Juan says: I was a wild lil shorty, man, just like you. Throughout the rest of the film, it is only explained through dialogue that Juan has died. Boring, but we remain hopeful. The final act of "Moonlight" sees Chiron going by "Black" after following in Juan's footsteps, and becoming a drug dealer in Atlanta. Why is September 15 Clemente Day? Juans car was an icy blue. The song has been featured in various films and on television shows. He saw it in Juan. BJ:In particular, the struggle he goesthrough with his mother was something I actually lived. Nominated for six Golden Globe Awards, it eventually went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture (Drama). But as I watched the film, it was clear to me that Juan never left. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 2. Things that have died in the pool: 2 dragonflies. Does Juan die in Moonlight? A liquid cup and a solid cup are exactly the same size. He builds his scenes slowly, without trite dialogue or explosions. I think the beautiful thing about Mahershala Ali playing that part is that Little and Juan are not very different. The audience is left to assume that Juan has been crucified by the inevitable, doomed life of any long time drug-dealer. In his high school science class, a bully named Terrel makes fun of Chiron for being effeminate and is kicked out of class. He takes the boy out to get food and asks him his name, but the boy never responds. Its a vicious cycle, in which the characters are oppressed by everything but hope. All rights reserved. She tells him, "You're my only, and I'm your only," likewise a double edged sword, as it reminds him he won't find her pure, familial love anywhere else. 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. The audience is left to assume that Juans life was cut short by his drug dealing activities. Juans character is only seen in the first act of the film. How does it make a boy whos been rejected because of his skin color, his sexual interests, and his sensitivity feel? What Really Happened in this Game? Moonlight was the former leader of the Sisters. He wears his sensitivity like a shroud around his now muscular body, which looks very black in the moonlight as he lies in bed, startled to have received a phone call from Kevin after many years. When you have a mother who is going through things that are preventing her from showing you love, you start to create this version of yourself whereyou are not worthy of love. Either way, Juan had gone much too soon in Chirons story. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The authors Zadie Smith and Jeffrey Eugenides discuss their personal approaches to writing novels. Thats what Im gon call you. Interestingly enough, however, Juan is nowhere to be seen. After bidding Chiron farewell, Juan notices Paula taking drugswith one of his customers. My second thought was, What can I do to make this [film] a reality? because sometimes when you readsomething, you can see it, and as a filmmaker, when you can read and see it, its a gift. Though portrayed as dead in the movie, his immense influence lived on through Chiron, the . The next day, Chiron meets Juan, telling him he hates his mother for the way she treats him. We provide the most recent, unbiased accounts of the news that matters to you. September 15, 2021 09:00 AM-12:00 PM Roberto Clemente Day was established by Major League Baseball to honor the legacy of the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.. Who can wear 21 in MLB? And the first time I read it, I think everyone involved will tell you they got really choked up and just really connected to this story and these characters, Ali, 42, who just won a Critics Choice award for the role, said on Good Morning America today. The couple look on as the kid eats and eats; its clear, though, that hes hungry for more than food. Juans physical presence is only portrayed in the beginning of the movie. Thats how Juan (the beautiful Mahershala Ali) carries himselfdefensively, warily. That he is able to pluck that feeling out of the darkness of those Miami nights makes him a classically heroic figure: he knows his limitations, he knows that life is tragic, but he is still willing to dream. Juans character is only in the first act of the film. Afterwards, Juan takes Chiron home to his crack-addicted mother, Paula, who scolds our hero for worrying her. When she is first introduced, viewers are made to believe otherwise, as she shows concern for her child having been missing all night while he stayed with Juan and Teresa soon after, though, we see her be neglectful and even cruel. Your email address will not be published. The first time they made out with Kevin, it was also at the beach. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested! Other members of the main cast include Janelle Monae, Ashton Sanders, Naomie Harris, and Jharrel Jerome. Its not him, but its definitely based on him. Chiron looks as if he means to pursue them but thinks better of it. The two exchange deadly eye contact. Blue represents what Juan represents; freedom, self-acceptance, and the heart of Miami. In response, she rebukes him for selling her the substance in the first place. How Did Monses Mom Die? A year after its release, The New York Times even hailed Moonlight as one of the Best film of the 21st Century So far.. Juans license plate exhibited the same message. TG:What do you want viewers to take away after watching this film? Contact us: [emailprotected]. BJ:She didnt have to be there, but in a way she had to be there. 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. Chiron was originally called Little because he was smaller than the other boys, was very quiet, and appeared powerless. Barry Jenkins: He did a great job of capturing the spirit and essence of this place that were from which is Liberty City, Miami. Theres no music in this scene; no one cries; Juan doesnt grab a gun and try to blow the slandering universe away. That final shot of him on the beach, as a boy, tells the audience that he is hopefully finding a way to better understand and accept himself, by finally reconnecting with Kevin in the film's closing moments, pointing toward a hopefully more emotionally open future. The gold fronts that his Chiron wears are just another form of armor against longing, in a mouth that yearns to taste Kevins once again, to relive that forbidden love, for which black men sometimes punish one another. Juan had given him hope and taught him that he always had a choice. The audience is left to assume that Juan's life was cut short by his drug dealing activities. A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood. She pointed out to Juan about the peculiar way in which Chiron carries himself, especially his feminine walking style. (Jenkins and his ardent cinematographer, James Laxton, film the car as if it were a kind of enclosed throne.) The film tells a beautiful story, told in three acts, about its main character Chiron (Trevante Rhodes).. 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. BJ:I wasnt trying to defy anything because I think when you get into that, instead of creating something genuine, you end up creating this thing thats meant to serve this defined element. Paula was Chirons mother in Moonlight. Yet, a few simple steps such as mindful eating, exercise, and focusing on whole foods can help you reach your weight loss goals and improve your overall health. Chiron embodies Juan for the first time in an ominous way; he is now a drug dealer, running the streets with authority and smarts just as Juan once had. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Chiron is a shy, withdrawn child largely due to his small size and being neglected by his mother, who is more concerned about getting her fixes and satisfying her carnal needs than taking care of him. Jenkins has influencesI would guess that Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Terrence Malick, and Charles Burnett are high on the list, along with Michael Roemers 1964 film Nothing But a Man, one of the first modern black love stories to avoid buffoonery and improbabilitybut what really gets him going here is filmmaking itself, and the story hes telling. Faggot is another name, and its one that Chiron hears often as he grows up. Just because someone else saw Juan as one way, under one particular light, it did not mean Juan identified with the way others perceived him. Because of these issues, Chiron is bullied, the slurs hurled at him which he doesn't understand beyond knowing that they are meant to be hurtful. You can be gay, but you aint gotta let nobody call you no faggot.. A little bit outside and away from center, and not necessarily represented in the most truthful or most connected way, he said. Juan (played by Mahershala Ali, who would win the first of his two Best Supporting Actor Oscars for the role) is a drug dealer whose softer, nurturing side is drawn out by Chiron, known as Little. Kevin urges Chiron to "stay down" so that he doesn't have to punch him again, looking as if he'd rather be doing anything else. There are things from the play that I was very adamant about keeping or doing justice to and translating them in sound and image. 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. He tries to change the sheets on his bed there, and Teresa teases him, teaching him how to make a bed properly. The motif of nicknames also persists into this chapter, echoing Juan's earlier story about when he was given the nickname "Blue." Little. For me, it was a concrete gesture that I couldbelieve transpiring in that time. Explain that scene in terms of his sexuality and its origin. The film is packed with breathtaking sequences and emotional moments in Chiron's life, but one of Moonlight 's most gorgeous and memorable scenes comes in the first act, as drug dealer Juan. Through a series of events, he eventually becomes a father figure to the movies protagonist, Chiron. Ali plays Juan, a warm-hearted drug dealer who mentors young Chiron, taking him under his wing to escape the perils he faces of his drug-addicted mother at home and bullies taunting him at school. Later, he eats dinner at Teresa's house; Juan is notably absent. Feeling for the young boy, he invites him to spend the night with him and his girlfriend, before returning him to his mother the following day. I think its important to show that just because Juan lives in Liberty City and is a drug dealer doesnt mean hes only a black drug dealer. Of course, no one in the nineties wanted to finance films about gay black men. theGrio:What was it about Tarell Alvins McCraneys play that made you want to retell the story in film? Juan was the only person to ever see Chiron as a young boy, to give him a chance, to take the time to show him a life worth living. We dont get too much backstory on Juan or how he came to be the way he was, but we do notice that Juan was a loving, caring, and wise man despite his chosen profession. Not them kind what I had before. Similar to when Juan had rejected his nickname of Blue, Chiron made the decision to fully embrace and identify with his actual name. Summary: Told in three seperate times in his life, we follow the story of Chiron, a black man in Miami, Florida as he struggles through the years with his identity, his sexuality, his place in society, his drug addicted mother, and his personality. After their communion on the Miami ocean, Juan tells young Chiron of a story from when he was a young boy living in Cuba. Why classes are used in Java? She. But, violence begets violence, and as Little grows into an introverted sixteen-year-old teenager who struggles with his identity, only a tough facade can shield him against the world. In 2000, Toploader covered "Dancing in the Moonlight," which became a hit for the band. So when a classmate, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome), shows Chiron something other than hostility, it feels like a kind of fantasy. Manage Settings I. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. (There are no white characters in the film, and this is a radical move on Jenkinss part. She was a drug addict and never lost a chance to insult Chiron. Everyday, one word, is an adjective meaning "used or seen daily," or "ordinary." "The phone calls were an everyday occurrence." " Moonlight " ends with a flicker of hope. Chiron was accepted by Juan, completely and effortlessly, as the divine ocean embraced them. I felt like in order to get it right, I had to have extreme fidelity to some of the things he had written. Throughout the rest of the film, it is only explained through dialogue that Juan has died. Juan, his mouth fixed in a poutsometimes he sucks on his tongue, as if it were a pacifierdoesnt take his eyes off the street. It's an intentional move away from the aloof style and perfection of most big budget. In astrology, Chiron represents your "mortal wound" a pain that you suffered, often in childhood, that doesn't seem to go away . Your questions are pretty detailed. "Moonlight" was one of the best films of 2016, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Your email address will not be published. a lizard. Then Chiron asks if he himself is a faggot. How did Tianas Dad Die? Directors such as Marlon Riggs and Isaac Julien explored gay black masculinity in the nineties, but they did so in essay-films, which allowed the audience a kind of built-in distance. Either way, Juan had gone much too soon in Chiron's story. VIDEO: Mahershala Ali Talks 'Moonlight' Live on 'GMA', Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "Which sentence" means that you have been provided with answer choices or an exceprt from the story. He lives in public housing with his single mother, Paula (Naomie Harris), who goes on drug binges, less to alleviate her sadness than to express her wrathagainst the world and, especially, against her son, who she thinks keeps her from the world. There is a sense of safety and security from both Juan and Kevin, and each time, those beautiful moments were shared beside the waters of the Miami beach. After studying the Weight Watchers points chart, he/she can decide the number of points given to different types of foods. After all that has happened, at the end of the day, Chiron is still that little boy on the beach. Juan's death scene is not clearly depicted in the movie Moonlight. After a brief vocabulary lesson, during which he learns the meaning of faggot, the boy confronts Juan about whether or not he is the one who supplies his mother with her drugs. The beach is a happy memory and a safe place for Chiron, so this callback to it at the film's closure showcases that he feels safe with Kevin and that really, even though he's built up these tough walls, he is still that same young Chiron from the film's opening. Chiron drives a similar slicked out car, but in the color of black, like his nickname. To stay within your your SmartPoints budget, you don't need to cut out foods entirely, but it pays to eat more of those that cost you less points. Juans death scene is not clearly depicted in the movie Moonlight. Chiron heads to school in the same clothes he wore the previous day. Is 1 cup of liquid the same as 1 cup of solid? And I wanted the audience to feel what its like to have that person snatched out. Its hard for a man of color walking those sun-bleached streets not to watch his back or feel that his days are numbered. At school the next day, Terrel asks Kevin if he remembers playing the game "knock down, stay down" as children, asking Kevin if he'll beat up whoever Terrel points out. A lot of actors wish they were having a visceral response to the scripts that theyre reading. In the third part of the film, Chiron (gorgeously played by Trevante Rhodes) is an adult, but still looking after his mother. I think if the movie went on for another week, then we might get to a point where theres actual release, but I felt like at that point the only thing the character was prepared for emotionally was to be held an act of intimacy because he doesnt allow anyone to touch him in the film at all. Alex R. Hibbert as Chiron, a young black man growing up gay in an impoverished part of Miami in Moonlight. When we meet Chiron here, we realize that he's grown into a high school-age young man, yet is still haunted by the issues that plagued him as a little boy: his sexuality and his relationship to his mother. He respects our intelligence enough to let us just sit still and watch the glorious faces of his characters as they move through time. Kevin made Chiron feel loved and trusted; like how Juan had always treated Chiron from the moment he found the vulnerable little boy hiding away from the world. "I was a wild lil' shorty, man, just like you. Juan's death scene is not clearly depicted in the movie Moonlight. Both my experience and Tarells experience is that when our moms werent able to provide or werent there, there was somebodys house you could go to. He cant afford to; this situation, any situation, could be changed in an instant by a gun or a knife. The table below only shows the Weight Watchers Points Plus values. Besides his same aged Cuban-American friend Kevin, Chiron is given what little guidance he has in life from a neighborhood drug dealer named Juan, who can see that he is neglected, and Juan's caring girlfriend Teresa, whose home acts as a sanctuary away from the bullies and away from Paula's abuse. You have to get onyour moms still a crackhead, and you still have to deal with these kids f***ing with you at school. Frustrated, she goes on to take out her frustrations on Chiron. She tells Juan, You ever seen the way he walks, Juan? Did I ever imagine, during my anxious, closeted childhood, that Id live long enough to see a movie like Moonlight, Barry Jenkinss brilliant, achingly alive new work about black queerness? He tells Chiron to refrain from telling anyone about this indiscretion, saying, "I know you can keep a secret, dawg." Between 1958 and 1964, Wallace charted nine hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. Theres no funeral. For whatever reason, Juan stuck to his hard lifestyle to survive. These memories ended up making the beach a safe haven for Chiron.

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