Before ‘Love, Simon’ There Was ‘Moonlight’

Black boys look blue in the moonlight

Barry Jenkins brought Tarell Alvin McCraney’s unpublished play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” to life.

Jenkins wrote and directed the Golden Globes Best Motion Picture winning movie Moonlight. The movie wasted no time breaking records as it became the first LGBTQ movie with an all–black cast to win an Oscar for best picture. This movie changed the lives of so many people, including my own. For the first time many of us got to see a young, LGBTQ person of color. Then we got to witness him grow up in the cold world we knew all too well.

Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monae, Mahershala Ali, Ashton Sanders, Naomie Harris, and Andre’ Holland star in this powerful coming–of–age story. The 111 minute movie opens with Little hiding from a vicious group of bullies in a dope spot. Juan finds the withdrawn little boy in the abandoned building and soon becomes a consistent figure in his life. Moonlight delves into the obstacles Chiron (Little) faces from childhood to adulthood, including bullying, sexual identity, masculinity, and drugs.

The word ‘faggot’ is thrown at little Chiron like crumpled paper balls.

He has no idea what a ‘faggot’ is. He eventually asks Juan.

Little: [innocently] What’s a faggot?

Juan: A faggot is… a word used to make gay people feel bad.

[pause]

Little: Am I a faggot?

Juan: No. You’re not a faggot. You can be gay, but you don’t have to let nobody call you a faggot.

Chiron is bullied throughout two out of the three chapters of the movie. Unfortunately, this is the case for many LGBTQ children and teens in school. They are relentlessly abused both verbally and physically. The kids are either a bully or a not–so–innocent bystander full of snickers most of the time. For someone to keep slapping a label on someone that isn’t sure about a certain label themselves, is extremely overwhelming. Then when that certain label is constantly called “wrong” or “a sin”, you start to believe something is wrong with you.

“At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you’re going to be. Can’t let nobody make that decision for you.” — Juan

The name calling blurs eventually.

Soon all the derogatory names begin to sound like each other. What haven’t I heard before? It’ll still sting a little bit, but it will feel more like an ant bite instead of a burn. Dog Shit. It. Gay. Man. Lesbian. It’s almost as if I’m sitting on a stool on stage, and everyone else is in the crowd. Sometimes it can swallow you whole. I would look in the mirror and have no idea who was staring back at me. I would wish I was someone else. I fell asleep at night hoping I either woke up a different person or not at all.

It wasn’t until my senior year in high school where I finally snatched the reigns back.

In Moonlight, Chiron eventually attacks his bully on his own terms. In my story, I didn’t start swinging back until I was backed into a dark corner. Once I landed that punch, I was free. You know that saying about poking a bear? Bullies love to poke people. The thing is — you never know who’s a bunny and who’s a bear until a bear starts roaring. Then you’re in trouble. Blinding rage engulfs me. I feel like I might have a fever. The only cure is to fight back. So I do, and it feels good.

I could see myself in Chiron. We were both different, but we weren’t sure how exactly. We both were antagonized past the point of no return. At a certain point, we had to decide who was going to get to determine who we were. Everyone slapped a different label on us, but we’re the only people who get to decide which one fits.

Chiron grows from a withdrawn little boy into a grown man who commands respect.

He’s still unsure about certain things, but aren’t we all? If you haven’t seen this movie yet, there’s still plenty of time. The movie is a masterpiece, in my opinion. From the cinematography to the incredibly talented cast, there’s a special magic in every scene. It draws you just like the smell of freshly baked pie. It invites you inside like a loving grandmother. Then it yanks at your heartstrings and refuses to let go.