Queerness has been a widespread subject in modern-day society. It has been shown in an unfavorable light through traditional movie theaters, but more modern media is starting to change and bring positivity to the taboo of queerness. In the article, “Why Moonlight Is a Small Wonder of a Movie,” the writers acknowledge today’s reality: “Our reality is queer. So are films. We’ve just made a social art of acting otherwise.” A pivot in the cultural conversation is essential in making the LGBTQ community more visible in the public eye. In more recent times, queer, more specifically, gay culture has been defined by the high amount of sex positivity. In Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016), he encapsulates the vulnerability of a young, black, queer male, leaving the audience in awe of the beauty of the film. It is one of those movies that “reminds [the audience] to stay tethered to those corners of queer experience…that [the audience] has trained [themselves] not to see,” by subtly incorporating the experiences of Chiron as he grows up (The Future of Queer Cinema).
That moment when Chiron and Kevin are sitting by the water reveals a type of vulnerability that captivates the audience and draws them into every passing moment. The intense eye contact between the two leads the audience to feel the emotion through the screen. This instance of vulnerability moves the audience and leaves them in awe as Chiron has his first sexual experience. What is interesting about this sexual scene is that it does not glorify sex itself but reveals the calm and normal nature of it. Unlike most sex or sexual scenes, this movie does not have background music.
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This absence of background sound just adds to the intimacy on display. This same idea of intimacy is also demonstrated in a later scene when Chiron and Kevin are adults and talking to each other for the first time in a decade. When Chiron tells Kevin that he is the only person who has ever touched him in a sexual way, there is a type of power that is released into the atmosphere that pulls the audience into a state of anticipation. The silence shared between the two speaks volumes to the audience. It exemplifies the shared experiences and emotions that are felt between the two men. This pushes the audience to fully acknowledge the queerness of the film in its purest form–silence.
In terms of class discussion, there are a few questions that could be asked that would contribute to a reflection on the film. What did the class think of the overall film? How did the subtleness of queerness contribute to the general structure of the plot? And what does the class think of the ending scene with Chiron and Kevin sitting by the water in each other’s arms?
A Role Of Setting And Staging Play In Moonlight
In the motion picture “Moonlight,” setting, as well as presentation, plays a significant role in the development of the film, and assists in informing certain aspects of the story. Three areas of setting, which are pivotal in the film, include the school “Little” attends, the community he lives in, and the beach. The staging of the film reveals that Little gives up when he is under pressure or feels uncomfortable in specific situations he is in. The school Little attends reflects the community he resides in, which appears to be a low-income African American neighborhood. In this neighborhood boys are expected to act tough, show interest in masculine activities like sports or fighting, and assume heterosexuality. Little is precisely the opposite of these expectations at this part of the film. Little is shy and does not fit in with other boys his age. He is an easy target because he appears not tough enough and does not stand up to defend himself until much later in the film
Lastly, with establishing the beach as a significant setting, the movie uses it as a space of freedom and a place where Little expresses himself. At the beach, Little has an intimate conversation and opens himself up to his friend Kevin, leading to their first kiss. Little tells Kevin about struggles he wouldn’t dare express or act upon back in the neighborhood they inhabit. Later on in the film, when Little and Kevin reconnect, they retreat to a motel by the sea where Little reveals his lack of sexual experiences. This further underscores the intimacy and revelation the beach setting conveys in the movie. All of this transmits the film’s message regarding living an insincere life and the anxiety of being different. When Little can finally be himself at the beach with Kevin, he seems happier than at any other point in the movie, for he can momentarily shed the facade he consistently maintains. If they were seen kissing in the neighborhood they live in, they would likely face ridicule and physical harm.
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Staging also plays a unique role in the unfolding of the film. There are several examples of this, like Little’s mother reaction when she asks for money, and Little retaliating after being attacked by Kevin after school. Little and his mother do not seem to have much of a relationship in the film due to her drug problem. She initially appears to be a nurse, shown in scrubs, but is later typically seen at home in regular clothes. At one point, her drug addiction escalates to such an extent that she has to ask Little for money to buy drugs. The conversation starts routinely, but soon escalates to her battering the door, frantically searching Little for money. She grows increasingly aggressive towards him until he gives her the money she wants.
This episode conveys Little’s submissive personality and his tendency to surrender when pressured. He appears to be very sad and compelled to conceal his emotions. Ultimately, Little retaliates and lets his pent-up anger and frustration overtake him after being attacked at school. Little, frequently bullied in elementary school, does nothing to retaliate. However, as he grows older and after sharing an intimate moment with Kevin at the beach, Kevin is pressured to beat Little up by a group of bullies. After Little is assaulted, he retaliates by striking one of these bullies, the orchestrator of his beating, in the back of the head with a chair.
