Featured Image: Moonlight, ©2016, A24.
Alex Ackerman
The question of representation and stereotypes in Hollywood has long affected film criticism and how scholars approach their analysis. When one considers the history of black cinema and its relation to mainstream media, one can see the only-recent trends of black filmmakers using their voices to relate different lenses of their experience, rather than being portrayed stereotypically by and for a white audience. With the growing prominence of black filmmakers and narratives, the issue of masculinity and its portrayal on-screen has raised certain criticism from those who perceive this depiction to be feeding into stereotypes of black hypermasculinity, as well as a white cinematic paradigm (Wiegman 164). One film that subverts this traditional representation of masculinity within the black experience is Barry Jenkins’ film Moonlight. Moonlight challenges the notion of black hypermasculinity into which white stereotypes often force black men, as Jenkins constructs and develops the relationship between two black men.
Masculinity, though not inherently harmful in and of itself, has played a critical role in the manifestation of misogyny, and the “distortion of [traditionally ‘masculine’] traits in the masculine norm and the exclusion of other traits (associated with femininity) are oppressive and destructive” (Kaufman 2). As such, hypermasculinity is the culmination of gendered masculine traits, resulting in a limited ability to express one’s emotions and an increased likelihood of relating to others through aggression. As it relates to black manhood, hypermasculinity stands out as a prominent means of defining what a ‘man’ is within the black community, serving as both a product of and a response to white stereotypes based on justifying racial violence.
- Moonlight, ©2016, A24.
In response to this narrow confinement of black manhood, Jenkins, as both screenwriter and director, offers a counter-narrative that subverts white projections of black manhood that can be visualized in black cinema as well. Crucial to this discussion is intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, professor of law at Columbia Law School and the University of California, Los Angeles. Chiron’s race and sexuality, and their portrayal within the film, are key to Moonlight and inform the viewer’s understanding of its meaning. Therefore, when discussing and dissecting the film, one cannot separate the two from each other, especially relating to Chiron’s journey and his relation to manhood and masculinity.
Within the narrative, Jenkins relays the reality of the effect of living as a black man in the context of a poverty and violence-filled environment. Chiron, also known as Little and Black in the triptych-structured narrative, transitions from a young boy, innocent and mocked by his peers, to a grown man who is now a drug dealer, similarly to his father figure, Juan, who is revealed to be killed in the second part of the narrative.
In the midst of his tumultuous adolescence, Chiron, performed by Ashton Sanders, experiences small moments of intimacy that enable him to question the dominant mode of masculine expression in his environment. Though Chiron’s characterization alone encapsulates the subversion of and adherence to traditional masculinity, the moment between Chiron and Kevin on the beach is key to addressing the intersection between race and sexuality, as the two characters explore how they and others navigate their roles and genuine identities in their daily lives.
Within the scene, Chiron and Kevin sit beside each other on the sand, and the camera captures their interaction in a series of over the shoulder shots. This use of the shot and the cut contributes to the sense of intimacy between the two in the moment, especially since on the periphery of the frame, the character not in the center can still be seen.
These over the shoulder shots work in conjunction with the dialogue, further emphasizing the intimacy between the two characters and offering a moment of vulnerability that contradicts the stoicism typical of hypermasculine expression. For example, in a crucial moment of tenderness, the two adolescents discuss what it means to cry and how they are able to express their emotions. In responding to Kevin’s question of “What you cry about?” Chiron answers, “Shit, I cry so much sometimes I feel like I’ma just turn into drops” (Moonlight). In response, Kevin responds, “Think you can just roll out into the water right? Roll out into the water like these other [people] trying to drown they sorrows” (Moonlight). This use of dialogue subverts traditional masculinity in the vulnerability and openness of their conversation concerning an action characterized as feminine. In this moment of genuine connection, Chiron expresses his emotions rather than maintaining a façade of confidence that hypermasculinity requires. Furthermore, this expression is particularly important due to the intersection of race and sexuality. As a black man, Chiron is expected to conform to hypermasculine roles, but his difference in sexuality complicates his ability and desire to do so. Thus, this scene, through its construction of the shot and the cut and the dialogue, reveals Jenkins’ commentary on the necessity of intimate and genuine moments such as these for men in the black community, especially in environments portrayed in the film.
Another key aspect of the scene is the symbolism of water, both in this scene and others. In the dialogue, water is used as a vehicle of giving voice to the pain and other emotions that Chiron feels, including the vulnerability expressed about crying. The use of blue lighting and the background noise of the surf emphasize the role of water in this crucial moment of intimacy, further contrasting this important moment with how society forces men in vulnerable positions to be hypermasculine. The presence of water in moments where Chiron is most human and able to be himself illuminates Jenkins’ subversion of traditional masculinity, enabling a more fluid understanding of manhood and identity.
Moonlight is a film that illuminates the “complex cultural codes” of the experience of a black, gay man, operating within the reality that many face in order to offer a new perspective on what it means not only to be part of a specific identity but also what it means to be human (Wiegman 159).
Bibliography
Crenshaw, Kimberlé. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.” University of Chicago Legal Forum: Vol. 1989 , Article 8. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8
Jenkins, Barry, director. Moonlight. A24, 2016.
Kaufman, Michael. “The Construction of Masculinity and the Triad of Men’s Violence.” Beyond Patriarchy: Essays By Men On Pleasure, Power, and Change. Oxford University Press, 1987.
“Kimberlé Crenshaw: Professor of Law.” Columbia Law School. https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kimberle-crenshaw
Lierow, Lars. “The ‘Black Man’s Vision of the World’: Rediscovering Black Arts Filmmaking and the Struggle for a Black Cinematic Aesthetic.” Black Camera, vol. 4, no. 2, 2013, pp. 3–21. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/blackcamera.4.2.3.
Wiegman, Robyn. “Race, Ethnicity, and Film.” Film Studies: Critical Approaches. Edited by John Hill and Pamela Church Gibson, Oxford University Press, 2000, 156-167.
Gender and Diversity in Film 
I really like your topic and how you talked about the shot and the cut adding intimacy into the scene. Helping the audience see that hypermasculinity is not always that answer. Explaining how the shot and the cut softens the situation so it is easier to see a less masculine side of the two characters was done very well and that was the part I understood and connected with the most.
LikeLike
Great topic! I would consider making your title shorter because it does seem a little wordy when you first open the page. I really liked the idea that you focused on dialogue and used over the shoulder examples and what the water symbolized. All of these elements really tie in well to the thesis statement that you have. I would also consider making your conclusion a little longer and summarizing all the main points of your argument!
LikeLike
Awesome topic idea. You did a good analysis of techniques and how they convey meaning throughout your film. I would consider either adding a feature image or some sort of visual piece in the beginning of the page. There are three paragraphs that may just seem a bit less overwhelming if there is something to grab the readers attention. Good Job!
LikeLike
This post was really fun to read. Your points are all fascinating, and I like that you emphasize the cultural work of the representations in the film. The approach you take that places emphasis on Jenkins’ intention in making the film works very well when considering cultural work. I would consider mentioning that Jenkins is credited as both director and screenwriter, however. Without highlighting his enormous involvement in multiple roles on this project, it can seem as if you are teetering into the territory of auteur theory, and only crediting the director rather than everyone who made the art, with the credit. Because Jenkins has so many roles in different stages of production including having writing credit, I think you are right to highlight his very intentional purpose in making the film. It works well. I would just consider writing out his roles in the introduction somewhere. Just some thoughts. Good luck with revising!
LikeLike
I like how you analyze masculinity and vulnerability. I would say to add more pictures especially toward the beginning.
LikeLike
I like how you defined what masculinity and hyper-masculinity were, and then flawlessly transitioned that into talking about black manhood. Overall I thought your post was really solid. Solid thesis, good support. But the title doesn’t really have anything to do with your analysis. Mainly just the “Black Boys Look Blue” and the Sunlight bit. It’d either change the title, or try to incorporate these two ideas more.
LikeLike
I have never seen this film and I already feel like I have such a clearer understanding of the characters. I particularly enjoyed your analysis of masculinity and how you cannot wholly analyze masculinity without understanding the intersection within masculinity. As well as this, I think you provide a wholesome argument by backing it up with things such as shot, cut, and the role water plays throughout the film. Great analysis. My only suggestion would be to add another picture at the beginning, or adding the dialogue between the men about crying could bring a lot to your overall analysis of water and masculinity.
LikeLike
This analysis is EXCELLENT! You did a great job of focusing on a really important aspect of the film and unpacking its meaning. Your attention to detail is spot on. I love this so much. The only suggestion that I have is including a feature image and maybe another image around the beginning of your commentary.
LikeLike
One thing about your analysis I think is really strong is your use of hyperlinks. You did a great job finding sources that support your points. Every outside source you use has some relevance to the points you’re making, or they help elaborate on something. I would suggest, though, shortening your title and maybe adding a subtitle.
LikeLike
Your argument is so well-written. The only suggestions I have are visual. I would maybe break-up the longer paragraphs to make it more reader-friendly (especially on a web-based platform). I also would just suggest adding a few more pictures to make it flow a little bit better. I really, really enjoyed your essay! Good job!
LikeLike
Great argument. I like how in depth you went when analyzing dialogue from the film. More specifically, the dialogue between Kevin and Chiron and going against masculine attributes is key! I would love to watch a short clip of something towards the beginning of the blog to get a better feel for what the movie is like. Great post!
LikeLike
Wow, this was an intense article! I loved it. My favorite line, “The presence of water in moments where Chiron is most human and able to be himself illuminates Jenkins’ subversion of traditional masculinity, enabling a more fluid understanding of manhood and identity.” I don’t know if you meant to do so but nice pun. I think the way you identified intersectionality and the border-breaking film techniques to explain the meaning behind the plot and characters was incredible.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed the analysis of the symbolism of water in the movie. Having not seen the film yet, it provided me with a good overview and definitely with some things to pay attention to while viewing. the way in which you took into account the history of black cinema and some outside opinions on masculinity really lended some credibility to the post as well. Well done!
LikeLike
I very much enjoyed your analysis of the film, and how you inserted very specific quotes from the movie to help with analysis. The very article by the professor sounds like a very good intentional read and I like how you brought in another academic source. The flow of this blog is great and I think really hits home with a lot of the messaging about masculinity and that quality in the american american community. Very excited to watch this movie!
LikeLike
Your take is especially appealing to me because in my post I focus on the lens from the black female rather than the men. I also appreciate your use of definition when talking about new territory. We haven’t really gotten into representation and stereotypes laid out in black cinema, but you break it down in a very easy and consumable manner. I also enjoyed how you mentioned that there is a line between what is the typical role of a male and how that is slightly affected if the male is non-white, meaning that they have two stereotypes they must break free from. I also like how you back up the idea of this film breaking free from stereotypes by using many examples, from the dialogue to the symbolism, it’s all very powerful and important things to consider when people try to wrestle with this notion of hypermasculinity among black males. I think your visuals are great, but I would like to see the scene that you mention their dialogue!
LikeLike
Very thorough analysis of an important topic. I especially enjoyed your hyperlink to the article about the construction of masculinity and men’s violence. Great description of that intimate scene on the water – would it be possible to include a video clip of this scene? That would be my only addition if you were able to do so. Great job!
LikeLike