In a bid to protect his dream of love, Chiron shows up at school one day and, wordlessly, breaks a chair over Terrels back. Moonlight (Film) study guide contains a biography of Barry Jenkins, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Chiron admits he's smoked all kinds of things his mother leaves around the house. Courtesy of Color . I think Tarell did such a good job of translating and transferring hisexperience into Chiron but also creating these people who weredistinct and very unique and were like the people I knew growing up. I think one of those sections deal with masculinity and how the world is creating this environment where were presented masculinity. Kevin turns around, feeling Chiron's presence, and asks, "You good, Black?" Why classes are used in Java? "Moonlight" was one of the best films of 2016, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. At the beginning of the film, Juana Cuban drug dealer comes across a withdrawn child in a crackhouse in Liberty City, Miami, who goes by the name Chiron. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Indeed, after Kevin jokes with Chiron about a girl, he dreams about Kevin having sex with her. With this childhood as a foundation, Chiron may have a predetermined path in life, one that will only be magnified in terms of its problems when he reaches his difficult teen years when peer pressure affects what he and many of his peers do, unless he follows Juan's advice of truly making his own decisions for himself. Chronicling one black boys childhood in Liberty City, Miami, Moonlightgives viewers a look into what life is like in aninner city where drugs and poverty are in abundance. Manage Settings Because of Juans lasting legacy, Chiron was finally able to live with himself and live freely. In an exclusive interview with theGrio.com, Jenkins shares why he decided to bring McCraneys story to life on film, talks about the intersections of sexuality, socio-economics and gender constructs, and explains why he hopes the film provides visibility to people who would otherwise go unnoticed. They laugh, and Kevin says he didn't know Chiron smoked. Watching Sanders play Chiron at this stage of his life is rather like seeing Montgomery Clift act for the first time, or Gloria Foster in Nothing But a Man. Theres no accounting for talent like this. Usain Bolt boasts the men's 100m and 200m records and ran the latter in 19.19 seconds at the 2009 World Championships. They make sexual comments about Teresa and Paula, implying that they are both prostitutes, to which Chiron instinctively reacts, grabbing Terrel by the shirt collar. He cant afford to; this situation, any situation, could be changed in an instant by a gun or a knife. The first feature film with an all-black cast, Moonlight premiered in the United States on October 21, 2016. To stay within your your SmartPoints budget, you don't need to cut out foods entirely, but it pays to eat more of those that cost you less points. This is how the states play a part in amending the Constitution. I think if the movie went on for another week, then we might get to a point where theres actual release, but I felt like at that point the only thing the character was prepared for emotionally was to be held an act of intimacy because he doesnt allow anyone to touch him in the film at all. Its The Lord of the Flies all over again: whale on sensitivity before it can get to you. After bidding Chiron farewell, Juan notices Paula taking drugswith one of his customers. Last Update: Jan 03, 2023. Little was a nickname given to a young Chiron by his peers. There is a crown on Chirons dashboard, just like Juans car had. Jenkins has influencesI would guess that Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Terrence Malick, and Charles Burnett are high on the list, along with Michael Roemers 1964 film Nothing But a Man, one of the first modern black love stories to avoid buffoonery and improbabilitybut what really gets him going here is filmmaking itself, and the story hes telling. Her return to Comala and marriage to Pedro Pramo are the most significant plotline in the book's second half. Frustrated, she goes on to take out her frustrations on Chiron. It is only explained through conversations that he has died. Tarells like, no I was neverinvited into a penis competition (laughs). That night, Chiron appears to wake up and walk through Teresa's house only to find Kevin having sex with a girl in the backyard. How Did Juan Die in Moonlight? Why did you decide to end it that way? He is first introduced having a conversation with one of his customers. ), and what their super objective was (what the character needed to get by the plays end), and what stood in their way of achieving that goal. The latter tells him he hated his mother too, but she passed away. And I think people are seeing that and recognizing the humanity in every individual., The actor, who was also working on House of Cards and Luke Cage while shooting Moonlight, said each time hed travel to a new city to work on another role, he kept thinking about Juan and really missing that character., Missing him during the process of shooting it, and then mourning him later, he explained. Throughout the rest of the film, it is only explained through dialogue that Juan has died. GradeSaver, Read the Study Guide for Moonlight (Film), Black Identity: The Struggle between Virility and Vulnerability, Color, Lighting, and Powerful Motifs: The Evocative Visual Design in Moonlight, Sexuality and Performance in Paris is Burning and Moonlight, View Wikipedia Entries for Moonlight (Film). How did he die? Theres no music in this scene; no one cries; Juan doesnt grab a gun and try to blow the slandering universe away. And it changes everything. Although Chiron is leery of the fact that another boy gave him a nickname, to avoid any implications of his sexuality, Chiron never did stop Kevin from calling him Black. And he knows he counts even more when Juan calls him by his nicknameLittleas a way of claiming him. Of course, there is an obvious parallel between Kevin forcing Little to wrestle him in order to show the other boys he's tough and the scene in which Kevin beats Chiron to a pulp at the behest of Terrel. The film tells a beautiful story, told in three acts, about its main character Chiron (Trevante Rhodes).. laurenjcreativity29@gmail.com. The Birth of a Nation Isnt Worth Defending. Juan, his mouth fixed in a poutsometimes he sucks on his tongue, as if it were a pacifierdoesnt take his eyes off the street. 1. Their collaborative project is now getting the attention of industry insiders and has earned rave reviews. The correct way to say Beethoven's surname is difficult for English speakers because it . Throughout the rest of the film, it is only explained through dialogue that Juan has died. A liquid cup and a solid cup are exactly the same size. While he can heal others, he can't heal himself. The film explores a young black man's. There area bunch of straight boys who would never in a million years admit that what theywere doing was exploring theirsexuality. How he talks. One night, Chiron has a dream about his friend Kevin. Four white Miami-Dade police officers have beaten a young black man to death and been acquitted of manslaughter, setting off riots in the citys black enclavesLiberty City, Overtown, and elsewhere. The audience is left to assume that Juan has been crucified by the inevitable, doomed life of any long time drug-dealer. Instead, he takes the word apart, and doesnt take Chiron apart with it. However, there is also a palpable difference between the scenes. But, at the end of every outing, Teresa and Juan show their respect by returning Chiron home. Later, he takes him to his house andintroduces him to his girlfriend Teresa. Jerry Leon Wallace (December 15, 1928 - May 5, 2008) was an American country and pop singer. Its not him, but its definitely based on him. One could conclude that she was the mother figure that Chiron lacked. I was like Im going to insert this scene into Tarells character. It's a beautiful ending, but what does it mean? In Moonlight, it's the process of keeping the audience aware of the maker's hand and of the actors playing. Juan finds a young Chiron hiding from the other young boys in the neighborhood after they chase him down for being different, for appearing weak; for being gay. Juan makes it known that he did not accept his nickname of Blue as his own, even if that was how the older woman from Cuba had viewed him. He was the first Muslim actor to ever receive an Academy Award. Chiron lives alone, but one day receives a call from a now grown Kevin (Andr Holland) who he has not spoken with in years. Solution 1. What is the 200 m world record? While he may not be living an openly gay lifestyle, he does not deny what he wants or who he wants to be, just like Juans testimony. Eventually, the two find themselves at Kevin's apartment where Chiron breaks down, revealing to Kevin that he is the only man Chiron has ever been with. You have to get onyour moms still a crackhead, and you still have to deal with these kids f***ing with you at school. Kevin explains that he got detention for having sex with a girl in the hallway at school. The audience is left to assume that Juan has been crucified by the inevitable, doomed life of any long time drug-dealer. This film is told through three different points in the protagonist's life. Pick one of the main characters, and discuss who they were (this should include their name, age, occupation, etc. I didnt want to get caught up in that. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The film is broken up into three parts: Little, Chiron, and Black. In the context of Juan's advice to "decide for yourself who you're going to be," Chiron's decision to seek revenge on Terrel seems like a perversion of the notion that one can shape one's own future. The first time they made out with Kevin, it was also at the beach. When the main protagonist, Chiron, is chased by bullies through the street, Juan hides him in his crackhouse and saves his life. The community I feel like, despite the fact that we were all struggling and everybody had somebody in their family that was going through what our mothers were going through, there was somewhere you could go where you would not getturned away. Now he is very aggressively masculine, and he employs tough guy mannerisms clearly, using these as a wall to protect himself from being hurt again by others, as well as a way torun from the little boy he used to be. Billy Kimber manages to shoot Thomas in the chest, but Thomas is able to shoot him in the head, killing him instantly and ending the short war between the two gangs. When you have a mother who is going through things that are preventing her from showing you love, you start to create this version of yourself whereyou are not worthy of love. Explain that scene in terms of his sexuality and its origin. The protagonist, who is first introduced as young Little, struggles with his crack-addicted mother at homeand desperately avoidsbullies at school who call him a fa**ot., Oscar-buzzing Moonlight gives viewers something they can hold on to. The film is told with different actors playing Chiron at different stages of his life . a bat. Kevin shrugs this off and starts sharing a blunt with Chiron. Upon being called out, Juan hangs his head in shame in what is a remarkably, powerful scene. In the third and final act of the movie, Chiron is grown and out of jail. BJ:I want people to see these characters and see them in all their full individuality. A system, especially a computer system, that is constituted of poorly matched elements or of elements originally intended for other applications. This old lady, she stopped me. What is the current 200m sprint world record? This is a great movie but this is only a short answer space. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The coming-of-age film, written and directed by Barry Jenkins, wasconsidered Oscar-worthy by critics long before its limited theatrical release on Oct. 21. Although this scene on the beach is in some ways a victory for Chiron, because it marks the first time he's able to act on his sexuality, it also kickstarts his downfall by lulling him into the security that comes with reciprocated love. Both he and McCraney grew up in Liberty City and had strained relationships with their mothers as children. In fact, it has since made it onto the top ten lists of numerous critics. As a little boy, Chiron does not fit the typical idea of masculinity, and the other boys bully him because of this. Thats how Juan (the beautiful Mahershala Ali) carries himselfdefensively, warily. Juan lives in a small, unassuming house with his soft-spoken but confident partner, Teresa (played by the singer Janelle Mone). Does he return at a later point in the movie? Juan is a drug dealer in Miami, Florida. Mentioned only in passing, viewers are left to imagine the events prior to the second act themselves. It is only explained through conversations that he has died. Kevin was Chirons first and only sexual experience with a boy. Similar to when Juan had rejected his nickname of Blue, Chiron made the decision to fully embrace and identify with his actual name. What happened to Juan on Moonlight? Juan may not have had the chance to live a life without worries as Kevin was able to discover, but Id like to think that Chiron can now live freely and stay afloat for the remainder of his life because of Juans lasting legacy. What did Juan Pablo say to Andi? He saw it in Juan. Juans death scene is not clearly depicted in the movie Moonlight. Weight Watchers is one of the . This is foregrounded when he arrives home after Kevin drops him off to find his mother asleep on the couch. Paula badgers Chiron for the money she knows Teresa gives him, eventually wresting it from his pocket. Either way, Juan had gone much too soon in Chiron's story. Juan pulls off a wooden board from the window and finds the boy hiding.