Moonlight (this movie is too serious for a pun-based title)

I had to wait for the full moon to pass before I posted this (that's my best excuse for not getting this done the week before break). Regardless of how late I am posting this, I have a great movie to talk about and I hope someone (anyone) reads this post and has the opportunity to enjoy this movie and its wonderful music.

Moonlight is a movie in three acts (from left to right): Little, Chiron, and Black. (src)

This week, I watched the highly critically acclaimed Moonlight, the story of a young black man struggling with his identity as he roughs growing up in a bad part of Miami. The film follows him from his childhood through his adolescence, giving us a thorough picture of his formative years before dropping us into a much later time in his adulthood.

I won't spoil the movie too much for you, so I'll just give a brief plot summary: Chiron's biggest struggle during his childhood and adolescence is accepting that he is not heterosexual; because he is 'different,' he gets bullied constantly. He's coping with this bad situation at school and then having to come home to a mother who's not really herself, but a slave to drugs. He gets a little glimmer of hope in the second act when he connects emotionally (and sexually) with Kevin, a childhood friend who always seemed to understand him. But, not to give spoilers, things go dark fast. There is some resolution for Chiron in the final act; he reconnects with his mother and with Kevin, and the ending gives a little glimmer of hope, a shred of pure moonlight on a tumultuous ocean.

It's easy to see why this movie won best picture; it's incredibly cohesive, with the themes running smoothly through the dialogue, imagery, and soundtrack. (Hey, that's a good segue to talk about the soundtrack.)

The soundtrack for Moonlight is predominately original composition by Nicholas Britell, who has composed for other big dramas such as 12 Years A Slave and The Big Short. The composition itself isn't particularly outstanding outside of context; the majority of the tracks are less than a minute long and have almost no driving tempo, consisting of solo violin over atmospheric strings and piano. That being said, within the context of the film, the composition is incredibly powerful.

Chiron's story, though poignant, isn't particularly complicated; the soundtrack mirrors this. Each of the three acts of the movie, Little, Chiron, and Black, are accompanied by a theme. All three themes boast the same haunting, five-note melody on violin, but all three are also distinct.

The imagery in Moonlight is cohesive, and the ocean
is as much a character as Chiron or Kevin or Juan. (src)

"Little's Theme" has only piano and violin, with the piano playing chords only and the violin played to mimic a voice, possibly the voice of a mourner. The tune bleeds sadness. Chiron's theme introduces the five-note theme on piano and has the piano playing along with the violin, which is now clearer and more assertive. The third iteration of the theme, Black's theme, is the only time two violins play together, suggesting that Chiron is finally becoming one with his true identity. It is the fastest of the themes. The increasing tempos of the themes, I believe, mimic the increasing pace at which we, and Chiron, perceive the world as we grow up.


The rest of the original composition is as poignant and cohesive as the themes; there's even the smallest nod to Beethoven's "Moonlight" in the Interlude. Overall, the classical-style composition of the soundtrack in juxtaposition with the very modern and urban setting creates an overall sense of yearning and sympathy. I would talk more about it, but I'm already past my word count.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
Do you think movies with extremely specific storylines are more relatable and poignant than those with a broader scope? If you've heard about the mixup at the Oscars, do you think it was a publicity stunt? Do you think Moonlight deserved best picture? If not, what do you think should have won?