moonlight cinematography analysis

Moonlight is an American drama film that chronicles the life of African-American male Chiron, who is being raised by a careless mother in a harsh Miami neighbourhood. Some of the most impactful moments are relayed through stares. This film was the first with an all African-American cast and LGBTQ-based storyline to win an award of this prestige. Kevins look of shock of seeing Chiron again is clear in his eyes and the audience feels it with him. "I think for all of us around there, and especially for Barry because this is so personal to him, that just . The color blue and water are the most prominent throughout. While I think audiences are actually chomping at the bit for really personal unique visions of things. The bathroom walls that encapsulate Black are pigmented with this blue light which in turn illustrates his hardened feelings this far in the performance. How the cameras moving through a space. Laxton also shot Jenkinss previous film, Medicine for Melancholy. Barry Jenkins Moonlight (2016) has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the most beautiful and sensitive coming-of-age stories on celluloid. Rather than employing a realist, documentary style, Moonlight is filled with elements of visual design such as contrast, color, camera angles, lighting, and slow-motion that immerses the audience in a dreamlike . Laxton and Jenkins drew from varied sources to create a singular cinematic language for Moonlight. Moonlight is an insightful and compelling independent film directed by Barry Jenkins that follows Chiron, a Black gay man, at three different points in his life. The reason for using the flicker box was here applied to a fluorescent light, instead of its usual occupation which produces lighting effects. Right afterwards, as. This shot of Tyrell is menacing, adding a dizzy effect due to the erratic spinning of the camera which is the direct result of the audience feeling a sense of uncertainty; uneasy about how this situation will play out. Moonlight was filmed in Liberty City, Miami, where the neighborhood houses are pastel-colored and trees a tropical green. Their 15-year history affords Laxton an intimate pre-production period not often given to a cinematographer., References were identified early on: Wong Kar Wais Happy Together, Hou Hsiao-hsiens Three Times, Spike Lees Clockers, the films of Claire Denis. Laxton had to maneuver a 200-pound camera in an underwater housing for the scene. Moonlight was loosely adapted from an unpublished [], Moonlight was directed by Barry Jenkins, adapting the unproduced play called In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. I wanted everyones skin to have a sheen to reflect my memory., While trying to establish texture of the place, Laxton spent eight weeks studying the light and the humidity of the location. Home Essay Samples Entertainment Moonlight Analysis of Cinematography in Moonlight by Barry Jenkins. The immersion in water is reminiscent of a baptism, and this motif is repeated throughout the film. Here are some of the topics wed love to hear about: Whether you're an experienced writer or just starting out, we welcome anyone with a passion for writing and a desire to share their perspective. The two men didnt know each other at the time, but they have together brought the hyper specificity and full emotional heft of their lived experience to bear on the story of Chiron, a poor, black, and gay boy who comes of age in a Liberty City housing project. . Most of Moonlights angles are eye-level, close to the actors faces and breaks the fourth wall frequently. This circular shot encapsulates the Chirons teenage bully Tell as he initiates a game of knockout as he directs Kevin to punch Chiron. At the end of the film, the last shot is Chiron standing in front of the Atlantic in the moonlight. The light in Miami is so specific, Laxton said. Many critics view Laxtons cinematography as visual poetry, through his use of techniques to further tell a sophisticated story. Many of Moonlights moving moments happen when actors look directly into the lens, letting the audience look into the characters eyes and have a deeper emotional connection with the characters. To communicate this in a visual manner, the camera frames the subjects such that they fill up the majority of the screen, thus drawing us into their emotional landscapes. When Juan is introduced, the camera follows behind him smoothly. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. Jaws Cinematography Analysis 709 Words | 3 Pages. See the powerful images that inspired Cinematographer James Laxton. At the end of the second part. Please update your browser at http://update.microsoft.com. This challenge arose regarding safety precautions that were in place for the actors; with Mahershala Ali having the water hit just above his waist and for the boy to be able to stand up as well without being submerged entirely by the curling and crashing waves. Were currently seeking writers to join our summer writing program. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. It's an intentional move away from the aloof style and perfection of most big budget. We follow him as he grows up in Liberty City, Miami with no father and a mother struggling with a crack addiction, plus all the pressure of being a Black boy. But my memory of growing up in Miami is this moist, beautiful black skin. The contrasting sound design in both scenes also shows each characters place in their community. As the cinematographer, Laxton explained that in order to strengthen the emotional value of this performance he was required to, create some soft, overhead dramatic lighting with accents of color, one of those being the pink light in the background behind the character Paula.. Weve always placed powder on skin to dull the light. Moonlight is shot in anamorphic format, which made it when the characters stare into the camera that much more dramatic. Laxton and Jenkins drew from varied sources to create a singular cinematic language for. Plot is not so much the concern as an intensive character study is. 2022 Mar 11 [cited 2023 May 1]. This scene is much more than the light fixture, however, but also the engrossed colors that illuminated the shots. There is a greater meaning to all the seemingly unimportant saturation of colors and camera angles. When inside homes or night scenes, Laxton used color filters on the camera lenses with pinks or greens to make sure that the emotion the characters were feeling came across. Bullied at an early age and seemingly outcast, Chiron knows he doesn't fit in because of his sexuality. Authenticity is something I think were always sort of playing with, says Laxton, when discussing their creative process. Its sort of funny that this moment is happening at a time when those two things could not be further apart from one another., Moonlight moves away from the coldness on anything impersonal and uses a well-worn authenticity along with a small handful of the films recognized by the Academy this year. In another shot, Littles mom, Paula, played by the brilliant Naomie Harris, is bathed in pink light as she fumes at her son. Your favorite summer hobby and how you got into it. An avid reader and a life-long lover of blue skies, I like to spend my time with obscure poetry and dissecting films. Those things were calibrated for white skin. Theres a certain beauty to the sheen., For this scene we physically put ourselves in a scenario in which our environment had a massive influence on what kind of images we captured. Moonlight is a masterclass in expressive camera and sound. Jenkins and Laxton were aware of the fact that they were dealing with stories that had previously been depicted, and sought to, When it comes to depicting the lives of African American communities on screen, there is a precedent set by films that have come before. Miami is a sublime fever dream of pastels and neon, lush greens and glistening, perspiring skin tones. This time, we hear her say, "Don't look at me!" We cut to Chiron, now a full-grown man, waking up from this, a bad dream. What thats done over the last, say, 30 years is it has made the audience assume that of these communities. Especially visually, it isnt. When Juan breaks down the boards to the house, lights fill the room. Similarly, the photographic realism of Hudnall Jr. results in the framing of the characters with a quiet dignity. Everything we did was in real locations, which was important for us to create that authentic sensibility that Moonlight is supported by. After the bullies leave, Chiron wanders around and finds a syringe, foreshadowing his profession in the third part of the film. All of these things speak to judgment. Since one of the concepts of our visual language had to do with being immersive, it was a must to put the camera in the water, within the tides and waves of the ocean, to experience the swimming lesson as the characters do. Its like Lion, Arrival, and La La Land, these are really personal visions of things., Your browser is out of date. Plot is not so much the concern as an intensive character study is. We walk through the film's structure, cinematography, sound and symbolism to show you what you might have missed about this immersive. Students who find writing to be a difficult task. In by doing so Laxton was able to deliver an image that matched the strength of the performance by infusing the dramatic scene with a pop of color, often associated with beauty, which in turn allowed for a map of understanding with respect to who Paula is as a character and why her full existence is essential. Right afterwards, as Juan sets up a drug deal, the camera swirls around the characters, establishing the neighborhood in a highly stylized setting before following the protagonist running across a field in a long take. From a distance, this seems like a very specific story. Moonlight is a coming of age movie of a young African American man . The camera is sped up and closing in on Chiron and his friend, trapping them even further. Remember: This is just a sample from a fellow student. Theres a few reasons I think why that pink light doesnt sort of ring false for people, says Laxton. Realism was avoided, with an understanding that when a setting is visually pathologized, so too are the human beings in it. He. In moments like these, a cinematographer has to try to deliver images that match the strength of the performance and emotional value of the story. These pops of color offer a beauty and map to understand the full existence of our characters., We start this sequence with a shot inspired by an animal circling its prey. Dark colors and harsh light is the appropriate lens, we seem to have decided, for dark circumstances and harsh realities. Although this put a damper in the intended shot and imposed several challenged on a technical level, you can gradually see the sky become progressively more gray and cloudy which unintentionally supported what exactly was occurring emotionally with the characters. I think one of them, Its a way in which we provide a three dimensional value to a character like Paula, Chirons mother., In the complex scene Paula is obviously aware and frustrated by her sons burgeoning sexuality and shes simultaneously dealing with her own struggles with addiction, motherhood and sexuality. Juan relays this anecdote to make Chiron understand that identity is often shaped by ones circumstances, and people only see the person shaped by their lot in life, not who they truly are. Currently besotted with Maupassant, art history and all things Nolan, you can find me spacing out to Queen while I look for new things to obsess with. Your California Privacy Rights. Cinematographer James Laxton shot every scene in Moonlight with clear purpose; to capture and express Chiron's inner world from moment to moment. Which is a scene I think we have seen. Those conversations started when we were in our early 20s in college. When a character is the only one in an expanded frame, it highlights how alone they are. (Moonlights editors, Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders, were schoolmates, as was one of the its producers, Adele Romanski, to whom Laxton is now married.) Moonlights tripartite narrative and non-linear storytelling is also reminiscent of the latter. Jenkins and cinematographer James Laxton focused on drawing the audience into the inner lives of the characters and creating a consistent visual language to tell a story of fractured identity. This visual rebirth consolidates his transformation from a scared and vulnerable teenager to an angry and resolute youth, who now performs hegemonic, violent masculinity in order to reclaim some semblance of power. Moonlight exquisitely uses light and color to enhance the immersion of the audience into Chiron's thoughts and feelings. While its a tender coming-of-age film, it never shies away from the harsh world of gangs and drug use that it is set in. When Chirons mother begins to leave, she continues to stare at Chiron and walk into the door where the pink lighting was coming from. Juan, a confident drug dealer, emerges from the car and crosses the street to greet Terrence. How high-angle is something? The idea of the opening sequence to have these two highly disparate shots welded together is the essence of the film. first introduction and their subsequent meeting are framed in the vivid blue of his car, and his apartment. These frames provide a sense of loneliness that hes still struggling with as an adult and still permeate the visual language that we were using in story three., Thinking back to his own childhood Laxton says, I remember wearing out VHS tapes of my favorite movies as a kid and having the tracking being a mess and trying to watch movies that were faded. If the empathic power of Moonlight defies easy categorization, it can be trickier still to put your finger on what is singular about the cinematography. The way each character talks are also contrasting, Juan speaks relaxed and caring while Chiron does not speak. Its for grand stories and big-scope thoughts. CN Fashion & Beauty, Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 5/25/18) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 5/25/18). That being said, I dont think the movies untrue. This notion of being bathed in a primarily pink environment as she screeches away at Chiron was very much a necessity for it reveals a different side to her and insight to a different aspect of her life. Need some creative inspiration? Moonlights setting in Miami was essential to the story. The films most famous quote, In moonlight black boys look blue, which is shown most providently in the second chapter with its green-blue hue. Breaking the fourth wall. An Analysis of Barry Jenkins' Moonlight "In moonlight, black boys look blue," Juan relays to Little in one of the early scenes of Moonlight, the Oscar winning screenplay by Barry Jenkins. While it doesnt have the most bold, visual, stylistic stuff happening, theres a real precision to choices we were making that Im very interested in. But as the film ends, the final image is that of Little, barefoot on the beach, soaked in blue moonlight, these motifs merge to create one final image of healing. The entire scene is a single shot, showing how natural Juan fits in the neighborhood with effortless authority. At the beginning of the film, Chiron is bullied during a soccer game. Cinematographer Laxton used an Arri Alexa digital camera that displays skin tone more vibrantly as skin tone was an important aspect of Moonlight. They remind me that Im having an experience that is really personal. Its most prominent themes are love, stereotypes and identity. Its funny how much license you can get with some choices like that pink light, says Laxton. In an interview regarding his choices of shots Laxton explained that the light flickering scene caused a pit of trouble for, our gaffer had to add a flicker box to the light because we had such a hard time finding a frame rate and shutter angle that would get the right kind of flicker and the right amount of flicker that we were looking for.. It becomes clear that Terrence is an employee of Juan's who deals . And they allow my mind to sort of relax and just let a story be presented to me., This idea of being really personal and unique with the way in which you tell your story. Sensitive topics such as race and sexuality, staged against the backdrop of the hood are automatically assumed to follow the convention of realism. 30 Best Italian Movies Of All Time, Ranked. 22 Must Watch Films For Great Cinematography. Here, we wash away the old Chiron, and introduce a new one., Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 5/25/18) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 5/25/18). Here, it symbolizes the community and tight connection between the boss, employee, and customer. Later in the film when Juan teaches Chiron how to swim, the camera is level to the water so that the audience feels like they are swimming with the characters. Through his association with the color blue, Juan is introduced as a guardian, and a much-needed father- figure that has been missing from Chirons life. Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. He borrowed elements from the work of photographers Earlie Hudnall Jr and Viviane Sassen. Im very proud of and very happy with the diner scene in story three, says Laxton. Want to spend your summer being creative and making some money on the side? It allows the audience to almost be disarmed in the first three minutes of this opening shot, says Laxton. According to Moonlight cinematographer James Laxton, much of today's cinema has lost this subjective intensity. Where do you want us to send this sample? Many circular shots are filmed with the intention of creating this facade of being accepted or with the in-group. When Kevin notices Chiron sitting at the bar the shot cuts to a close-up of Kevin looking directly looking into the lens. The use of color in the film to provide context for emotional moments, and eye-catching lighting in an expressionistic mode can also be seen in films like Chungking Express (1994), and In the Mood for Love (2000). Get custom essays. Moonlight Film Analysis The director of this film clearly presents an idea of masculinity and how it especially is pertinent in context to the african american men in the film. In Moonlight, it's the process of keeping the audience aware of the maker's hand and of the actors playing. I mean Moonlight is not necessarily a realist movie by any stretch of the imagination. We see him immerse his face in an ice bath, framed by flickering lights. 100% Customized to Your Need with Expert Writers Its something that allows an audience to really sink into a story.. Let's fix your grades together! Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. Moonlight doesn't just look and sound great. Continue with Recommended Cookies, An avid reader and a life-long lover of blue skies,. focus on telling a well-realized story is evident in its camera movements as well. Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, who wrote the play on which the movie is based, both grew up there in the same part of Liberty City, Miami. Everything that should feel familiar and gritty is photographed in the bright mid daylight and blown out whites. Laxton used Hawk V-Lite anamorphic lenses, throughout the film to help amplify the emotional state of the characters within the majestic widescreen format. We will occasionally send you account related emails. Every shot is rife with emotional heft and a definitive artistic composition. Moonlight is a coming of age movie of a young African American man through three stages of his life. Director Barry Jenkins, behind the scenes with actor Mahershala Ali. Juans calm conversation with his employee is followed by loud insults from Chirons bullies. But it allowed us to understand that shes a whole character as well., When asked about his favorite scene in the film Laxton immediately turns to the third act where the shift in style in subtle and more nuanced. The concept of prejudice is also recreated to portray the mistreatment of the coloured. Another strategy in accentuating the films unique feeling is using a single Arri Alexa XT camera through the whole shoot. Manage Settings The main characters self-discovery is told through these chapters, each through a different developmental phase of his life. Barry Jenkins, the screenwriter and director behind the beautiful new film Moonlight, grew up in Liberty City, the Miami neighborhood where the story is set. Laxton and Jenkins shared lots of photography including the work of Earlie Hudnall, Jr. Another photographic inspiration was the work of Dutch artist Viviane Sassen. 2023 gradesfixer.com. To communicate this in a visual manner, the camera frames the subjects such that they fill up the majority of the screen, thus drawing us into their emotional landscapes. I think the color pink can have a lot of associations but I think one of them can be beauty. This arc shot is a motif that is used repeatedly throughout the film and has two meanings. Jenkins and Laxton were of the opinion that since the widescreen ratio is automatically associated with franchise blockbusters, telling an intimate story of sexuality and belonging with the same dimensions would serve to create an atmosphere of total artistic unity. Laxton and Jenkins have cited the work of directors Wong Kar Wai, Spike Lee, and Claire Denis as sources of inspiration for Moonlight. To do this we went for some soft, overhead dramatic lighting with accents of color, one of those being the pink light in the background behind the character Paula. Laxton creates pure poetry on celluloid that is perfectly equipped to conjure a story of self-discovery and acceptance. We all have a way in which were viewing the story that were telling and I think who we are dictates so much of how we see the world. In Moonlight, its the process of keeping the audience aware of the makers hand and of the actors playing. When Juan beckons Chiron to teach him how to swim, it is a long shot as Chiron decides what to do. Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Jenkins used his own experience, growing up with mother struggling with addiction, to write the screenplay. But the next cut is to a child running through tall grass, and handheld, somewhat frenetic camera movement. When we tell stories about characters in this context, the go-to style is often a bleak realism. Laxton pushes the camera closer and closer towards the characters so as to create moments of intentional bonding between them and the audience. In the midst of this pivotal moment of self-discovery theres a real awareness of the camera as the water is lapping against the lens. Moonlight's cinematography hubs on the contrast between Littles's place and Juan's in this world (Aguirre, Abby). Cinematographer James Laxton films Ashton Sanders. We open on the curb of a street in Liberty City, a tough neighborhood in Miami, as a souped-up classic car, its dashboard decorated with a miniature crown, pulls up and parks. Moonlight is a coming of age movie of a young African American man through three stages of his life. Instead, the camera simply allows the audience to see them at their most humane moments with their flaws and hopes laid bare. Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins, takes a look at a young black male growing up in Miami named Chiron. The film is driven by the internal conflicts of the characters, instead of a plot. No words are spoken and the two characters are just staring at one another.
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