The use of the circular motion is used to provoke a specific pressure, especially that in which comes from the in-group. Juan has burst into Chirons sanctuary, literally and metaphorically, and offers him food as a source of comfort. Analysis Of Cinematography In Barry Jenkins' Movie Moonlight Essay. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. focus on telling a well-realized story is evident in its camera movements as well. Protagonist Alexs fondness for classical music imbues his character with interesting dimensions, and resonates well [], Following the publication of his most notable work, A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess commented on the function of literature in a mutable society. The non-linear storytelling is enhanced by the visual choices of the film. Professional Writers that Guarantee an On-time Delivery. Moonlights cinematography uses bold colors and stunning shots to create an emotional experience. Jenkins uses all the tools there are in camerawork to create a story thats personal to each and every person. Its something that as a cinematographer you are constantly aware of. Dark colors and harsh light is the appropriate lens, we seem to have decided, for dark circumstances and harsh realities. The attempt was to promote those emotions, not just to present them, but to promote them to a place where you can sense the intensity by which Chirons character is going through these things. It somehow seems appropriate in a way that again doesnt speak to the realism of the movie but it somehow speaks to the emotional value that I think we were trying to present to our audience. In a scene that could have been so much darker and so much grittier this lighting choice elevates the scene to a slightly surreal place. This tint was not done for pure aesthetic necessarily, but to speak to the emotional state that Chiron was experiencing. But the film is an absolute triumph on both counts for its vibrant storytelling. During one of the film's many memorable dialogue exchanges (written by . Moonlight doesn't just look and sound great. Theres a certain beauty to the sheen., For this scene we physically put ourselves in a scenario in which our environment had a massive influence on what kind of images we captured. At the end of the second part, Chiron has been beaten up and bloodied by his bullies. The choice to portray what looks like a stereotypical drug deal, and then swiftly move towards the vulnerability of. They remind me that Im watching a movie. The movie begins with Chiron as a neglected 9-year-old where he is exposed to. Growing up in his early days, Chiron does not have a male or fatherly figure in his life. Some of Moonlight 's most impactful moments are when characters look directly into the lens, confronting the audience in emotional moments. The moment feels biblical as Juan holds Chiron in what looks like a pieta over the waves. Let's fix your grades together! The film has a retroactive effect. Within its ambition to portray a higher, complicated understanding of black queerness and violence upon black bodies, it also acknowledges the ties of hegemonic masculinity in African American communities. Moonlight was directed by . Where because movies are costing so much money these days that theres so much at stake and therefore everyone, every sort of person involved with the film chimes in with their of personal feelings. While the story is told in three distinct parts that correspond to different parts of Chirons identity as Little/Chiron/Black, these are united by the expressionistic use of color and certain motifs. We walk through the film's structure, cinematography, sound and symbolism to show you . Everything we did was in real locations, which was important for us to create that authentic sensibility that Moonlight is supported by. Ad Choices. Miami is a sublime fever dream of pastels and neon, lush greens and glistening, perspiring skin tones. Instead, the camera simply allows the audience to see them at their most humane moments with their flaws and hopes laid bare. On set it rounded out this character in this moment that is very dark and very intense. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. It is a lens that has been used on many beloved movies and cinematographer James Laxton has said that Its for grand stories and big-scope thoughts. Through three acts, the film Moonlight (2016) explores three periods of the life of the lonely and sensitive Chiron, who faces the difficult intersectionality of growing up poor, black and gay in late 1980s Miami. The film follows the life of Chiron; a child residing in a predominantly black neighborhood. And all those things, oddly enough, I think what they do in a way is they disarm me. The scene in which Chiron comes face to face with his largest enemy (himself) through a clean glass mirror serves as an interesting shot for cinematographers and audiences. The result is an immersive sequence that allows the camera to capture each splash and stroke of the water, which was achieved by filming partly underwater. Notes of Wais work can be felt in some of the most dramatic moments where Chirons mother, Paula, played by Naomie Harris, stands over her son scolding him while a pink light glows from her bedroom. This is not an example of the work written by professional essay writers. Moonlight is a coming of age movie of a young African American man through three stages of his life. var aax_size='300x600';var aax_pubname='flickside08-21';var aax_src='302'; Subscribe to stay informed about noteworthy films. Gradesfixer , Analysis of Cinematography in Moonlight by Barry Jenkins., Analysis of Cinematography in Moonlight by Barry Jenkins [Internet]. The film, set in three acts, follows Chirons life, and opens with a drug deal using some familiar tropes of an archetypical dealer named Juan, played by Mahershala Ali, as he pulls into the frame in a flashy car to check in on one of his minions. Near the end of the film, Chiron is standing in a doorway but the camera has skewed the perspective by not standing directly in front of the doorway, making Chiron look small and confined. But this idea that the medium is always present when watching something I think is a good thing. Breaking the fourth wall. We follow him as he grows up in Liberty City, Miami with no father and a mother struggling with a crack addiction, plus all the pressure of being a Black boy. The most mesmerizing scene immerses you in the blue-green water of the Atlantic as Juan teaches Little to swim, complicating notions of masculinity and fatherhood while overturning a racist stereotype. When it comes to depicting the lives of African American communities on screen, there is a precedent set by films that have come before Moonlight. The camera is sped up and closing in on Chiron and his friend, trapping them even further. Those two things are at complete odds with one another. Color and light are tools for transcendence, used to reframe and illuminate. Your California Privacy Rights. Moonlight exquisitely uses light and color to enhance the immersion of the audience into Chiron's thoughts and feelings. It is important to remember that this scene was after Kevin touched Chiron both physically and emotionally. The frame is set up in such a way that the viewer only experiences the calm waters of the Atlantic and the rush of the waves as. Laxton creates pure poetry on celluloid that is perfectly equipped to conjure a story of self-discovery and acceptance. In by doing so Laxton was able to deliver an image that matched the strength of the performance by infusing the dramatic scene with a pop of color, often associated with beauty, which in turn allowed for a map of understanding with respect to who Paula is as a character and why her full existence is essential. Moonlight is a coming of age movie of a young African American man through three stages of [.] Especially visually, it isnt. Unlike other films, Moonlight does not use a realistic aesthetic that other films that deal with drug addiction and lower socioeconomic classes. Plot is not so much the concern as an intensive character study is. Sassens work possesses a wonderful blend of color and the saturation of natural textures and hues of skin that, While the story is told in three distinct parts that correspond to different parts of, , these are united by the expressionistic use of color and certain motifs. Above: D.N.A., 2007. tripartite narrative and non-linear storytelling is also reminiscent of the latter. I think whats happened is that the realistic aesthetic applied to drug addiction, or lower socioeconomic classes, portrays the characters as having dark or depressive mentalities, Laxton said. Later in the film when Chiron enters the diner scene, it is a long shot to present the setting and feel of the diner. It allows us to make choices later on in the film, that if we dont set up our language that way at the beginning, could possibly feel like not as organic.. Something Barry does so well is put his team in settings where so much honesty and beauty can be found, and its our job as cinematographers, actors, designers, and editors to find it., This moment has so much weight in it. Roy was someone that I think shaped a lot of how Barry and I sort of approached the film at the very, very beginning.. Moonlight is a masterclass in expressive camera and sound. All rights reserved. In the following, indispensable video essay from Screen Prism, the structure, cinematography (by James Laxton), sound . Dollars from the household of a dealer may end up in Chirons pocket and later in the hands of Chirons mother, who doubtless will return them to a dealer. Fear, love, and hate all coexist at the same time. An Analysis of Barry Jenkins' Moonlight "In moonlight, black boys look blue," Juan relays to Little in one of the early scenes of Moonlight, the Oscar winning screenplay by Barry Jenkins. Which is a scene I think we have seen. Theres a few reasons I think why that pink light doesnt sort of ring false for people, says Laxton. The film, which was critically acclaimed for its fresh take on race, African-American queer sexuality, and nuanced understandings of masculinity was told through bold colors and realism in the mode of cinematography. Light was placed within a tree by Laxton to cast speckled obscurities on the main character as he strode underneath, generating exclusively new photographic attentiveness from the . The film, which was critically acclaimed for its fresh take on race, African-American queer sexuality, and nuanced understandings of masculinity was told through bold colors and realism in the mode of cinematography. The camera stops and Chiron looks to the audience as if beckoning to join him. Since one of the concepts of our visual language had to do with being immersive, it was a must to put the camera in the water, within the tides and waves of the ocean, to experience the swimming lesson as the characters do. Which is ever so fucked up, actually., They decided to use a digital camera called the ARRI Alexa, because with non-actors in the cast, they did not want to be inhibited by film stock, and because, of the digital options, the Alexa is best at rendering natural skin tone, Laxton said. Throughout Moonlight Chirons character maintains a sense of childlike behavior that carries into his adulthood. Moonlight gives us three Acts of Chiron's journey: Little, Chiron, and Black. Moonlight Film Analysis. Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. Laxton and Jenkins drew from varied sources to create a singular cinematic language for. Both Jenkins and Linklater [], The controversy surrounding Brett Easton Ellis's American Psycho and Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange relates primarily to the central themes that are explored in both books. Maybe you think you know whats about to come in the next hour and a half., You dont, and thats the point. Chiron is changed forever in the preceding scene. My morning routine is I make a cup of coffee and Ill just like scroll through Tumblr images for the first 20 minutes of my day, says Laxton. Back at school, after Kevin was forced to beat up Chiron by his bullies, Chiron sits in an office and tunes the principals voice out. The film opens with a very stylized, swirling shot of a drug dealer, Juan, played by the magnificent Mahershala Ali. Sassens work possesses a wonderful blend of color and the saturation of natural textures and hues of skin that Moonlight employs as well, to define a new idiom of beauty for black bodies in cinema. Which for us meant anamorphic lenses that express this heightened sense of existence that I think audience members sometimes associate with bigger tent pole films, but were presenting this sort of nuanced subtle story but with that same heightened value.. Laxton pushes the camera closer and closer towards the characters so as to create moments of intentional bonding between them and the audience. For Chiron, his community ostracizes him for being gay. Jenkins used his own experience, growing up with mother struggling with addiction, to write the screenplay. The filmmakers create meaning from these through combining different elements of aesthetics . Chiron's eyes say so much that this young man has not been taught how to express. sexual intimacy and the resulting violence, as well as. Hes someone who I think Barry and I were actually familiar with from our college days in this magazine that we were obsessed with called Hobo, he says. The life of Chiron is delicately revealed by cinematographer James Laxton who portrays him within a distinct pallet of blown out color photographs that set his life in a faded part of Miami where screenwriter and director Barry Jenkins was raised. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. Its most prominent themes are love, stereotypes and identity. Moonlight is an American drama film that chronicles the life of African-American male Chiron, who is being raised by a careless mother in a harsh Miami neighbourhood. Moonlight is a coming of age movie of a young African American man . Moonlight is a masterclass in expressive camera and sound. I mean Moonlight is not necessarily a realist movie by any stretch of the imagination. Juan, a confident drug dealer, emerges from the car and crosses the street to greet Terrence. Moonlight is an insightful and compelling independent film directed by Barry Jenkins that follows Chiron, a Black gay man, at three different points in his life. The result is an immersive sequence that allows the camera to capture each splash and stroke of the water, which was achieved by filming partly underwater. This essay has been submitted by a student. Nevertheless, the brutality and explicit [], "The woman looked at the tree: the fruit would be good to eat; it was pleasing to the eye and desirable for the knowledge it could give. Moonlight Film Analysis The director of this film clearly presents an idea of masculinity and how it especially is pertinent in context to the african american men in the film. The main characters self-discovery is told through these chapters, each through a different developmental phase of his life. It allows the audience to almost be disarmed in the first three minutes of this opening shot, says Laxton. ultimate self-acceptance at the end of the film are relayed to us in silent gazes. We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. 30 Best Italian Movies Of All Time, Ranked. So we used oil. Your California Privacy Rights. The contrasting sound design in both scenes also shows each characters place in their community. Color is one of the first things I notice about the sequence. What thats done over the last, say, 30 years is it has made the audience assume that of these communities. , barefoot on the beach, soaked in blue moonlight, these motifs merge to create one final image of healing. Your favorite beach reads and binge-worthy Netflix shows. Barry Jenkins, the screenwriter and director behind the beautiful new film Moonlight, grew up in Liberty City, the Miami neighborhood where the story is set. This visual rebirth consolidates his transformation from a scared and vulnerable teenager to an angry and resolute youth, who now performs hegemonic, violent masculinity in order to reclaim some semblance of power. We were lighting them with a style that was more realistic than flattering and we wanted the skin tones to feel warm and not harsh. (James Laxton Creates Poetic Look). Moonlights tripartite narrative and non-linear storytelling is also reminiscent of the latter. Laxton and Jenkins shared lots of photography including the work of Earlie Hudnall, Jr. Another photographic inspiration was the work of Dutch artist Viviane Sassen. Its sort of funny that this moment is happening at a time when those two things could not be further apart from one another., Moonlight moves away from the coldness on anything impersonal and uses a well-worn authenticity along with a small handful of the films recognized by the Academy this year. The two men didnt know each other at the time, but they have together brought the hyper specificity and full emotional heft of their lived experience to bear on the story of Chiron, a poor, black, and gay boy who comes of age in a Liberty City housing project. Instead, the camera simply allows the audience to see them at their most humane moments with their flaws and hopes laid bare. The camera becomes shaky, evoking panic as it chases after Chiron. Jenkinss mom contracted HIV; McCraneys died of AIDS. It is difficult to sum up all that feels new about Moonlight, which puts a fresh lens on so many things at once. . They also used anamorphic lenses, which normally allowmultiple characters to play out a scene in the same wide-screen frame. Another strategy in accentuating the films unique feeling is using a single Arri Alexa XT camera through the whole shoot. The immersion in water is reminiscent of a baptism, and this motif is repeated throughout the film. At the beginning of the film, Chiron is bullied during a soccer game. Similarly, the photographic realism of Hudnall Jr. results in the framing of the characters with a quiet dignity. Moonlight is a film of few words. The camera circles around Chiron, but it is extremely close to the character, unlike how it was a comfortable distance in Juans scene, another way of showing how different their worlds are. The Atlantic Ocean is a bright blue while the scene challenges what black fathers are supposed to be. Its a very familiar interaction. I started talking about this movie 17 years ago when I first met Barry, Laxton tells TIME. Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. There is at least one unifying element, though: the films insistence that the humanity of every character be brought to the fore. Maybe subconsciously we chose it for Moonlight in an effort to depict this community in a brand new light.. The bold color palette and bold lighting choices, rife with lens flare that communicated the sweltering heat of Miami were inspired from the films of Wong Kar-Wai. How the cameras moving through a space. It is a coming-of-age story that uses every camera trick in the book to create a film that the audience feels absorbed in the entire way through. Your favorite summer hobby and how you got into it. To communicate this in a visual manner, the camera frames the subjects such that they fill up the majority of the screen, thus drawing us into their emotional landscapes. As Chiron finds a hiding place, the bullies insults become louder and louder. Colorist Alex Bickel achieved a vibrant film by increasing the contrast and saturation while preserving details and color. We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Moonlights cinematography is the most important in establishing not only the characters and the environment but the relation between the two and their importance to the main theme of the film. Light bulbs were changed from green to blue during a diner scene later in the film. David Bornfriend/A24. The sights, sounds, and smells of a summer day in your hometown. The neighborhood has pastel-colored houses, the Atlantic Ocean a blue-green, and Chirons mother being bathed in neon pink while shouting at him. So was McCraney, 36. That pink light behind her in that scene and within the film generally helps to express another side of her, says Laxton. He is young, black, gay, poor, and largely friendlessthe kind of person who feels like he could literally vanish from being so unseen by the world. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Jenkins approached the scene where Juan teaches Chiron to swim as a transcendental moment. Barry Jenkins's first film, Medicine for Melancholy, has a similar theme to his second feature film. From this point, two contrasting scenes are paired as the camera quickly begins to move and swirl around Jauns conversation until a boy whos being chased by a pack of angry boys calling him a faggot interrupts him. There is a greater meaning to all the seemingly unimportant saturation of colors and camera angles. Although all are heavily influenced by the beliefs [], We provide you with original essay samples, perfect formatting and styling.
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