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Essay / Analysis of Moonlight Cinematography by Barry Jenkins
Table of ContentsIntroductionMoonlight: Cinematic AnalysisConclusionWorks Cited IntroductionMoonlight was directed by Barry Jenkins, adapting the unproduced play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Moonlight is a film about the coming of age of a young African-American through three stages of his life. Barry Jenkins' first film, Medicine for Melancholy, has a similar theme to his second feature film. Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. Similar themes are present in both films, but Jenkins' second film shows how much the filmmaker has improved. Moonlight's cinematography uses vibrant colors and stunning shots to create an emotional experience. The camerawork and staging of Moonlight, particularly the lightning bolts, is one of the most important parts of the film's cinematography. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayMoonlight: Cinematic AnalysisThe cinematography of Moonlight is most important in establishing not only the characters and environment, but also the relationship between both and their importance to the main theme of the film. The theme, being who we truly are and what our environment expects of us, is the main conflict of the protagonist. The film is divided into three chapters, "Little" as his youth, "Chiron" as his adolescence and "Black" as his early adult life. The main character's self-discovery is told through these chapters, each through a different developmental phase of his life. The beginning of the film begins by establishing the place of Chiron, the protagonist, and Juan, the mentor, in the community. When Juan is introduced, the camera follows him smoothly. The entire scene is a single shot, showing how Juan naturally fits into the neighborhood with effortless authority. When Juan talks with his employee and sees him refuse a customer, the camera pans around the characters. This arcing shot is a motif used repeatedly throughout the film and has two meanings. Here it symbolizes community and the close bond between boss, employee and customer. Later, there is friendship between young schoolchildren during a football match. But a community can also be a cage. For Chiron, his community ostracizes him because he is gay. Immediately after the first scene, the camera moves to Chiron being chased by his bullies. The camera shakes, causing panic as she chases after Chiron. Today it represents his world, one of anxiety and persecution. As Chiron finds a hiding place, the insults from the bullies become louder and louder. The camera circles around Chiron, but it is extremely close to the character, unlike the comfortable distance in Juan's scene, another way of showing how different their worlds are. The contrasting sound design of the two scenes also shows each character's place in their community. Juan's calm conversation with his employee is followed by loud insults from Chiron's bullies. While Juan is respected by his peers, Chiron is persecuted by them. After the bullies leave, Chiron wanders around and finds a syringe, foreshadowing his profession in the third part of the film. When Juan takes down the boards of the house, lights fill the room. Juan has burst into Chiron's sanctuary, literally and metaphorically, and offers him food as a source of comfort. The way each characterspeaking is also contrasted, Juan speaks relaxed and caring while Chiron does not speak. The close-up of Chiron after Juan's offer clearly shows his anxiety. Another scene where the camera pans around the characters is when Chiron's bullies force his friend to hit him for being "different." The camera speeds up and gets closer to Chiron and his friend, trapping them even more. The camera is always placed as close as possible to the actors, so as to put the viewer in the scene. A fourth wall break occurs when Chiron and his friend look directly at the camera as if the character is speaking to the audience. This allows the audience to be absorbed in the scene and see the intensity of what the character is feeling. Moonlight is shot in anamorphic format, which makes the moment when the characters look at the camera even more dramatic. When a character is the only one in a developed setting, it shows how alone they are. Many emotional moments in Moonlight occur when the actors look directly into the lens, allowing the audience to look the character in the eyes and have a deeper emotional connection with the characters. It's a lens that has been used on many beloved films and cinematographer James Laxton said: "It's for big stories and big thoughts." Perhaps subconsciously, we chose it for Moonlight in an effort to portray this community in a whole new light. » Jenkins reflects on the theme of prejudice through an array of symbolic traits to illustrate Chiron's evolution from a man to a child. An important scene depicts this where the protagonist is taught to swim in the ocean by his father figure Juan. The composition of this remarkable scene juxtaposes the ingrained idea that Juan is a gang-affiliated drug dealer as he assumes the role of "father" to the protagonist. However, he is responsible for supplying Paula, Chiron's mother, with drugs. Water is used as a symbol of transformation and rebirth, it precedes every important choice the protagonist makes. His new father figure teaches him little to swim, he is forced to float on the water. “Let go, don’t fight the water,” Juan says, cradling her head during this revealing moment. The concept of prejudice is also recreated to describe the mistreatment of people of color. Moonlight was filmed in Liberty City, Miami, where the neighborhood's houses are pastel colors and the trees a tropical green. The bright colors used are different from the usual dark and harsh colors found in American independent films that address social issues. The neighborhood has pastel-colored houses, the Atlantic Ocean is blue-green, and Chiron's mother bathes in neon pink while yelling at him. When Juan beckons Chiron to teach him how to swim, Chiron doesn't decide what to do. When Chiron finally joins him, the camera jump stops and it's no longer a long shot as Chiron begins to enjoy himself. The Atlantic Ocean is a bright blue as the scene questions what black fathers are supposed to be. Natural light was used during this scene and the humidity in the air gave the actors' skin a softer glow. As the sky gradually turns gray, it contrasts with the clear ocean, illustrating how the characters feel emotionally. Chiron's mother highlighted in neon pink highlights her femininity despite her sour expression. When Chiron's mother starts to leave, she continues to look at Chiron and walks towards the door where the pink lighting was coming from. This lighting gives depth to the character and not just a negative stereotype of an abusive mother. Lighting is used to question thestereotypes by juxtaposing the dark things that happen to the characters with bright, beautiful lights in the background. The lighting focuses on the complexion and makes the skin color look natural and attractive. Cinematographer Laxton used an Arri Alexa digital camera which displays skin tone more vibrantly, as skin tone was an important aspect of Moonlight. According to Laxton, “We wanted to make sure our dark-skinned actors would have a natural and interesting skin tone. We were lighting them with a style that was more realistic than flattering, and we wanted the skin tones to be warm, not harsh. (James Laxton creates a poetic look). Unlike other films, Moonlight does not use a realistic aesthetic like other films dealing with drug addiction and lower socio-economic classes. Colorist Alex Bickel created a vibrant film by increasing contrast and saturation while preserving detail and color. The second chapter of the film uses a famous German film stock to add cyan to its shots, which alludes to the film's name. The film's most famous quote, "In the moonlight, black boys look blue", which is shown most presciently in the second chapter with its green-blue hue. Inside houses or in nighttime scenes, Laxton would use color filters on the camera lenses with pinks or greens to ensure the emotion the characters were feeling was conveyed. The light bulbs changed from green to blue during a dinner scene later in the film. Before Chiron entered a restaurant, the light bulbs outside were changed to give off a blue hue instead of the natural green in order to make Chiron appear gentler. Natural light is also used during the dinner scene. The light inside the building came from the lamps and gave a natural and realistic atmosphere to the restaurant. The natural light gives the characters a soft glow and presents them in a way that doesn't seem manufactured. Most angles in Moonlight are at eye level, close to the actor's faces, and frequently break the fourth wall. At the beginning of the film, Chiron is bullied at a soccer game. The camera gives Chiron's point of view, so that when the other boys look at Chiron, they are looking at the audience. Of these boys, Kevin is the only one who looks at Chiron as a person, and from Chiron's point of view, he looks at Kevin's bruise instead of looking back at him like the other boys. When Kevin and Chiron fight, the camera shakes and cuts to shots of their arms and legs. Later in the film, when Juan is teaching Chiron to swim, the camera is at water level so the audience feels like they are swimming with the characters. Back at school, after Kevin is forced to beat Chiron by his bullies, Chiron sits in an office and listens to the principal's voice. The camera cuts to a low-angle shot as Chiron's gaze becomes harder and the sound of his harsh breathing becomes louder. The angle of the shot exaggerates Chiron's gaze and makes him look more heartbroken than if it was an eye-level shot. Later in the film, when Chiron enters the restaurant scene, it is difficult to convey the setting and ambiance of the restaurant. When Kevin notices Chiron sitting at the bar, the shot cuts to a close-up of Kevin looking directly into the camera. Kevin's look of shock at seeing Chiron again is clear in his eyes and the audience feels it with him. Near the end of the film, Chiron stands in front of a door, but the camera has skewed the perspective by not standing directly in front of the door, making Chiron appear small and confined. Then, when, 44(1-2), 157-174.