Moonlight is a movie about subtlety. It is about what lies beneath. What happens in beyond. And who resides in the young impressionable mind. Now here we are, to the late review of 2017’s best picture academy award winner- Moonlight, name originating from a fable inside the movie itself.
The Plot
The movie illustrates the story of a boy who’s spent an entire life in fear. Fear etched into his very soul since early childhood due to being ‘different’. He infact first meets Juan (Mahershala Ali) while he’s being chased by a bunch of bullies. Ever since childhood he’s never seen much of love, tenderness and care which a regular child like that deserves if not all the privileges that the rest of us enjoy. His mother at the beginning seems like somebody who is overprotective of her child but is later revealed to be a junkie who exploits her own child for her needs. Add to that the children who make fun of him due to his sexuality which he himself seldom understands until very later in life. His childhood is turbulent indeed but its much like any average black male growing up in the 90s in a ghetto. But they are usually shown to form strong bonds to a particular person or group. Much like how Chiron finds solace in his only friend (and later love interest) Kevin. Though the adult life of the protagonist is not a cakewalk as he soon gets sucked into a life of crime. That’s pretty much about it for the plot. But this not at all a let-down, as the movie progresses in terms of character development and gorgeously circles around the titillating tales concerning most of our characters.
The Characters
The main character almost never speaks. He's got only a handful lines and is no more different than the protagonist in the movie Satya but that’s exactly the whole nucleus of the movie. Just as the main character, its filled with doubt, repulsion, uneasiness with very few lines or media to convey anything other than the hopelessness of the situation and the helplessness of the character. In such utter wistfulness, there are characters like Juan and Teresa (Janelle Monae). A couple which is an oasis in Chiron’s Sahara. They act as an adopted family to him only for the sake of humanity. Juan in particular is a character to long for, portrayed very convincingly by Mahershala Ali (no wonder he got an Oscar for it). He is a total father figure to Chiron and maybe the only one who ever taught him what matters in life and what is right. Chiron’s mother, played by Naomi Harris is a conflicted character in herself to say the least. After the initial years of Chiron she did not play much of a part in his life except becoming a burden on him, occasionally stealing money from him too to satisfy her drug addict lifestyle. She even asks her boy to leave the home as she’s got people coming over. Chiron’s only friend Kevin is also another audience favourite character but is a bit of a coward. He tells Chiron to stand up for himself but rarely does so himself even if somebody asks him to beat his friend. He is the protagonist’s only love interest and is the catalyst agent behind all of Chiron’s actions. Then there are the bullies and white people eating/ walking. Even Juan’s old lady is more important than them.
Presentation
The movie's score is top notch. All the sounds fit apty to the scenario and the silence works very well at especially melancholic frames. The editing could’ve been a bit more fluid but the use of effects and the overall direction with moving camera and irregular shots are done beautifully. Some fun shots are the POV ones where we are fixated to a place and a small action takes place. The movie is also divided into three chapters which illustrate three phases of the protagonist’s life. And they all begin and end in darkness. Lots and lots of empty darkness. The movie often utilizes elements which every once in a while illustrate how the childhood impacts an adult life of the person and how the abuse from childhood lingers on and have effects the whole life of the protagonist. Some scenes directly juxtapose Chiron in one place and at the same place in a different point of time. Scenes focusing only on him with minor movement are the most powerful ones which show true claustrophobia and how deep he is trapped inside his own life. Children as a symbol of innocence and gullibility are often used as well through a sneak scene randomly inserted in between of something else entirely.
Overall Appeal
The movie is filled with few great characters but all have very short span throughout the movie. Infact it can be said that the secondary characters are way more interesting than the primary character, who is the point of focus throughout the movie but is frustrating and dull. Maybe that is the only bug. But that was supposed to happen in order to make a character seemingly hollow but full of fear inside who barely hangs onto the thin threads which hold his entire existence together. The movie is also unique in its way that it blackouts every now and then and shows the helplessness and the darkness inside the life of the protagonist. Actually the movie is clichéd and unique in a rather mind boggling, confusing but exhilarating way. Well almost like any love story, he is united with his one true love but that is no happy ending and the protagonist does not find redemption. That is the thing I suppose with the movie despite its unreal elements and the fictional setting which keeps it grounded. It shows the movie in a very hard hitting and real life scenery but what makes the movie sail throughout its runtime of 1 hour 50 minutes is the great direction and cinematography even though the script is rather simple and straightforward. All the elements like the shots transitioning to blackness and the moving camera blend in nicely to give us a very surrealistic yet much believable version of love between ordinary individuals with troubled childhoods whose life turn out to be exactly how it should’ve been for any other ghetto kid- full of misery and loneliness. But at the end, love triumphs (sorta).
The Verdict
There are times when there is nothing happening on the screen and the movie successfully shows how nothingness is a powerful notion prevalent in the lives of our characters throughout. It forces the audience in a state of deep thought and symbolically indicates that rather much is happening. Following upon that, the movie can be moody and artsy at times which may not be everyone’s idea of fun. For a few seconds, just a few, it can be called boring as well. But that just depends on the audience. If somebody is totally engrossed in the moment and is half as invested as Chiron, then they are sure to enjoy this emotional drama about love, life, teenage troubles, conflict, and sexuality in a place crawling with drugs, dealers, junkies and juveniles. But don’t be conflicted in your decision and be sure to watch it while you can.
The author imagines Moana everytime Chiron's at the beach.
P.S.- She's officially his favourite disney princess now. Top spot. No competition.
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