Moonlight exhibits a gay black man in a hypermasculine culture attempting to discover his identity and overall sense of self. In the first act, Little’s identity is layered by the context of his upbringing: needing a father figure and dealing with a drug addict mother on top of being bullied for his sexuality. In the second act, Chiron’s identity is layered by the context of his difficulties: moving on from Juan’s death, dealing with his mother’s addiction problem, and facing the consequences of having Kevin enter his life. In the final act, Black’s identity is layered by the context of his reinvention: dealing drugs, reconnecting with his mother, and confronting Kevin once more. In short, this film exhibits facing discrimination and difficulty at each level of human development, from childhood to adolescence to adulthood.
More specifically, the development of a gay black child is a path with much oppression, as shown by how conventional society in this film is portrayed as unwilling and unmoving. For example, Little’s mother refuses to accept his sexuality, yet a complete stranger (Juan) takes him in and cares for him better than she ever could’ve. Also, Chiron’s school fails to correct its institution and see things as they are. The failure to address Chiron’s motives for the assault reveals how an educational system can easily turn a blind eye to the root causes.
Understanding structural violence through intersectionality may prove useful. Having violence and suffering be built into the structural foundation of life makes misery already unavoidable; however, analyzing the finer dimensions, such as sexim, racism, or ableism, allows anthropologists to see why that suffering and misery exists, not just how it feels.
This film has informed me about how there are many layers of context when it comes to someone’s identity. Identity cannot be justified merely by one’s race or sexuality. Instead, identity is a culmination of past traumas, present experiences, and future endeavors. Throughout life, we are constantly re-examining our own identities, and in that process, structural violence or suffering is never too far away. In short, this film portrays the plight of identity through the eyes of one gay black man, amidst an entire world of other eyes from other people with endless identities.
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