Initally as "little", he was himself but was always getting picked on but with the help of Kevin, Juan, and theresa they guided him to help shape his own indenitiy. However when we get to act two of Chiron, he really struggles with identity but wants to eagerly fit in. Terrell, his bully does not help whatsoever with his coming-of-age process. After the beatdown by Kevin initiated by Terrell, Chrion is is filled with anger and hits him with a chair in class and gets sent to Atlanta and starts dealing drugs. When we get to Black (act 3), Chrion is barely a shell of a his former self. Wearing baggy clothes, has a grill, and drives a lowrider. When Black meets up with Kevin back in Florida, he picks up on his lack of Indentity. Chiron at the end of the film slowly finds himself returning to a kid that he once was. When we get to act two he no longer wanted to be known as Little and by his real name but Kevin starts giving him the nickname Black and which would gateway us into the identity of Act 3. When we learn about the Blue story from Juan when he was a child back in Cuba I think the story began to represent the amount of blue that was shown at nighttime or in dark rooms. I believe blue and black were meant to stand out specifically for Chiron and the characters affected around him, which can play into it being in literal terms of race. I think the amount of blue and black were shown and meant for all viewers that everyone has struggles and are similar situations like Chiron. Given the entire cast was African American, the intention of Blue and black colors was meant to show struggles of a race as whole for centuries but yet can be struggles independently.
Chiron and his major struggles/storylines were set up with lots of blue or dark lighting, intending for something lifechanging that is happening to him. It was nice that the films intention was to be a sort of chapter movie, I do wish we were able to see the gaps in between in Chiron's story. What were some other situations that he got himself into leading up to the next chapter of the story? Although this style of chronology works well to get the whole picture of the main character. By the end of the film you understand the stages of Chirons life and what affected him while growing up. If this film was not broken up into legitimate acts and instead went through everything in between, the story would have been misinterpreted or the viewers would have been fed too much information to fully understand the meaning of lacking self identity.
Given that the discussion of Blues and blacks are very dark colors, the moonlight plays in perfectly. The moonlight goes back to that Story Juan told us in the beginning. In the moonlight, its very dark and cold, like how Chiron felt for most of his life. I think the theme playing into the Moonlight helps encapulsate the other emotions Chiron was going through that were not shown directly. In darkness, physically and mentally you do feel alone and helpless. The physical nature of the Moonlight present, it brings to life how the internal struggles other characters were going through as well. Such as Kevin, or Chirons Mother.
On a side note outside of the Moonlight, was the consistent presence of waves in the film. Waves were shown and used in all three acts. in the first act, Chiron learns how to swim. The second one Kevin and Chiron having a intimate moment. In the third one, Chiron is caught looking back at the beach and the waves when he is about to head into Kevin;s home. I think that was a callback to all of the moments Chiron had on the beach and connection he feels with Kevin.
This was arguably the best scene in the entire film! Just the moment between Juan and Little is amazing.
I agree with your scene choice. So beautiful!
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