Sequence Analysis in Moonlight. Communications & Media Coursework

Sequence Analysis in Moonlight
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Sequence Analysis in Moonlight
Moonlight remains one of the best films of the decade bearing its unique characteristics. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the film focuses on the social setting of contemporary society. Jenkins employs the film to showcase the identity crisis that some African American men undergo in society. With the thematic anchorage showcasing a sensitive matter, Jenkins relied upon various cinematographic elements to deliver what he intended in the film. This paper employs the “mom conversation” scene in Moonlight to unearth Jenkins’ brilliance in developing a film that triggers an immediate emotional attachment among the viewers. The sequence analysis is valuable in understanding the roles played by various cinematographic elements including editing, shot sizes, camera angles, and camera moves in delivering a holistic film for the audience.
The “mom conversation” scene is one of the most monumental scenes in Moonlight thereby guaranteeing its analysis and representation of the entire film. The scene showcases an interaction between two characters only: Chiron and his mother Paula. At the onset of the scene, Chiron is shown walking hastily in an unknown direction. Sounds of barking dogs can be heard in the background. Even more visible is the bag on his right-hand side. Just after taking a few steps, Paula appears from an adjacent building. She begins to run as soon as she sees Chiron. Seemingly happy to see his son since the previous night, Paula begins the conversation ecstatically with a greeting before delving into inquiries about where he spent the night. The mood quickly changes as Chiron seems not to be interested in the conversation. Paula shows her worry about her son before admitting that she cannot follow him as it used to be. The scene ends with Paula attempting to persuade Chiron to enter their house, a request to which Chiron seems to be hesitant. That marks the end of the “mom conversation”.
The scene is short but is characterized by various sequence analysis components that could educate a viewer of what is happening. First among the components are shot sizes. Filmmakers employ shot sizes to manipulate the viewers’ field of view (Landau, 2015). The director can employ different hots because he/she directs what he/she intends the audience to see. In Moonlight, Jenkins uses a combination of shots to emphasize various prospects. In the scene, the shots range from long to close-up. The long shots are evident on two occasions. First is at the onset of the scene where Chiron is seen walking towards an unknown destination. That shot is significant in showcasing the character’s body and walking style. Remember that before that scene, Chiron was ridiculed for his unusual walking style. That walking style marks the root of an identity crisis that he undergoes. In the scene, showing Chiron taking long and wobbly steps to emphasize the character’s continued struggle with his identity. The other case of a long shot is when Paula runs towards Chiron as indicated in image 1 below. That moment is emphasized to show the body language and the general reactions for seeing her son after hours of absentia.
Image 1 (long shot)
Moonlight also uses close-up shot sizes to emphasize emotions. In films where viewers do not have the freedom to explore wide areas, it is important that emotional expressions of the characters are delivered exemplarily. Often, close-up shots accord the viewers a narrowed view of what each of the characters feels (Landau, 2015). Moonlight is a highly emotional movie. That can be evident in the numerous cases where close-up camera sizes are preferred. The first close-up in the scene features Paula enquiring Chiron’s whereabouts last night. Chiron’s facial expression depicts an individual who is concealing information as indicated in image 2. He is disappointed, unhappy, and almost waiting for the moment to end. The ensuing conversation is primarily aimed at close-up shots with each character portrayed as having quite the opposite emotions. The last incident of a close-shot is when the mother persuades him to enter the house. Even though his immediate reactions to the invite are not shown, one can tell that the mother is disappointed and the boy is displeased with the manner in which his mother interrupted his plans. Overall, the emotional expressions are exclusively featured with the alternating inputs of shot sizes.
Image 2 (close-up shot)
The other aspect of the sequence that is worth exploring is the camera angles. Camera angles work differently from shot sizes because as opposed to showing the viewers what to see, camera angles intend to trigger the perception. One wants to describe a character as weak or dominant based on the camera angle (Landau, 2015). In the scene, there are eye-level angles in which Paula tends to look at Chiron at a similar height as the lenses’ as seen in image 3. The eye-level angle is employed when the director intends to showcase the natural aspects of the situation. The frustrations and the nagging that Paula manifest at the scene are all-natural reactions to losses, something that is best achieved with eye-level angling. There is also notable application of the high angle. Specifically, Chiron’s walk is shot at a high angle. High angling is taken with the camera placed above the object. This shot is employed to make the character look frightened, submissive, and weak (Bradshaw, 2017). The onset of the scene bears a high angle because the director wants Chiron to emphasize his weakness and submission bearing his condition. A similar shot is mirrored in the last segment of the scene with the camera tilted over Chiron’s head to focus on Paula who lies lower. That emphasizes Paula’s submission to her son in the request to have him back home.
Image 4 (Eye-level camera angle)
Image 5 (High angle with the camera placed slightly above the characte...