It would be easy to refer to Moonlight as a Black film. Or a gay film. Or indeed both. While the film tackles these topics with a grace and urgency that are sorely needed, the true core to the story being told can be summed up by a question asked in the film: “Who is you?” Moonlight is about identity, either hiding it or finding it. We follow a boy named Chiron through three stages of his early years as his environment and relationships shape his life. Moonlight masterfully addresses sexuality and race in a way that resonates universally.
The first chapter is entitled Little, the first nickname for Chiron (Alex R. Hibbert). Living in Miami, his father is absent, his mother Paula (Naomie Harris) on a path to drug addiction, and his peers at school treat him like an outsider. Because of his size and because of something else, a quality even his mother senses and holds against him. He is taken under the wing of local drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali) and his girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monáe), who shows him a tenderness and understanding that is missing from his life.
The second chapter, Chiron, moves into the boy’s teens. Chiron (Ashton Sanders) has grown more insular and lonely. His mother’s dependency has worsened and his only solace comes from his relationship with Teresa and a growing bond with childhood friend Kevin (Jharrel Jerome). This friendship having deepened over the years, it develops into something more, just before an incident at school alters the course of Chiron’s life.
Finally in Black, we see Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) as a grown man, a strong, silent type who is still dealing with his issues, putting up a front of hyper masculinity. Somewhat reconciled with his mother, who disapproves of his involvement in the drug trade, he is otherwise alone. When he receives a phone call from Kevin (Andre Holland), Chiron sets out to reconnect with his old friend.
Comparisons will be made between Boyhood due to its similar technique of looking in at the life of a child at different stages of his development. While an impressive technical feat, Linklater’s feature lacked an interesting protagonist and generated little real investment. In Moonlight, we get a look at an individual that is far more vulnerable and challenged within his own community and even family, underpinned by a important social commentary. Despite a growing embrace of equality in this country, some demographics still castigate homosexuality, perhaps none more so than the African American community. This notion was highlighted by the passionate Q&A that followed the screening I attended. Moonlight isn’t going to change things alone, but it humanizes the issue, deftly connecting you with an individual and his unique struggle.
Despite its structure potentially opening up the film to weaknesses, Moonlight is impressively cohesive. The first two acts develop these characters and their relationships, immersing us in their lives before the final act serves as catharsis, a conversation in a diner that is one of the most brave and powerful denouements in recent memory. A lot is packed into the runtime, but pivotal character moments are treated with the time and depth they need to make this such a success. While there is potency in the more explosive scenes, a punch landed in a schoolyard ranking as one of the most visceral moments in film this year, Moonlight delivers as much impact in the quieter character moments too. Scenes across the three acts will fill you with heartbreak and with hope, investing you in Chiron and ensuring those final moments cut deep.
Despite no collaboration between the three actors in their approach to playing Chiron, the performances of Hibbert, Sanders, and Rhodes mesh together seamlessly. Each deliver nuanced work to linger in the memory, but the structure and narrative of Moonlight only makes their work all the more potent. The cast is brimming with talent. Naomie Harris’s heartbreaking performance is even more startling knowing she completed filming of all her scenes in just three days. Andre Holland (outstanding in The Knick) is critical to the closing act of the film, embodying a warmth and wisdom that breaks down Chiron’s hardened shell, asking again the question “who is you?” while framing the piece as one of lost love.
Moonlight is the latest in a short line of long overdue emerging mainstream production of films by and with major Black American talent, including Justin Simien’s Dear White People, Nate Parker’s Birth of a Nation, Ava DuVernay’s 13th, and Jeff Nichols’s Loving, and is perhaps the most firm rebuttal to #OscarsSoWhite you can imagine. Hopefully this marks a trend where we get more than one minority film to champion every couple of years. There is no denying Moonlight will strike a chord with the black community. However, the themes it explores resonate with us all. It speaks to a specific Black man, in a specific Black American community, but its voice is profound and affecting for all who would listen.
Barry Jenkins has crafted a film of raw emotion, beauty, stellar acting and masterful work in terms of direction, visuals, and score. With cinematographer James Laxton, their vision of inner cities of Miami and Atlanta veer between a harder depiction of a run down neighborhood to something more ethereal. The stark light of day contrasts with the vivid night, bathed in moonlight and neon. Nicholas Britell’s stunning score further amplifies the emotional resonance. All these facets combine to build a truly unique character piece infused with a breathtakingly poetic soul.
With its look at sexuality and race, Moonlight is going to have a niche appeal, which is a shame as it is a towering cinematic achievement. The work in front of and behind the camera is simply stellar. Its dealing with these topics only adds to its impact as a film that is unabashedly black and gay, handling both with a grace and tenderness that is only matched by its raw emotion. Moonlight is one of the most vital and moving experiences you’ll have in a cinema in this, or indeed any year.
Moonlight had a limited release on October 21st and expands to other select markets, including Austin, on November 4th.
Originally published at cinapse.co on November 3, 2016.