Blue serves as a source of solace and peace for Chiron Juans first introduction and their subsequent meeting are framed in the vivid blue of his car, and his apartment. From this point, two contrasting scenes are paired as the camera quickly begins to move and swirl around Jauns conversation until a boy whos being chased by a pack of angry boys calling him a faggot interrupts him. Its for grand stories and big-scope thoughts. When Juan beckons Chiron to teach him how to swim, it is a long shot as Chiron decides what to do. Our idea was to present them visually with that same amount of intensity. Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. Moonlight was directed by Barry Jenkins, adapting the unproduced play called In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The scene is about a dealer interacting with his guy on the corner, right? focus on telling a well-realized story is evident in its camera movements as well. No words are spoken and the two characters are just staring at one another. Image Source: lensculture.com ( Earlie Hudnall, Jr., Viviane Sassen, courtesy of PDNB Gallery). The composition of this notable scene juxtaposes the ingrained idea of Juan being a gang affiliated drug dealer as he takes on the role of father of the protagonist. I think that younger audiences are more accepting of this than older audiences. It becomes clear that Terrence is an employee of Juan's who deals . When Kevin notices Chiron sitting at the bar the shot cuts to a close-up of Kevin looking directly looking into the lens. How the cameras moving through a space. As Juan releases him to float, Chiron quickly steadies himself and Juan says, Right there, youre in the middle of the world. But the film is an absolute triumph on both counts for its vibrant storytelling. Moonlight is a coming of age movie of a young African American man through three stages of his life. The film has a retroactive effect. The effect is such that we are not watching them swimming; instead, we are right there next to them. 22 Must Watch Films For Great Cinematography. . Laxton explained: In that moment, when shes very angry at her son, the pink light tips the audience to a different aspect of her, a different side to her., Laxton went to film school with Jenkins in the early aughts, at the Florida State Film School in Tallahassee, where for a time the two were roommates. The film, set in three acts, follows Chirons life, and opens with a drug deal using some familiar tropes of an archetypical dealer named Juan, played by Mahershala Ali, as he pulls into the frame in a flashy car to check in on one of his minions. The entire scene is a single shot, showing how natural Juan fits in the neighborhood with effortless authority. The main characters self-discovery is told through these chapters, each through a different developmental phase of his life. Paulas anger at her son, Kevin and Chirons sexual intimacy and the resulting violence, as well as Chirons ultimate self-acceptance at the end of the film are relayed to us in silent gazes. Moonlight makes no such commitments. Need some creative inspiration? Analysis Of Cinematography In Barry Jenkins' Movie Moonlight Essay Moonlight was directed by Barry Jenkins, adapting the unproduced play called In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Many critics view Laxtons cinematography as visual poetry, through his use of techniques to further tell a sophisticated story. The non-linear storytelling is enhanced by the visual choices of the film. The film is driven by the internal conflicts of the characters, instead of a plot. 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. The natural light gives the characters a soft glow and presents the characters in a way that does not feel fabricated. Its a very familiar interaction. The result is an immersive sequence that allows the camera to capture each splash and stroke of the water, which was achieved by filming partly underwater. It allows the audience to almost be disarmed in the first three minutes of this opening shot, says Laxton. 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. Tell us about your travels! 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. The neighborhood has pastel-colored houses, the Atlantic Ocean a blue-green, and Chirons mother being bathed in neon pink while shouting at him. The use of natural and ambient light throughout the film mixed with small warm fill lights and touches of color play on the films dream-like sense of reality. Miami is a sublime fever dream of pastels and neon, lush greens and glistening, perspiring skin tones. Moonlights tripartite narrative and non-linear storytelling is also reminiscent of the latter. Were excited to hear from you! With rich hues that provide vital cues and swift camera movement, the film cautiously walks the line between realistic storytelling and a process of expressionist imagery. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 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. The camera stops and Chiron looks to the audience as if beckoning to join him. Let's fix your grades together! Similarly, the choice to shoot in 35 mm anamorphic lens was borne out of a desire to tell a story with majesty and an immersive experience. Jenkins uses all the tools there are in camerawork to create a story thats personal to each and every person. Maybe you think you know whats about to come in the next hour and a half., You dont, and thats the point. 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. Moonlights focus on telling a well-realized story is evident in its camera movements as well. Moonlight exquisitely uses light and color to enhance the immersion of the audience into Chiron's thoughts and feelings. Natural light is also used during the diner scene. Read More22 Must Watch Films For Great Cinematography21 Iconic Shots Of The 21st CenturyCinematography Vs Videography: Whats The Difference? Home Essay Samples Entertainment Moonlight Analysis of Cinematography in Moonlight by Barry Jenkins. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. This scene is much more than the light fixture, however, but also the engrossed colors that illuminated the shots. Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. 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. While the plot proves for a strong base, the cinematography is what really makes the film stand out, winning an Oscar for Best Picture. At the beginning of the film, Chiron is bullied during a soccer game. In 2017, the film Moonlight was awarded Best Motion Picture at the 74th Academy Awards. The low immersive camera is combined with this authentic fluid motion that gives the audience the sensation that we are immersed within this endless horizon of water, much like Little, thus enabling the audience to experience Chiron's baptism as he does himself. From the very first shot of drug dealer Juan (played by Mahershala Ali) arriving to meet with his subordinates, we are greeted with a bright color palette that is infused with rich blues, bright yellows and tropical reds. As the second part ends and the third begins, a grown-up, , dunks himself in an ice bath yet again, as if to erase all traces of his past scared self through this ritual and be reborn again as the powerful drug lord that he has grown into. The camera slowly goes toward Chiron until he turns his head to look behind him. As a writer for Odyssey, youll have the opportunity to share your voice with our community of readers from all over the world. According to Laxton, this was an idea that took shape in pre-production. This scene utilized Miamis natural lighting (that would be later touched in editing) which is said to do wonderful things to ones skin and kinder due to the humidity and moisture in the air. Analysis Of Cinematography In Barry Jenkins' Movie Moonlight Essay. Weve always placed powder on skin to dull the light. "I think for all of us around there, and especially for Barry because this is so personal to him, that just . The director and cowriter, Barry Jenkins, won praise for his empathetic depiction of complex characters. Moonlight, which is up for six Golden Globes and is likely to earn as many Oscar nominations, leaves a lasting impression on your mind and eye, and its impact is not limited to your present field. Another strategy in accentuating the films unique feeling is using a single Arri Alexa XT camera through the whole shoot. But Moonlight is more Wong Kar Wai than The Wire. to swim as a transcendental moment. There is a greater meaning to all the seemingly unimportant saturation of colors and camera angles. Light was placed within a tree by Laxton to cast speckled obscurities on the main character as he strode underneath, generating exclusively new photographic attentiveness from the . As the sky progressively turns grey, it contrasts against the clear ocean, presenting how the characters feel emotionally. When Juan talks with his employee and sees him reject a customer, the camera circles around the characters. For their singular vision for storytelling, Lets deep dive into some of the elements and, is a story about seemingly contradictory things. first introduction and their subsequent meeting are framed in the vivid blue of his car, and his apartment. Which is a scene I think we have seen. These find correlation in both the Objective Story Throughline and the Main Character Throughline: Little deals with the Past and Being (Objective Story Transit 1 and Main Character Transit 1) We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Bold, saturated colors and soft lighting that express the emotional beats of the film lend a touch of dream-like surrealism to the story. . Jenkinss mom contracted HIV; McCraneys died of AIDS. Roy was someone that I think shaped a lot of how Barry and I sort of approached the film at the very, very beginning.. Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. has been beaten up and bloodied by his bullies. The film, which was critically acclaimed for its fresh take on race, African-American queer sexuality, and nuanced understandings of masculinity was told through bold colors and realism in the mode of cinematography. But presenting it in maybe a way thats providing a larger lens to look through.. 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).
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