The director actively uses color to bring the reality he is facing into the realm of empathy. As the title suggests, the scene in which the blue color like the moonlight appears is the moment when the energy of 'positivity' spreads, whereas the red color is explicitly expressed at the moment of threatening or oppression of the main character 'Chiron'. In a word, mise-en-scène is a very rich movie, but it may be a bit uncomfortable for the audience who want a drama genre that you can watch without any burden. Characteristic elements can also be seen in terms of shooting techniques such as handheld and extreme close-ups, but fortunately, I felt that it matched the overall sentiment of the film, that is, the title of 'unstable life' as a minority. If the Dardenne Brothers' handhelds capture the heartbreak and collapse, Barry Jenkins's is filled with bursting anger and anxiety.
'Juan' is a person who has had a great influence on Chiron's growth and establishment of identity. Although not related by blood, Juan sincerely hopes that Chiron doesn't become a drug dealer like him. So, he builds a bond with Shah Theory from time to time and offers advice to help this young boy grow up to be a healthy and independent being. It is safe to say that Juan's lines are at the heart of the film's conclusion.
'Under the moonlight, everything is green'
speaks This statement contains the truth that sexual identity and race never define a person's attributes. In addition to this,
'You have to decide what kind of person you will become one day.'
In other words, we can understand Juan's sincerity, who wants to overcome the trials and tribulations and walk the path of Chiron in the end, even if they come.
As a young man, Chiron is faced with a period of ordeal in earnest. At his school, he is subjected to bullying, verbal and physical violence, and his single mother's dependence on drugs increases, making it difficult to sustain daily life. In this situation, his only friend 'Kevin' feels a special feeling beyond friendship, which one day leads to some kind of sympathy on the beach under the moonlight. Afterwards, due to an unexpected incident, Chiron is imprisoned in a juvenile detention center in another area, and naturally separates from Kevin. The director clearly shows how difficult life as a minority can be. All the circumstances surrounding Chiron's ego, such as blacks, sexual minorities, poverty, and single mothers, intervene in his choices, encouraging him to become a distorted existence over time. Some scenes come as a bit of a shock, but I think this may be a kind of unconscious superiority or defense mechanism that we feel because we are on the side of the majority. So, after the movie ended, I began to feel sorry for someone in the past who would have looked uncomfortable in my life. At the same time, I had no choice but to feel self-help hypocrisy and humbleness at the same time, wondering why I had such thoughts and reacted in such a way, even though they were just 'humans'. So thank you for this unkind movie. Because this film does not comfort the few, but makes them look back.
As an adult, Chiron's appearance has changed 180 degrees from before. However, her longtime friend Kevin Mann, whom she meets by chance, detects Shah Theon's 'real' self, hidden by ragged muscles, precious metals, flashy cars and a nice house. After a few conversations, he finds out that Chiron, a boy and a young man who has been hurt by it, and who felt friendship and love for him at the same time, has essentially not changed. Not being the grown-up he had hoped for, Shah Theory is still not completely free from the wounds of his past. However, he only intentionally forgets those memories. However, when he meets Kevin and hears his sincere apology, he begins to slowly open the door of his closed heart.
Director Barry Jenkins, along with director Damien Chacelle of <La La Land>, is attracting attention as a young master of Hollywood. The aesthetic detail of the film is similar to that of a new director, 'Xavier Dolan', and the way it unfolds and the depth of themes in it reminds me of another black director, 'Steve McQueen'. If we carefully anticipate, I wonder if there will be a few more works that symbolically reveal the identity of black people. Let's look forward to his rise.
i am me I'm just living like me
