Moonlight Blog task
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?
Based on previous films I get the idea that the film will have quite a negative portrayal of black males. Many films based around this topic show them involved with gangs, drugs and violence. The idea of racism may be shown as black people are still often frowned upon. I expect the film to tell the story of a black male showing his struggles and the different issues he has to face throughout his upbringing.
Discussion points
• Chiron is a character of few words. Why is this?
Chiron doesn't say much as he's been brought up by a mother who verbally abuses him and doesn't give him the love and support he needs. She is a drug addict who can barely look after herself let alone a young boy. All her funds clearly go towards her drug habit meaning her son is left to almost fend for himself. All of this has added up and dragged down his self esteem. He lacks confidence and is struggling to establish who he is.
How do the three actors use body language to communicate Chiron’s emotions to the
audience?
The first two actors often keep there heads down connoting embarrassment and fear. Their shoulders are often quite low and he walks with not much confidence. The actor appears quite reserved and closed as he doesn't walk with open body language. His eyes are almost squinted and he very rarely smiled showing the negative impact of his mothers abuse. The last actors body language does dramatically change however. This is because he walks around with broad shoulders looking people directly in the eye and openly communicating with others. This shows his confidence has increased, it also shows us his progression since he was a teenager.
Why is he reluctant to make eye contact with people?
Chiron is reluctant to make eye contact with people as he is ashamed and lacks confidence. His mother has put him down so much that he is unable to even look at people because of his embarrassment and low self esteem.
• Did anything about the Miami setting surprise you, compared to
its party image in popular culture?
The setting surprised me as I expect bright colours, excitement, partying etc in Miami however it was presented as a rundown ghetto. This is the complete opposite to what we expect. By subverting stereotypical views we begin to generate Enigma codes as we are confused as to what's going on.
How does the saturated colour capture the image of the city the filmmakers are trying to convey?
• 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?
Juan had a massive impact on the whole film as we almost see his life and upbringing reflected in Chirons life as he grows up. Juan provided Chiron with the foundations he needed to build his confidence and skills he needed for everyday life. Juan acted as a father figure to Chiron which helped him to begin communicating again.
• 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?
Because beach scenes are often surrounded by the idea of love. This kept giving subtle hints about Chirons love life (sexuality). The oceans are also very free which shows it was a place where he could open up and be free. This is reinforced when we find out his sexuality on the beach with Kevin.
• Did anything about Chiron in the final chapter surprise you?
Chirons posture and body language surprised me as I expected him to still have a timid and confined persona however he was the total opposite. It was a complete shock as I expected the fights to knock his confidence instead of increasing it.
To what extent do you think he is being true to “himself” before and after his
reunion with Kevin?
I don't believe he was being true to himself as we found out that he hadn't "been touched" by another man since Kevin. This shows he wasn't open about his sexuality and was lying to himself. He hid this which shows he still lacks confidence as he doesn't feel comfortable opening up about being gay.
What did you make of his various nicknames?
His various nicknames were quite undermining and put him down to some extent. Calling him little increased the whole idea of him being timid and shy. This would have put down his confidence even more as he felt like because he was small he was different to everyone else. The nickname Black also almost categorised him and made him feel like a denomination compared to everyone else. All these nicknames were a way of bullying him and lowering his self esteem.
Write about it
Bring your ideas together in a review and share it on our Into Film clubs’
website. You could include a summary of the story, mention other films
that it’s similar to, describe what you particularly liked or disliked and give
it your star rating.
Overall I liked the film. The way it portrayed black males in Chirons situation helped the audience understand some of the struggles he may have been facing. His whole progression through life was a good way of showing how he changed and how certain people influenced him through his life. The use of 3 different characters helped clearly show the differences and changes that took place. I didn't completely like the ending after he went back to Kevins house because it left me almost confused. I feel like the ending should have showed us if Chiron was able to finally reveal his true self to everyone. Overall I would give the film 3 stars. I was impressed by parts however I feel like it could have been a lot better.
Extension Activities
What does the future hold for Chiron?
In the future I hope that Chiron is able to remove all his barriers and open up to everyone about his true sexuality instead of having to hide it from everyone.
As a piece of creative writing, write
the next chapter in his life, set a few years after the film concludes. How has
he changed? What are his relationships like with those around him?
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?
Based on previous films I get the idea that the film will have quite a negative portrayal of black males. Many films based around this topic show them involved with gangs, drugs and violence. The idea of racism may be shown as black people are still often frowned upon. I expect the film to tell the story of a black male showing his struggles and the different issues he has to face throughout his upbringing.
Discussion points
• Chiron is a character of few words. Why is this?
Chiron doesn't say much as he's been brought up by a mother who verbally abuses him and doesn't give him the love and support he needs. She is a drug addict who can barely look after herself let alone a young boy. All her funds clearly go towards her drug habit meaning her son is left to almost fend for himself. All of this has added up and dragged down his self esteem. He lacks confidence and is struggling to establish who he is.
How do the three actors use body language to communicate Chiron’s emotions to the
audience?
The first two actors often keep there heads down connoting embarrassment and fear. Their shoulders are often quite low and he walks with not much confidence. The actor appears quite reserved and closed as he doesn't walk with open body language. His eyes are almost squinted and he very rarely smiled showing the negative impact of his mothers abuse. The last actors body language does dramatically change however. This is because he walks around with broad shoulders looking people directly in the eye and openly communicating with others. This shows his confidence has increased, it also shows us his progression since he was a teenager.
Why is he reluctant to make eye contact with people?
Chiron is reluctant to make eye contact with people as he is ashamed and lacks confidence. His mother has put him down so much that he is unable to even look at people because of his embarrassment and low self esteem.
• Did anything about the Miami setting surprise you, compared to
its party image in popular culture?
The setting surprised me as I expect bright colours, excitement, partying etc in Miami however it was presented as a rundown ghetto. This is the complete opposite to what we expect. By subverting stereotypical views we begin to generate Enigma codes as we are confused as to what's going on.
How does the saturated colour capture the image of the city the filmmakers are trying to convey?
• 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?
Juan had a massive impact on the whole film as we almost see his life and upbringing reflected in Chirons life as he grows up. Juan provided Chiron with the foundations he needed to build his confidence and skills he needed for everyday life. Juan acted as a father figure to Chiron which helped him to begin communicating again.
• 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?
Because beach scenes are often surrounded by the idea of love. This kept giving subtle hints about Chirons love life (sexuality). The oceans are also very free which shows it was a place where he could open up and be free. This is reinforced when we find out his sexuality on the beach with Kevin.
• Did anything about Chiron in the final chapter surprise you?
Chirons posture and body language surprised me as I expected him to still have a timid and confined persona however he was the total opposite. It was a complete shock as I expected the fights to knock his confidence instead of increasing it.
To what extent do you think he is being true to “himself” before and after his
reunion with Kevin?
I don't believe he was being true to himself as we found out that he hadn't "been touched" by another man since Kevin. This shows he wasn't open about his sexuality and was lying to himself. He hid this which shows he still lacks confidence as he doesn't feel comfortable opening up about being gay.
What did you make of his various nicknames?
His various nicknames were quite undermining and put him down to some extent. Calling him little increased the whole idea of him being timid and shy. This would have put down his confidence even more as he felt like because he was small he was different to everyone else. The nickname Black also almost categorised him and made him feel like a denomination compared to everyone else. All these nicknames were a way of bullying him and lowering his self esteem.
Write about it
Bring your ideas together in a review and share it on our Into Film clubs’
website. You could include a summary of the story, mention other films
that it’s similar to, describe what you particularly liked or disliked and give
it your star rating.
Overall I liked the film. The way it portrayed black males in Chirons situation helped the audience understand some of the struggles he may have been facing. His whole progression through life was a good way of showing how he changed and how certain people influenced him through his life. The use of 3 different characters helped clearly show the differences and changes that took place. I didn't completely like the ending after he went back to Kevins house because it left me almost confused. I feel like the ending should have showed us if Chiron was able to finally reveal his true self to everyone. Overall I would give the film 3 stars. I was impressed by parts however I feel like it could have been a lot better.
Extension Activities
What does the future hold for Chiron?
In the future I hope that Chiron is able to remove all his barriers and open up to everyone about his true sexuality instead of having to hide it from everyone.
As a piece of creative writing, write
the next chapter in his life, set a few years after the film concludes. How has
he changed? What are his relationships like with those around him?
Comments
Post a Comment