Some connections after rewatching Moonlight
Okay the level of connections between each three parts of the film is off the charts. Before I forget them:
The concept of “hard men” first introduced to Little by Kevin, actualized by Chiron in response to Kevin, and then criticized by Kevin in their last meetup.
The fact that Teresa wasn’t in the third part of the movie really bothered me- until I realized that she really had been taken by the place of Kevin. They both cook Chiron food to make him talk, and encourage him to open himself up more.
This also connects to Chiron becoming Juan- if Juan and Teresa were the surrogate fathers and mothers to Chiron, then he has become his own “father” figure, to which Kevin has become his analogous love.
Another subtle connection: Juan mentions immigrating from Cuba. In the diner scene, Chiron notices that the food Kevin has cooked for him is Cuban.
People driving each other: Juan driving Little, Kevin driving Chiron, Black driving Kevin.
The idea of the ones you love the most hurting you, and not wanting to hurt them back. Little looks up to Juan, in spite of him being the drug dealer to his mother. Chiron doesn’t hurt or rat out Kevin, because even though it was him who hurt him, he still loves him. And Chiron’s mother confessing her love for her son that she continually mistreated throughout her life.
The idea of huge events happening in the gaps of the movie- deaths, prison sentences, rehab stays, births. They’re just things that happen that people live with.
The dream sequences that flutter throughout the movie, along with the theme of connection to the ocean. The interruption of small delicate moments with the everyday routine of life, the interruption of songs in the middle of lines. The musical themes that start out, become “chopped and skewed,” and return back in unexpected moments.
It’s a testament to the film that all of these moments come off so effortlessly and naturalistically that I only really understood them after months of thinking about the characters and relationships. This is the type of writing that is often subtle, but deserves recognition. This movie really changed my life, and it’s utterly fantastic that I’ll continue to discover more things about the journey of Chiron…
