Barry Jenkins directed Moonlight, adapting Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play In Moonlight Black Boys look Blue. Moonlight depicts the life of an African American young man at three different stages. His first feature film, Medicine for Melancholy (Berry Jenkins), had a similar theme. Both films use color to convey the mood and thoughts of the characters. While both films share similar themes, Jenkins’s second film demonstrates how much Jenkins has progressed. Moonlight’s cinematography makes an emotional connection with the audience through its use of vivid colors and breathtaking shots. Moonlight’s cinematography is dominated by its camera work and mise en scene, particularly the lightning.
Moonlight’s cinematography plays a major role in setting the mood for the film. It is important that the two are portrayed together and how they relate to one another. The main conflict of the protagonist is the theme. This theme concerns our true selves and how we should be perceived by others. The film can be divided into three parts: Little is his youth, Chiron his adolescence or Black his young adult years. These chapters tell the story of the main characters’ self-discovery through each stage of their lives. The film begins by introducing Chiron, our protagonist, and Juan, our mentor. The camera follows Juan’s every move as he is introduced. Juan is natural and easy to follow in this scene. Juan and his employee are seen rejecting a customer as he talks to them. The camera circled around them when the conversation ends. The arc shot, which is repeated throughout the film, has two meanings. It is used here to symbolize the close connection between customer, boss, and employee. It is later the friendship formed between schoolboys at a baseball game. A community can also become a prison. His community rejects Chiron because he is gay. The camera follows Chiron’s bullies as it moves towards the second scene. As it chases Chiron, the camera shakes and becomes panicky. Now, the camera represents his world. The bullies’ insults grow louder as Chiron seeks refuge. The camera moves around Chiron but is close to him. Juan’s scene was more comfortable than Chiron’s. It is another way to show the worlds they live in. Each character’s position in the community is also shown by the contrasting sound design. Chiron’s bullies are loudly interrupting Juan’s conversation with his worker. Chiron is persecuted even though Juan is respected in his peer group. Chiron finds a syringe after the bullies have left. This will be the beginning of his career in the third film. The room lights up when Juan takes down the walls of the house. Juan has entered Chiron’s refuge, metaphorically as well as literally, and offered food to him as comfort. Contrasting in their communication styles, Juan is more caring and relaxed than Chiron. Chiron’s anxiety is clearly evident in the close-up after Juan made his offer. The scene in which Chiron’s bullies force his friend to hit him because he is “different” is another where the camera follows the characters. The camera slows down and begins to focus on Chiron. This traps them further. So that the viewer is immersed in the scene, it is important to place the camera as close as possible. The fourth wall is broken when Chiron, his friend and the camera are directly in front of the actor. The audience is drawn into the scene and becomes more aware of the emotion the character is expressing. Moonlight was shot with anamorphic lenses, making it dramatic when the characters stare in the camera. An expanded frame shows how alone a character can be. Moonlight’s best moments come when the actors are able to look directly into the lens. The audience can feel a closer emotional connection and a greater understanding of the characters. This lens has been featured in many classic movies. James Laxton, cinematographer, stated that it is used for grand stories and large-scope thoughts. It is possible that we subconsciously chose it for Moonlight to portray this community in new ways.
Jenkins uses symbolism to reflect on the theme prejudice and show how Chiron evolved from a man to become a child. Juan, the father figure to the protagonist, teaches him to swim in water by this scene.
This memorable scene juxtaposes Juan’s inborn idea that he is a gang-affiliated drugdealer as he assumes his father’s role. But he supplies Chiron’s mother, Paula with drugs. Water is used to symbolize transformation and rebirth, and it precedes all important decisions made by the protagonist. Little is taught to swim by his father-figure. Juan urges him to flotilla the water and Juan follows his lead. Also, prejudice is used to show the mistreatment that is done to the coloured.
Moonlight was filmed at Liberty City in Miami. The neighborhood houses were pastel-colored while the trees and trees were a tropical color. These bright colors are not the same as those used in American indie films that address social issues. The neighborhood is filled with pastel-colored houses, while the Atlantic Ocean is a bright blue-green. Chiron’s mother is bathed constantly in neon pink and shouts at him. Juan invites Chiron into his swimming lessons, but it’s a long shot because Chiron has to decide what to do. Chiron finally meets him, and the camera cuts. Chiron then has fun. The scene is challenging because the Atlantic Ocean is bright blue. The actors’ skin was softened by the humidity and natural light. The characters’ emotions are displayed as the sky turns grayer. The neon pink lighting highlights Chiron’s mother, highlighting her femininity despite her sore expression. Chiron’s mother looks at Chiron while she leaves. This lighting gives depth to the character and does not portray an abusive mother. By using lighting to counter stereotypes, characters are shown with beautiful and bright lights as background. Lighting is about skin tone. It makes skin look natural and attractive. Laxton used an ArriAlexa Digital Camera to capture skin tones more vividly. Moonlight was a key aspect of Laxton’s cinematography. Laxton said, “We wanted black actors to have natural skin tones.” We wanted them to look more natural than flattering in lighting and tones. Moonlight has a different aesthetic than other films. Alex Bickel, the film’s colorist created a vibrant film by increasing saturation and contrast while keeping colors and details intact. The German film stock used in the second chapter is well-known for adding color to its shots. The most well-known quote in the film, “In Moonlight black boys see blue,” is displayed most clearly in the second section with its green-blue hue. Laxton used color filters to ensure that characters felt the emotion they were experiencing when inside their homes or in night scenes. In a later scene in the film, light bulbs were changed from being green to being blue. The lightbulbs outside of Chiron’s diner were modified to emit a blue glow instead of the original green. This makes Chiron appear more relaxed. The diner scene also uses natural light. The lamps provided natural light and gave the diner a realistic and natural feel. Natural light gives characters a soft glow that makes them appear real and not artificial.
Moonlight’s angles most frequently are at eye-level. They are also close to actors’ faces, breaking the fourth wall often. The film opens with Chiron being bullied at a soccer match. Chiron’s view is captured by the camera so that the boys don’t stare at Chiron but instead look at the audience. Kevin is the only boy in the group who views Chiron as an individual. Chiron, however, sees Kevin’s scare instead of staring back at Chiron. The camera cuts to their legs and arms when Kevin and Chiron are wrestling. Juan teaches Chiron how swimming and the camera is placed at eye level so the audience can swim with the characters. Chiron sits back in school and listens to the principal’s voice as he beats Chiron. As Chiron’s glare grows more severe and his louder breathing becomes more apparent, the camera shifts to a low angle. The shot exaggerates Chiron’s features.
Its eyes are drawn into the film’s face and make it seem more sad than if taken at eye level. The film’s final scene shows Chiron entering the diner scene. It takes a long time to show the atmosphere and setting. Kevin looks directly into the camera when he sees Chiron sitting at a bar. Kevin’s shock at seeing Chiron back is evident in the eyes. The audience can feel it too. The camera has moved in front of Chiron, making him appear small and cramped. Kevin walks into the scene and notices that the camera is standing in front of a doorway. The camera now appears gigantic. The final shot shows Chiron standing in front the Atlantic in moonlight. Slowly, the camera moves towards Chiron, until he turns his back to see behind him. The camera stops. Chiron stares at the audience like he is inviting them to join.
Director Jenkins uses color, camera angles, lighting, and other means to bring the characters to life in Moonlight. Jenkins makes every effort to make each person’s story personal using all of the camerawork tools. Jenkins described the film as a “fever dream” and said that it was a movie that made everyone feel part of the dream. Laxton and Jenkins use lighting techniques and neighborhood shots to challenge stereotypical views about black communities. It’s a coming-of age story that employs every camera trick available to make the film so the audience is completely absorbed.
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