“At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you’re gonna be. Can’t let nobody make that decision for you.”
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monáe, Alex R. Hibbert, Jharrel Jerome, Ashton Sanders, Jaden Piner, André Holland
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Moonlight, Barry Jenkins’ generation-spanning epic about black masculinity and sexuality, was recently awarded Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor at quite possibly the most dramatic Academy Awards ever. It won acclaim the world over for its performances, writing, and direction, which it deserves.
Moonlight starts off with the main character, Chiron, in elementary school, in a drug-addled neighborhood in Miami, where danger lurks around every corner. This environment is harsh especially for Chiron, or “Little” (Alex R. Hibbert), who lives with his troubled single mother (an explosive Naomie Harris), and is struggling with his identity, particularly with his sexuality.
At this point in the film, Little meets Juan (Mahershala Ali), a drug dealer with a heart of gold. It’s a trope that’s tried and true in movies, but is portrayed beautifully here, with Ali quietly demonstrates his conflict between his way of life and his paternal love towards Little. This conflict culminates in a particularly heartbreaking scene, one in which Hibbert has his most lines. Speaking of Hibbert, despite having next to no speaking parts, due to Little’s confusion and shyness, he stills accurately portrays the curiosity and fear that a child would feel in this situation, especially in interactions with Kevin (Jaden Piner).
In the next chapter, entitled “Black”, Chiron is played by the magnificent Ashton Sanders, who is now coming into his sexuality and realizing who he is. In this section, there’s a larger focus on Kevin, now played by the sublime Jharrel Jerome. It’s in this part of the film, that the most affecting and telling scene happens. It’s beautifully orchestrated, focusing more on cinematography and camera angles rather than facial expressions, and challenges the audience to ponder the meaning.
Shortly after that scene, Chiron has his last interaction with his mother (at least in his chapter), and it’s the only time we see real tenderness between the two, spoken in simple words that are loaded with meaning.
The third and final chapter, entitled “Chiron”, (the title in itself reveals his completion of identity), follows Chiron in his twenties, now a drug dealer in Atlanta. Chiron is now played with brilliant subtlety by Trevante Rhodes, and is closed off to his friends and clients. When the audience sees Chiron, it’s startling, due to his tough exterior, until he wakes up one morning and receives a call from Kevin, now played by André Holland. Kevin wants to see Chiron again, and as he speaks, the audience sees Chiron’s tough layers peeling back one by one, and by the time the call ends, Chiron’s in pieces, falling back on his bed with his phone in his hand like an excited teenage girl.
It’s in the following scenes that Chiron has his last interactions with both his mother, now in rehab, and Kevin, now a low-earning cook at a restaurant. In the scene at rehab, we see Chiron break down again, this time with only one tear rolling down his cheek as his mother chides him for his profession. In his scene with Kevin, where the latter cooks Chiron a home-cooked meal, what he calls “Chef’s Special”, and Chiron’s behavior is exactly how it was when he was a teenager. It’s at this point when Kevin plays Barbara Lewis’ “Hello Stranger”, in an otherwise wordless, but gorgeous and romantic scene. It’s the perfect ending to a perfect film that finds great meaning in small gestures.
Picture Credits: IMDb