Billy Kimber manages to shoot Thomas in the chest, but Thomas is able to shoot him in the head, killing him instantly and ending the short war between the two gangs. Juan is a major character in the Oscar-winning filmMoonlight. Juan takes Little under his wing and provides the fatherless boy with some much-needed mentoring. For whatever reason, Juan stuck to his hard lifestyle to survive. After Chirons first encounter with Juan, most of their time was spent at the beach, where he taught young Chiron how to swim and instilled numerous life lessons in him. The motif of nicknames also persists into this chapter, echoing Juan's earlier story about when he was given the nickname "Blue." Juan makes it known that he did not accept his nickname of Blue as his own, even if that was how the older woman from Cuba had viewed him. This guy took him under his wing and protected him from the neighborhood bullies. What Happened To Her In On My Block? Instead, he takes the word apart, and doesnt take Chiron apart with it. While he may not be living an openly gay lifestyle, he does not deny what he wants or who he wants to be, just like Juans testimony. Kevin turns around, feeling Chiron's presence, and asks, "You good, Black?" Between 1958 and 1964, Wallace charted nine hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. Tarell had an actual paternal relationship with this drug dealer. He takes the boy out to get food and asks him his name, but the boy never responds. The only positive male role model in Chiron's life was Juan, who he seemingly builds his life after as an adult. In Moonlight, it's the process of keeping the audience aware of the maker's hand and of the actors playing. They have things they yearn for, they hurt. When I was casting, I wanted someone who was extremely charismatic. Juan takes Chiron under his wing and teaches how to swim and overcome what life throws at him. I would love it if people see this film, thenpeople like our characters would no longer be invisible that they realize these are human beings. Know the Reason Here! In the first act of the film, we learn that the other boys bully Chiron because they think he is gay. This is how he initially meets Juan. Juans biggest impact on Chiron was when he was, well, Little. And he knows he counts even more when Juan calls him by his nicknameLittleas a way of claiming him. What Really Happened To This Rapper? Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. I just know hes created a space to come out I dont mean come out of the closet, but a space to come out of his shell and allow himself to be held. There area bunch of straight boys who would never in a million years admit that what theywere doing was exploring theirsexuality. Kevin says, What have you got to be sorry for? As he works his hand down Chirons shorts, the camera pulls back; this is the only moment of physical intimacy in the film, and Jenkins knows that in this study of black male closeness the point isnt to show fucking; its to show the stops and starts, the hesitation, and the rush that comes when one black male body finds pleasure and something like liberation in another. She also informed Juan Diego that his uncle would recover from his illness. TG:When Juan dies in the film, we dont get to see Chiron grieve the loss of the closest thing he had to a father. When he finds Chiron, a gay boy hiding from his friends, he takes him under his wing and helps him believe in who he was. Still, Juan does hope, if only for Chiron. It was up to only Chiron himself to decide who he was going to be. And it changes everything. Then Chiron asks if he himself is a faggot. Juan had given him hope and taught him that he always had a choice. She said runnin around catchin up all the light, in moonlight, black boys look blue. The first image the trio felt they nailed was this image of Juan (Mahershala Ali). I think its important to show that just because Juan lives in Liberty City and is a drug dealer doesnt mean hes only a black drug dealer. This is foregrounded when he arrives home after Kevin drops him off to find his mother asleep on the couch. What the purpose of creating a class? I aint never had that before. This is followed by her asking him if he's going to tell him why the other boys pick on him? Juan follows, entering through a blasted-out window, a symbol, perhaps, of the ruin left by the riots. Chiron gets out of the car, and the two try to act natural as Kevin calls Chiron "Black." GradeSaver "Moonlight (Film) Chiron Summary and Analysis". She was an actress, of course, best known for her role in the Star Wars movies (as well as smaller but no less memorable parts in films like When Harry Met Sally and TV shows like 30 Rock ). In an exclusive interview with theGrio.com, Jenkins shares why he decided to bring McCraneys story to life on film, talks about the intersections of sexuality, socio-economics and gender constructs, and explains why he hopes the film provides visibility to people who would otherwise go unnoticed. Juan becomes a fatherly figure for Juan, teaching him how to swim and giving him life lessons however it is later discovered that Juan is a drug dealer. I wasnt worried at all about [defying stereotypes]. By avoiding the overblown clichs so often used to represent black American life in film, Barry Jenkins has created something achingly alive. How a man walks. Chiron is a shy, withdrawn child largely due to his small size and being neglected by his mother, who is more concerned about getting her fixes and satisfying her carnal needs than taking care of him. She has a child, sure, but how can he talk when hes the one selling drugs? Place the lettuce in the bowl (washed or not). Juan is street-smart and hard when he needs to be, but he also has the heart and courage to venture outside of a cultural norm. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Randomly, Chiron is contacted by an old friend who he has not seen in years. Hes an outsider at school, and at home, too. Which parts? Ashton Sanders, as the teen-age Chiron, has a conjurers gifts, and an intuitive understanding of how the camera works. Juan tells Chiron a story. Similar to when Juan had rejected his nickname of Blue, Chiron made the decision to fully embrace and identify with his actual name. Chiron still deals with school bullies due to his quiet demeanor and sexuality. A bullied, neglected and all-but-silent child, he grows toward an understanding of himself and his world, and though it is agonizing to witness his progress, it is also thrilling. Ultimately, it isnt until later on that its revealed that he has died. At the start of this chapter, Chiron has grown into a teenager. Instead of going to Teresa's, Chiron takes several trains and buses to the beach, where Kevin approaches and sits down next to him; apparently, this is Kevin's smoking spot. Whether or not Chiron could comprehend if he may have been gay at the time, the other boys target him. The two talk about times they want to cry, and Chiron says he wants to do many things that "don't make sense." TG:Teresa, who is played by Janelle Mona, serves as a surrogate mother to Chiron and contrast to his actual mother, Paula, who is a drug addict. "I think a lot of people feel like they're on the fringes right now. BJ:In a larger context, the movie for me is about rooting the film and the character of Chiron, but I also want to take the audience on the journey with Chiron. Because of Juan, Chiron has hope. The bullies throw rocks at the window before leaving. He badgers Chiron further about his jeans being tighter then leaves, calling Chiron "Little." The final act of "Moonlight" sees Chiron going by "Black" after following in Juan's footsteps, and becoming a drug dealer in Atlanta. Chiron embodies Juan for the first time in an ominous way; he is now a drug dealer, running the streets with authority and smarts just as Juan once had. With this childhood as a foundation, Chiron may have a predetermined path in life, one that will only be magnified in terms of its problems when he reaches his difficult teen years when peer pressure affects what he and many of his peers do, unless he follows Juan's advice of truly making his own decisions for himself. Moonlight (Film) essays are academic essays for citation. Nate Parkers retelling of Nat Turners rebellion does not succeed as art or as propaganda. In the third and final act of the movie, Chiron is grown and out of jail. Does Grafenwoehr have snow? As such, its not surprising to know that Moonlight has reeled in a considerable amount of accolades. The audience is left to assume that Juan's life was cut short by his drug dealing activities. There is a sense of safety and security from both Juan and Kevin, and each time, those beautiful moments were shared beside the waters of the Miami beach. Things are tough in the hood, but no child is going to starve. I didnt want to get caught up in that. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. More books than SparkNotes. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. TG:Most black gay male characters in television and film are often stereotypical. These memories ended up making the beach a safe haven for Chiron. Running around with no shoes on when the moon was out. Jenkins has influencesI would guess that Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Terrence Malick, and Charles Burnett are high on the list, along with Michael Roemers 1964 film Nothing But a Man, one of the first modern black love stories to avoid buffoonery and improbabilitybut what really gets him going here is filmmaking itself, and the story hes telling. In 2017, "Dancing in the Moonlight" was featured in the video game "Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Signs" and serves as the opening song for the second episode. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Feeling for the young boy, he invites. I think we walk past people like Chiron and encounter people like Juan or Paula all the time. he asks. After their communion on the Miami ocean, Juan tells young Chiron of a story from when he was a young boy living in Cuba. "Which sentence" means that you have been provided with answer choices or an exceprt from the story. BJ:The time in the movie shifts once we get to the diner. The film is broken up into three parts: Little, Chiron, and Black. Blue represents what Juan represents; freedom, self-acceptance, and the heart of Miami. We also quickly learn that Juan has died in the space between the first and second chapter, a shockwave that we watch echo through Chiron's relationships with Kevin, Teresa, and Paula in this section. There are certain things in this film that I havent lived. While he is not gay, Jenkins saw a lot ofhimself in McCraneys character. Not only does he protect and feed him, but he also encourages the young lad to find his own identityat one point, they even go to the beach where he teaches him how to swim. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Young Chiron severally sought refuge at Juans home whenever he needed to escape from his broken home-life and abusive mother. At one point, after teaching Little how to swim in the ocean, Juan recounts a story from his youth about an old lady who said to him, "In moonlight, black boys look blue. Moonlight undoes our expectations as viewers, and as human beings, too. Its a disorienting scene, not so much because of what happens as because of what doesnt happen. Ali plays Juan, a warm-hearted drug dealer who mentors young Chiron, taking him under his wing to escape the perils he faces of his drug-addicted mother at home and bullies taunting him at school. Chiron learns Kevin is now a single father and content in life. 2023 Cond Nast. When Andi says she's "out of her element," Juan Pablo tells her, "We'll both be naked. These are some of the questions that well be addressing belowso if youre curious for the answers, be sure to keep reading! Crack is spreading through the city like a fever. And I think people are seeing that and recognizing the humanity in every individual., The actor, who was also working on House of Cards and Luke Cage while shooting Moonlight, said each time hed travel to a new city to work on another role, he kept thinking about Juan and really missing that character., Missing him during the process of shooting it, and then mourning him later, he explained. He lets Chiron spend the night with him and his girlfriend Teresa before returning Chiron to his mother Paula. Usain Bolt boasts the men's 100m and 200m records and ran the latter in 19.19 seconds at the 2009 World Championships. He tells Chiron to refrain from telling anyone about this indiscretion, saying, "I know you can keep a secret, dawg." Chiron is then picked up by a police car, which leads into the third act. Explain that scene in terms of his sexuality and its origin. Local tuya home assistant. They make sexual comments about Teresa and Paula, implying that they are both prostitutes, to which Chiron instinctively reacts, grabbing Terrel by the shirt collar. The Privy Council is descended from the Curia Regis, which was made up of the king's tenants in chief, household officials, and other advisers.This group performed all the functions of government in either small groups, which became the king's council, or large groups, which grew into the great council and Parliament. I think if the movie went on for another week, then we might get to a point where theres actual release, but I felt like at that point the only thing the character was prepared for emotionally was to be held an act of intimacy because he doesnt allow anyone to touch him in the film at all. Kevin puts him off, acting natural, but the notion of nicknames and how they inform one's identity is a theme that will persist throughout the film. When Chiron asks Juan if Blue was his name, Juan said: At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you gon be. Chiron lives for the moments when he can get away from his mothers countless recriminations and needs, and swim in the unfamiliar waters of love with Juan and Teresa. For me, it was important to preserve Tarells voice. He tries to change the sheets on his bed there, and Teresa teases him, teaching him how to make a bed properly. . But drugs have made a mess of family, or the idea of family, and Paula gets in Juans face when he tries to stop her from using. a lizard. They laugh, and Kevin says he didn't know Chiron smoked. Paula badgers Chiron for the money she knows Teresa gives him, eventually wresting it from his pocket. Whereas Kevin was once interested in Chiron performing strength for their peers, Kevin is now the one performing for the bullies; he beats up Chiron against his will and is ultimately weaker than his friend, since Chiron chooses to rise to his feet after each blow. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Juan goes by a hole in which a young boy (Alex Hibbert) has been chased into by a group of bullies.