THE LIGHT, MOONLIGHT, BLACK BOYS LOOK BLUE. THAT’S WHAT I’M GON’ LL YOU. BLUE.”WHEN CHIRON ASKS JUAN IF “BLUE” WAS HIS NAME, JUAN SAID:“ NO.”JUAN FOLLOWS THIS UP BY STATG:“AT SOME POT, YOU GOTTA CI FOR YOURSELF WHO YOU GON’ BE. CAN’T NOBODY MAKE THAT CISN FOR YOU.”WHILE JUAN DID NOT INTIFY WH BEG LLED “BLUE”, THE LOR BLUE IS SEEN EQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE. BLUE REPRENTS WHAT JUAN REPRENTS; EEDOM, SELF-ACCEPTANCE, AND THE HEART OF MIAMI.JUAN’S R WAS AN ICY BLUE. THE BLUE OF THE OCEAN. THE OL, FLORCENT BLUE HU ARE NSISTENT EVERYWHERE THE FILM.WHEN CHIRON MEETS BACK UP WH KEV (HIS CHILDHOOD IEND AND LOVER) THE LAST ACT OF THE FILM, WHAT LOR SHIRT DO KEV WEAR?THAT’S RIGHT, ’S BLUE.TOP: JUAN’S R, BOTTOM LEFT: CHIRON ON A MIAMI BEACH, BOTTOM RIGHT: KEV RETURNS CHIRON’S LIFETHE SUBLIME WORD OF JUANJUAN MAK KNOWN THAT HE DID NOT ACCEPT HIS NICKNAME OF “BLUE” AS HIS OWN, EVEN IF THAT WAS HOW THE OLR WOMAN OM CUBA HAD VIEWED HIM. JT BEE SOMEONE ELSE SAW JUAN AS ONE WAY, UNR ONE PARTICULAR LIGHT, DID NOT MEAN JUAN INTIFIED WH THE WAY OTHERS PERCEIVED HIM.THIS WAS PARAMOUNT TO CHIRON’S GROWTH.*(SI NOTE: EXPLIC LANGUAGE BELOW)WHEN THE TOUGHER NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS WOULD LL YOUNG CHIRON “GAY” AND A “FAGGOT”, CHIRON WASN’T YET AWARE THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT THOSE ROGATORY NICKNAM OR PERSONAS. IT WAS UP TO ONLY CHIRON HIMSELF TO CI WHO HE WAS GOG TO BE.A YOUNGER CHIRON ASKS JUAN WHAT A “FAGGOT” IS, TO WHICH JUAN RPONDS:YOUNG CHIRON ASKS JUAN AN IMPORTANT QUTN“A FAGGOT IS A WORD ED TO MAKE GAY PEOPLE FEEL BAD.”“AM I A FAGGOT?”, ASKS CHIRON.“NO.”, SAYS JUAN. “YOU N BE GAY, BUT YOU A’T GOTTA LET NOBODY LL YOU NO FAGGOT.”CHIRON RECEIV THE CHANCE OM JUAN TO KNOW THAT HE HAS A CHOICE.THE FILM IS BROKEN UP TO THREE PARTS: LTLE, CHIRON, AND BLACK. “LTLE” WAS A NICKNAME GIVEN TO A YOUNG CHIRON BY HIS PEERS. IN THE SEND PART OF THE FILM, AFTER MEETG JUAN, A TEENAGED CHIRON NO LONGER WANTS TO BE LLED “LTLE”. CHIRON WAS ORIGALLY LLED “LTLE” BEE HE WAS SMALLER THAN THE OTHER BOYS, WAS VERY QUIET, AND APPEARED POWERLS.SIAR TO WHEN JUAN HAD REJECTED HIS NICKNAME OF “BLUE”, CHIRON MA THE CISN TO FULLY EMBRACE AND INTIFY WH HIS ACTUAL NAME.THE ONLY IEND CHIRON HAD GROWG UP WAS HIS CHILDHOOD IEND AND FIRST LOVE, KEV.TOP LEFT: YOUNG CHIRON AND KEV, BOTTOM LEFT: TEENAGED KEV, RIGHT: ADULT KEVKEV GIV CHIRON THE NICKNAME “BLACK” (SI NOTE: THE LOR NICKNAME IS VERY SIAR TO JUAN’S OLD NICKNAME OF “BLUE”). ALTHOUGH CHIRON IS LEERY OF THE FACT THAT ANOTHER BOY GAVE HIM A NICKNAME, TO AVOID ANY IMPLITNS OF HIS SEXUALY, CHIRON NEVER DID STOP KEV OM LLG HIM “BLACK”. THIS IMPLI TO THE DIENCE THAT CHIRON CHOOS TO ACCEPT HIS NICKNAME “BLACK”.KEV AND CHIRON AS TEENAGERS ON THEIR MIAMI BEACHJUAN’S SAT-LIKE WORDS OF WISDOM NTUE TO GIVE CHIRON ASSURANCE EVEN AFTER HE WAS LONG GONE.THE RURRECTN OF JUANCHIRON AND KEV’S TIMATE MOMENTKEV WAS CHIRON’S FIRST AND ONLY SEXUAL EXPERIENCE WH A BOY. KEV MA CHIRON FEEL LOVED AND TSTED; LIKE HOW JUAN HAD ALWAYS TREATED CHIRON OM THE MOMENT HE FOUND THE VULNERABLE LTLE BOY HIDG AWAY OM THE WORLD. THERE IS A SENSE OF SAFETY AND SECURY OM BOTH JUAN AND KEV, AND EACH TIME, THOSE BETIFUL MOMENTS WERE SHARED BI THE WATERS OF THE MIAMI BEACH.IN THE THIRD AND FAL ACT OF THE MOVIE, CHIRON IS GROWN AND OUT OF JAIL. HE WAS LIVG ATLANTA, GEIA NEAR HIS MOTHER, WHO IS NOW SOBER AND LIVG A HALFWAY HOME. CHIRON EMBODI JUAN FOR THE FIRST TIME AN OMO WAY; HE IS NOW A DG ALER, NNG THE STREETS WH THORY AND SMARTS JT AS JUAN ONCE HAD.TOP: JUAN, BOTTOM: ADULT CHIRON LIVG THE HARD LIFECHIRON DRIV A SIAR SLICKED OUT R, BUT THE LOR OF BLACK, LIKE HIS NICKNAME. THERE IS A CROWN ON CHIRON’S DASHBOARD, JT LIKE JUAN’S R HAD.THE CROWNS ON JUAN AND CHIRON’S DASHBOARDCHIRON’S R HAS THE LICENSE PLATE: BLACK305, CHIRON’S NICKNAME WH THE MIAMI AREA . JUAN’S LICENSE PLATE EXHIBED THE SAME MSAGE.JUAN AND CHIRON’S LICENSE PLATADULT CHIRON TELLS THAT HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE JAIL. HE HAD TO REBUILD HIMSELF OM THE GROUND UP, BUT THE BACK OF HIS MD, HE KNEW THERE WAS MORE TO LIFE THAN HOW HE WAS LIVG. HE SAW JUAN.JUAN SUPERVIS HIS RNERJUAN WAS A DG ALER, BUT HE WASN’T YOUR TYPIL “THUG” HTLG THEIR MIAMI STREETS. JUAN WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO EVER “SEE” CHIRON AS A YOUNG BOY, TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE, TO TAKE THE TIME TO SHOW HIM A LIFE WORTH LIVG.WE DON’T GET TOO MUCH BACKSTORY ON JUAN OR HOW HE ME TO BE THE WAY HE WAS, BUT WE DO NOTICE THAT JUAN WAS A LOVG, RG, AND WISE MAN SPE HIS CHOSEN PROFSN. JUAN IS STREET-SMART AND HARD WHEN HE NEEDS TO BE, BUT HE ALSO HAS THE HEART AND URAGE TO VENTURE OUTSI OF A CULTURAL NORM.WHEN KEV REAPPEARS CHIRON’S LIFE TOWARDS THE END OF THE FILM, SYMBOLIZ THAT KEV IS A PLACE NOW WHERE HE HAS BROKEN EE OM THE HARD LIFTYLE:CHIRON AND KEV RNE AT A DER MIAMI“NOW I GOT LIL’ KEV, GOT THIS JOB, ANOTHER 18 MONTHS PROBATN. IT’S A LIFE, YOU KNOW? I A’T NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE. LIKE, I’M TIRED AS HELL RIGHT NOW, MAN, AND I A’T MAKG NO MORE THAN SHOE MONEY, BUT I A’T GOT NO WORRI MAN. NOT THEM KD WHAT I HAD BEFORE. THAT’S THE REAL SH.”KEV’S NEWLY CHRISTENED PERSPECTIVE AFFIRMS TO CHIRON THAT THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN THE TROUBLED, POVERTY-STRICKEN WORLD WHERE THEY GREW UP. WHEN KEV LLS UP CHIRON OUT OF THE BLUE (NO PUN TEND) TO VE HIM BACK DOWN TO MIAMI TO RENNECT, WE N ASSUME THAT KEV IS NO LONGER IGNORG HIS FEELGS ABOUT CHIRON.HE DO NOT FEEL ASHAMED ANYMORE. WHILE HE MAY NOT BE LIVG AN OPENLY GAY LIFTYLE, HE DO NOT NY WHAT HE WANTS OR WHO HE WANTS TO BE, JT LIKE JUAN’S TTIMONY.CHIRON AND KEV TOGETHER AGATHE MOVIE ENDS WH BLACK KEV’S ARMS, BEG EE, ACCEPTED, AND LOVED THEIR PRIVATE MOMENT TOGETHER.FAL THOUGHTS
- 'MOONLIGHT' REVIEW: GAY TRIPTYCH FEATUR GREAT PERFORMANC
‘MOONLIGHT’ CAPTUR THE COMPLEXI OF GROWG UP GAY AND BLACK AMERI
Hibbert as Chiron, a young black man growg up gay an impoverished part of Miami Moonlight.
IN 'MOONLIGHT,' GROWG UP BLACK, GAY AND POOR IN 1980S MIAMI
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.
THE LEGACY OF JUAN; MOONLIGHT’S UNSUNG HEROJUAN, BROUGHT TO LIFE BY ACTOR MAHERSHALA ALI, LEAV A LASTG IMPRSN THROUGHOUT THE FILM.LREN JACKSON·FOLLOW9 M READ·MAY 16, 2020--3LISTENSHAREJUAN HOLDS A YOUNG CHIRON (LTLE) WHILE THEY GO FOR A SWIMWH BETIFUL CEMATOGRAPHY AND POWERFUL ACTG, ’S NO SURPRISE THAT THE MOVIE MOONLIGHT WON BT PICTURE AT THE OSRS.THE ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE OF THREE ACTORS THREE SEPARATE ACTS: LTLE, CHIRON, AND BLACK, SHOWS THE PAFUL STGGLE OF INTY AND HOMOSEXUALY OF ONE YOUNG BLACK BOY GROWG UP MIAMI, FLORIDA (SI NOTE: I’LL MOSTLY BE ADDRSG CHIRON BY HIS ACTUAL NAME STEAD OF BY HIS TWO NICKNAM; LTLE AND BLACK).CHIRON IS THE FOL POT OF THE STORY, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER CHARACTER WHO STOOD OUT TO ME MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE THE FILM: JUAN.JUAN; THE UNSUNG HEROJUAN’S CHARACTER IS ONLY THE FIRST ACT OF THE FILM.JUAN FDS A YOUNG CHIRON HIDG OM THE OTHER YOUNG BOYS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER THEY CHASE HIM DOWN FOR BEG “DIFFERENT”, FOR APPEARG WEAK; FOR BEG GAY.WHETHER OR NOT CHIRON ULD PREHEND IF HE MAY HAVE BEEN GAY AT THE TIME, THE OTHER BOYS TARGET HIM. EVEN CHIRON’S OWN MOTHER, PLA, NOTIC THE PECULIAR WAY HE RRI HIMSELF. SHE TELLS JUAN, “YOU EVER SEEN THE WAY HE WALKS, JUAN? YOU GON’ TELL HIM WHY THE OTHER BOYS KICK HIS ASS ALL THE TIME?”BUT THIS DO NOT CEASE JUAN OM TAKG LTLE CHIRON UNR HIS WG, HELPG THE YOUNG BOY FD HIMSELF AND GA NFINCE WHO HE WAS.WHILE JUAN’S APPEARANCE THE FILM IS VERY SHORT-LIVED PARED TO THE RT OF THE CHARACTERS, THE IMPACT JUAN HAS ON CHIRON IS PROFOUND.HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY:CHIRON’S BAPTISM THE MIAMI OCEANJUAN’S BIGGT IMPACT ON CHIRON WAS WHEN HE WAS, WELL, “LTLE”. JUAN TAK CHIRON TO ONE OF THEIR LOL MIAMI BEACH AND HOLDS HIM THE WATER. TEACHG HIM HOW TO SWIM AND HOW TO TST. CHIRON WAS ACCEPTED BY JUAN, PLETELY AND EFFORTLSLY, AS THE DIVE OCEAN EMBRACED THEM.JUAN AND CHIRON’S MOMENT OF TST.AFTER THAT MOMENT ON THE BEACH, CHIRON WOULD OFTENTIM SHOW UP AT JUAN’S ONT DOOR SEEKG REFUGE OM HIS NEGLECTFUL HOME LIFE AND DG-ADDICTED MOTHER, PLA.THE CCIFIXN OF JUANTHE LAST SCENE WE SEE OF JUAN IS WHEN A YOUNG CHIRON ASKS JUAN IF HE IS A DG ALER, TO WHICH JUAN RPONDS WH A PAFUL AND HONT:“…”.JUAN’S HEART-BREAKG GUILT FOR BEG THE REASON WHY CHIRON’S MOTHER NTUED DOWN HER NEVER-ENDG RABB HOLE OF ADDICTN BRGS JUAN TO TEARS.THIS WAS THE LAST TIME WE SEE JUAN ALIVE.LEFT: JUAN, MIDDLE: CHIRON (LTLE), RIGHT: JUAN’S GIRLIEND, TERATHROUGHOUT THE RT OF THE FILM, IS ONLY EXPLAED THROUGH DIALOGUE THAT JUAN HAS DIED. THE DIENCE IS LEFT TO ASSUME THAT JUAN HAS BEEN CCIFIED BY THE EVABLE, DOOMED LIFE OF ANY LONG TIME DG-ALER. EHER WAY, JUAN HAD GONE MUCH TOO SOON CHIRON’S STORY.WHETHER OR NOT WAS TENTNAL OM THE WRERS OR THE DIRECTOR OF THE FILM, THEY NEVER STATED EXACTLY HOW JUAN HAD PASSED. HE IS SIMPLY…GONE. BUT AS I WATCHED THE FILM, WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT JUAN NEVER LEFT.HIS PRENCE STAYED THROUGHOUT THE FILM. CHIRON NTU TO RRY JUAN WH HIM UNTIL THE VERY END.BLUE IS THE WARMT COLORAFTER THEIR MUNN ON THE MIAMI OCEAN, JUAN TELLS YOUNG CHIRON OF A STORY OM WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG BOY LIVG CUBA. JUAN SAYS:JUAN TELLS CHIRON A STORY.“I WAS A WILD LIL’ SHORTY, MAN, JT LIKE YOU. RUNNG AROUND WH NO SHO ON WHEN THE MOON WAS OUT. THIS ONE TIME, I N BY THIS OLD LADY. I WAS NN’, HOLLER’, CUTT’ A FOOL, BOY. THIS OLD LADY, SHE STOPPED ME. SHE SAID ‘NN’ AROUND TCH’ UP ALL THE LIGHT, MOONLIGHT, BLACK BOYS LOOK BLUE. THAT’S WHAT I’M GON’ LL YOU. BLUE.”WHEN CHIRON ASKS JUAN IF “BLUE” WAS HIS NAME, JUAN SAID:“ NO.”JUAN FOLLOWS THIS UP BY STATG:“AT SOME POT, YOU GOTTA CI FOR YOURSELF WHO YOU GON’ BE. CAN’T NOBODY MAKE THAT CISN FOR YOU.”WHILE JUAN DID NOT INTIFY WH BEG LLED “BLUE”, THE LOR BLUE IS SEEN EQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE. BLUE REPRENTS WHAT JUAN REPRENTS; EEDOM, SELF-ACCEPTANCE, AND THE HEART OF MIAMI.JUAN’S R WAS AN ICY BLUE. THE BLUE OF THE OCEAN. THE OL, FLORCENT BLUE HU ARE NSISTENT EVERYWHERE THE FILM.WHEN CHIRON MEETS BACK UP WH KEV (HIS CHILDHOOD IEND AND LOVER) THE LAST ACT OF THE FILM, WHAT LOR SHIRT DO KEV WEAR?THAT’S RIGHT, ’S BLUE.TOP: JUAN’S R, BOTTOM LEFT: CHIRON ON A MIAMI BEACH, BOTTOM RIGHT: KEV RETURNS CHIRON’S LIFETHE SUBLIME WORD OF JUANJUAN MAK KNOWN THAT HE DID NOT ACCEPT HIS NICKNAME OF “BLUE” AS HIS OWN, EVEN IF THAT WAS HOW THE OLR WOMAN OM CUBA HAD VIEWED HIM. JT BEE SOMEONE ELSE SAW JUAN AS ONE WAY, UNR ONE PARTICULAR LIGHT, DID NOT MEAN JUAN INTIFIED WH THE WAY OTHERS PERCEIVED HIM.THIS WAS PARAMOUNT TO CHIRON’S GROWTH.*(SI NOTE: EXPLIC LANGUAGE BELOW)WHEN THE TOUGHER NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS WOULD LL YOUNG CHIRON “GAY” AND A “FAGGOT”, CHIRON WASN’T YET AWARE THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT THOSE ROGATORY NICKNAM OR PERSONAS. IT WAS UP TO ONLY CHIRON HIMSELF TO CI WHO HE WAS GOG TO BE.A YOUNGER CHIRON ASKS JUAN WHAT A “FAGGOT” IS, TO WHICH JUAN RPONDS:YOUNG CHIRON ASKS JUAN AN IMPORTANT QUTN“A FAGGOT IS A WORD ED TO MAKE GAY PEOPLE FEEL BAD.”“AM I A FAGGOT?”, ASKS CHIRON.“NO.”, SAYS JUAN. “YOU N BE GAY, BUT YOU A’T GOTTA LET NOBODY LL YOU NO FAGGOT.”CHIRON RECEIV THE CHANCE OM JUAN TO KNOW THAT HE HAS A CHOICE.THE FILM IS BROKEN UP TO THREE PARTS: LTLE, CHIRON, AND BLACK. “LTLE” WAS A NICKNAME GIVEN TO A YOUNG CHIRON BY HIS PEERS. IN THE SEND PART OF THE FILM, AFTER MEETG JUAN, A TEENAGED CHIRON NO LONGER WANTS TO BE LLED “LTLE”. CHIRON WAS ORIGALLY LLED “LTLE” BEE HE WAS SMALLER THAN THE OTHER BOYS, WAS VERY QUIET, AND APPEARED POWERLS.SIAR TO WHEN JUAN HAD REJECTED HIS NICKNAME OF “BLUE”, CHIRON MA THE CISN TO FULLY EMBRACE AND INTIFY WH HIS ACTUAL NAME.THE ONLY IEND CHIRON HAD GROWG UP WAS HIS CHILDHOOD IEND AND FIRST LOVE, KEV.TOP LEFT: YOUNG CHIRON AND KEV, BOTTOM LEFT: TEENAGED KEV, RIGHT: ADULT KEVKEV GIV CHIRON THE NICKNAME “BLACK” (SI NOTE: THE LOR NICKNAME IS VERY SIAR TO JUAN’S OLD NICKNAME OF “BLUE”). ALTHOUGH CHIRON IS LEERY OF THE FACT THAT ANOTHER BOY GAVE HIM A NICKNAME, TO AVOID ANY IMPLITNS OF HIS SEXUALY, CHIRON NEVER DID STOP KEV OM LLG HIM “BLACK”. THIS IMPLI TO THE DIENCE THAT CHIRON CHOOS TO ACCEPT HIS NICKNAME “BLACK”.KEV AND CHIRON AS TEENAGERS ON THEIR MIAMI BEACHJUAN’S SAT-LIKE WORDS OF WISDOM NTUE TO GIVE CHIRON ASSURANCE EVEN AFTER HE WAS LONG GONE.THE RURRECTN OF JUANCHIRON AND KEV’S TIMATE MOMENTKEV WAS CHIRON’S FIRST AND ONLY SEXUAL EXPERIENCE WH A BOY. KEV MA CHIRON FEEL LOVED AND TSTED; LIKE HOW JUAN HAD ALWAYS TREATED CHIRON OM THE MOMENT HE FOUND THE VULNERABLE LTLE BOY HIDG AWAY OM THE WORLD. THERE IS A SENSE OF SAFETY AND SECURY OM BOTH JUAN AND KEV, AND EACH TIME, THOSE BETIFUL MOMENTS WERE SHARED BI THE WATERS OF THE MIAMI BEACH.IN THE THIRD AND FAL ACT OF THE MOVIE, CHIRON IS GROWN AND OUT OF JAIL. HE WAS LIVG ATLANTA, GEIA NEAR HIS MOTHER, WHO IS NOW SOBER AND LIVG A HALFWAY HOME. CHIRON EMBODI JUAN FOR THE FIRST TIME AN OMO WAY; HE IS NOW A DG ALER, NNG THE STREETS WH THORY AND SMARTS JT AS JUAN ONCE HAD.TOP: JUAN, BOTTOM: ADULT CHIRON LIVG THE HARD LIFECHIRON DRIV A SIAR SLICKED OUT R, BUT THE LOR OF BLACK, LIKE HIS NICKNAME. THERE IS A CROWN ON CHIRON’S DASHBOARD, JT LIKE JUAN’S R HAD.THE CROWNS ON JUAN AND CHIRON’S DASHBOARDCHIRON’S R HAS THE LICENSE PLATE: BLACK305, CHIRON’S NICKNAME WH THE MIAMI AREA . JUAN’S LICENSE PLATE EXHIBED THE SAME MSAGE.JUAN AND CHIRON’S LICENSE PLATADULT CHIRON TELLS THAT HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE JAIL. HE HAD TO REBUILD HIMSELF OM THE GROUND UP, BUT THE BACK OF HIS MD, HE KNEW THERE WAS MORE TO LIFE THAN HOW HE WAS LIVG. HE SAW JUAN.JUAN SUPERVIS HIS RNERJUAN WAS A DG ALER, BUT HE WASN’T YOUR TYPIL “THUG” HTLG THEIR MIAMI STREETS. JUAN WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO EVER “SEE” CHIRON AS A YOUNG BOY, TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE, TO TAKE THE TIME TO SHOW HIM A LIFE WORTH LIVG.WE DON’T GET TOO MUCH BACKSTORY ON JUAN OR HOW HE ME TO BE THE WAY HE WAS, BUT WE DO NOTICE THAT JUAN WAS A LOVG, RG, AND WISE MAN SPE HIS CHOSEN PROFSN. JUAN IS STREET-SMART AND HARD WHEN HE NEEDS TO BE, BUT HE ALSO HAS THE HEART AND URAGE TO VENTURE OUTSI OF A CULTURAL NORM.WHEN KEV REAPPEARS CHIRON’S LIFE TOWARDS THE END OF THE FILM, SYMBOLIZ THAT KEV IS A PLACE NOW WHERE HE HAS BROKEN EE OM THE HARD LIFTYLE:CHIRON AND KEV RNE AT A DER MIAMI“NOW I GOT LIL’ KEV, GOT THIS JOB, ANOTHER 18 MONTHS PROBATN. IT’S A LIFE, YOU KNOW? I A’T NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE. LIKE, I’M TIRED AS HELL RIGHT NOW, MAN, AND I A’T MAKG NO MORE THAN SHOE MONEY, BUT I A’T GOT NO WORRI MAN. NOT THEM KD WHAT I HAD BEFORE. THAT’S THE REAL SH.”KEV’S NEWLY CHRISTENED PERSPECTIVE AFFIRMS TO CHIRON THAT THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN THE TROUBLED, POVERTY-STRICKEN WORLD WHERE THEY GREW UP. WHEN KEV LLS UP CHIRON OUT OF THE BLUE (NO PUN TEND) TO VE HIM BACK DOWN TO MIAMI TO RENNECT, WE N ASSUME THAT KEV IS NO LONGER IGNORG HIS FEELGS ABOUT CHIRON.HE DO NOT FEEL ASHAMED ANYMORE. WHILE HE MAY NOT BE LIVG AN OPENLY GAY LIFTYLE, HE DO NOT NY WHAT HE WANTS OR WHO HE WANTS TO BE, JT LIKE JUAN’S TTIMONY.CHIRON AND KEV TOGETHER AGATHE MOVIE ENDS WH BLACK KEV’S ARMS, BEG EE, ACCEPTED, AND LOVED THEIR PRIVATE MOMENT TOGETHER.FAL THOUGHTS
Juan, brought to life by actor Mahershala Ali, leav a lastg imprsn throughout the holds a young Chiron (Ltle) while they go for a swimWh betiful cematography and powerful actg, ’s no surprise that the movie Moonlight won Bt Picture at the ensemble performance of three actors three separate acts: Ltle, Chiron, and Black, shows the paful stggle of inty and homosexualy of one young black boy growg up Miami, Florida (si note: I’ll mostly be addrsg Chiron by his actual name stead of by his two nicknam; Ltle and Black) is the fol pot of the story, but there is another character who stood out to me more than anyone else the film:; The Unsung HeroJuan’s character is only the first act of the fds a young Chiron hidg om the other young boys the neighborhood after they chase him down for beg “different”, for appearg weak; for beg gay. Whether or not Chiron uld prehend if he may have been gay at the time, the other boys target him.
*(si note: explic language below)When the tougher neighborhood kids would ll young Chiron “gay” and a “faggot”, Chiron wasn’t yet aware that he did not have to accept those rogatory nicknam or personas. A younger Chiron asks Juan what a “faggot” is, to which Juan rponds:Young Chiron asks Juan an important qutn“A faggot is a word ed to make gay people feel bad.
“You n be gay, but you a’t gotta let nobody ll you no faggot. While he may not be livg an openly gay liftyle, he do not ny what he wants or who he wants to be, jt like Juan’s and Kev together agaThe movie ends wh Black Kev’s arms, beg ee, accepted, and loved their private moment ThoughtsThe film is vague about the full tails of Juan’s character, so gave me plenty of room to read between the ma me wonr if Juan held a fancy of another life his heart, but was unable to rry out to un. Chiron is a gay black boy who grows up a world that don’t re about gay black boys.
'MOONLIGHT' REVIEW: GAY TRIPTYCH FEATUR GREAT PERFORMANC
She asks if Juan plans on tellg Ltle why he walks differently or why the boys at school beat him up, implyg that he's gay. Juan and Tera answer that is a cel word to ll gay people, and that he don't have to know if he's gay yet. Chiron asks Juan what a faggot is, and Juan f as "a word to make gay people feel bad.