Will it happen now? For whatever reason, Juan stuck to his hard lifestyle to survive. Of course, Kevin and Chiron also play at performed toughness or masculinity on the beach when Kevin pretends he doesn't cry, whereas Chiron admits he does. Because of Juans lasting legacy, Chiron was finally able to live with himself and live freely. 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. It is only explained through conversations that he has died. When a child, Chiron lives with his single, crack addict mother Paula in a crime ridden neighborhood in Miami. A lot of actors wish they were having a visceral response to the scripts that theyre reading. Chirons car has the license plate: BLACK305, Chirons nickname with the Miami area code. He is first introduced having a conversation with one of his customers. The film explores a young black man's. Kevin then comforts Chiron, letting down his wall, and the film closes with a shot of a young Chiron on the beach. The first time they made out with Kevin, it was also at the beach. When the boys kiss, Chiron apologizes for it, and we wince, because who among us hasnt wanted to apologize for his presence? These are some of the questions that well be addressing belowso if youre curious for the answers, be sure to keep reading! Does he return at a later point in the movie? What is the streaming release date of Moonlight (2016) in Canada. What Really Happened To This Rapper? He had to rebuild himself from the ground up, but in the back of his mind, he knew there was more to life than how he was living. His presence stayed throughout the film. Little was a nickname given to a young Chiron by his peers. Shes in rehab in Atlanta, and he has fulfilled his destiny by example: like Juan, hes a drug dealer in a do-rag. Later, Kevin gives Chiron a ride home and asks if that was his first time doing anything sexual. He gives into these traditional ideas of masculinity not because they fit him, but as a survival tactic. The table below only shows the Weight Watchers Points Plus values. Juan had given him hope and taught him that he always had a choice. Directors: Barry Jenkins Writer: Barry Jenkins Cast: Trevante Rhodes as Chiron / "Black" 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. This moment of confusionabout internalized self-hatred and the affection of namingis unlike anything thats been put onscreen before; it shows what freedom and pain can look like, all in one frame. Solution 1. TG:Mahershala Alis character, Juan, serves as Littles savior from his home and school life, yet he is exposed as aflawed and hypocritical character because he is a drug dealer. You gon tell him why the other boys kick his ass all the time?. I feel like at that age it was important. — -- Mahershala Ali said hes never felt as connected to a character as he did playing Juan in the critically acclaimed film, Moonlight.. The authors Zadie Smith and Jeffrey Eugenides discuss their personal approaches to writing novels. All rights reserved. Juan feels guilty for being responsible for the drugs that have continuously affected Chirons mother negatively. The song has been featured in various films and on television shows. Moonlight undoes our expectations as viewers, and as human beings, too. Chiron asks Juan what a faggot is, and Juan defines it as "a word to make gay people feel bad." Please provide all information in your posts. Director Barry Jenkins doesn't dwell on Juan's death as much as he does on the beauty of his embrace of Chiron in his arms in the sea, on his smile, on his joyful proclamation that you can find. Either way, Juan had gone much too soon in Chiron's story. Since then, it would appear that the teen has occasionally been spending time with his former girlfriend, Teresa. Juans death scene is not clearly depicted in the movie Moonlight. What was the king's Privy Council? Chiron learns Kevin is now a single father and content in life. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Poor sleep, sedentary activities, and eating too many processed or sugary foods are just some of the habits that may increase your risk of weight gain. I hadnt seen anyone even attempt to tell that story before. As Juan squires his fatherless friend about, we cant help thinking, Will he abuse him? 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. Different circumstances, but not very different. Kevin shrugs this off and starts sharing a blunt with Chiron. Rarely has the world taught them not to. Does Juan die in Moonlight? Seeing as how he lived life on the edge as a drug dealer, however, its not surprising to know that things ended the way they did. Written and directed by Berry Jenkins, Moonlight revolves around the main protagonist Chiron, whose life is presented in three different actsLittle, Chiron, and Black. As such, his character is played by three different actors, Alex Hibbert (Child Chiron), Ashton Sanders (Teen Chiron), and Trevante Rhodes (Adult Chiron). At the start of this chapter, we are instantly introduced to the structure of the film, which we learn will fracture Chiron's life into sections between which he will age. As Chiron hesitates, Kevin approaches, apparently still one of Chiron's close friends. I wanted a reallysimple, crystallized moment of nurturing, of warmth, of intimacy, because I feel like thats all the character is capable of. 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. In the film's second act, Chiron is now a teenager and Juan has unfortunately passed. Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros.)/Gallery, Princess Daisy (Super Mario Bros.)/Gallery. Juan : [Chuckles] Nah. As we watch, another movie plays in our minds, real-life footage of the many forms of damage done to black men, which can sometimes lead them to turn that hateful madness on their own kind, passing on the poison that was their inheritance. Sanders has a conjurers gifts, and an intuitive understanding of how the camera workshow it can push into an actors face and consciousness, and how the actor can push back against the intrusion by inhabiting the reality of the moment. How did Tianas Dad Die? Once I made that decision, it opened up this world where I could really see how things manifested itself in the character and how it would manifest itself in scenes, and I began to have a much clearer path of working towards manifestation of that section of intersectionality. And I wanted the audience to feel what its like to have that person snatched out. In a bid to protect his dream of love, Chiron shows up at school one day and, wordlessly, breaks a chair over Terrels back. Eventually, he finds solace in the paternal relationship he forms with a local drug dealer, Juan, played by House of Cards star Mahershala Ali. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. And he knows he counts even more when Juan calls him by his nicknameLittleas a way of claiming him. Juan follows, entering through a blasted-out window, a symbol, perhaps, of the ruin left by the riots. A large part of the process wasme being able to empathize with Little and blend his life with myself and Tarell, who are all coming together as this one person. So he might choose to protect or identify with this otherness that he sees in Little. Girl with Deadly Inherited Condition Cured with Gene Therapy. It is only explained through conversations that he has died. There are things from the play that I was very adamant about keeping or doing justice to and translating them in sound and image. Running around with no shoes on when the moon was out. I dont have first-person experience. What happens next? Viewers first meet Chiron when he is a little boy and is troubled by both bullies and an addict mother. The first part is called "Little", as little is the nickname of Chiron. How Did Richard Fritz Simmons From Harlem Die? The film tells a beautiful story, told in three acts, about its main character Chiron (Trevante Rhodes). 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. I think the beautiful thing about Mahershala Ali playing that part is that Little and Juan are not very different. Chiron apologizes, and Kevin asks what he has to be sorry for. Will Little finally discover himself in his desperate journey to evolution? Met with praise, it has since grossed over $27 million in the U.S. and Canada, despite having been produced on a $4 million budget. One night, Chiron has a dream about his friend Kevin. The community I feel like, despite the fact that we were all struggling and everybody had somebody in their family that was going through what our mothers were going through, there was somewhere you could go where you would not getturned away. When I read it, my first thoughtwas, How does he know the things he knows? The only positive male role model in Chiron's life was Juan, who he seemingly builds his life after as an adult. Day after day, as they spend more and more time together, Juan becomes somewhat of a father figure to the boy. Furthermore, up until this point, masculinity has played a huge role in the film and Chiron's life. Chiron eventually returns home, only to be told by his mother that she's having company over tonight and has found "somewhere for [Chiron] to be." Inside, in a dark, silent space, the kid stares at Juan, and Juan stares at the kid. Get Your Answer Here. It is because of Juan that Chiron chose to go back home to Miami, to be brave enough to choose love and to fight back. Chiron defiantly continues to get up after each punch until he is knocked out. In fact, it has since made it onto the top ten lists of numerous critics. Throughout the rest of the film, it is only explained through dialogue that Juan has died. 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. By the second act, years have passed and Chiron has become a teenager. Chiron asks Kevin why he calls him "Black," saying, "What kind of dude walks around giving other dudes nicknames?" Scene follows scene with the kind of purposefulness you find in fairy tales, or in those Dickens novels about boys made and unmade by fate. by which I mean a lot of these very similar things happened to me. A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood. Theres been a lot of talk around Hollywood about Moonlight. The film is divided into three parts, titled Little, Chiron, and Black. In the second part, Chiron (played now by Ashton Sanders) is a teen-ager, thin and walking with the push, resolve, and loneliness of a character for whom Billie Holiday would have given her all in a song.