Two Movies Recently Viewed

“A Hard Day’s Night”

Watching this movie was actually very entertaining. I am familiar with music from the Beatles but, I never had a significant interest in their music. I know, shocking, right? The title of the movie “Hard Days Night,” in my opinion, is one of the best songs.

This appears to be a documentary, but also a reality of what the day in the life of the Beatles entails. After watching this movie, they allow themselves to be “real” for the camera. I feel a lot of movies/documentaries are staged, and maybe that’s why I enjoyed this one. Comparing when this was filmed in 1963 to now there is a dramatic difference and not just appearance, given the fact that this film is in black and white. Their personality shines through in this film, and just how much these men mean to each other is displayed. Jokes are made, newly written songs are heard. Basically, this interprets a Rock and Roll adventure of John, Ringo, George and Paul’s life.

“Moonlight”

If there were ever a movie that portrayed such explicit emotions, it would be this one. I have never even heard of this movie before. This move caught my attention because I thought it was based on a true story. Director Barry Jenkins and screenwriter Tarell McCraney admit that some of the aspects of the film relate to their own personal experiences. This film does an impeccable job or cutting this movie into three different elements of Chiron’s life. This is the main character in the film. Chiron is an African-American boy living with his mother in a rough area of Miami, Florida. Throughout the film he is on a journey to finding himself. All the while living with a mother who is addicted to drugs, no father, and discovering that he is gay. Each major act of this movie is broken down by his younger years, his teenage years, and then his adult life. He endured tremendous hardships, even ending up in jail. This, in the end, did make him a stronger person both physically and mentally. He was able to accept who he was and reconnect with his only lover, and friend, Kevin, who betrayed him to keep his own identity hidden. During the beginning and end of this film, a man named Juan takes Chiron in and helps him. When he can’t go home, he comes to Juan and his girlfriend. Juan was the father figure he never had; not the best as he was a drug dealer, and Chiron followed in his footsteps; even resembled him growing up. Between the hard childhood, bullying for his sexuality, and jail. Chiron proves he is strong and able to become himself and not be a figure of what society perceives him to be.

The scene in the movie that I focused on was extremely dramatic and heartfelt. It takes place at a kitchen table, and it is Juan and Chiron sitting at the table. This is moving and displays a lot of emotion as it is the scene where Chiron is finding out his sexual feelings. He was being bullied and called a “faggot” He asks Juan if he is one, Juan replies “no,” that while he may be gay, he isn’t that and explains what that means. At such a young age, Chiron also makes the connection between Juan being a drug dealer and his mother’s supplier.

Throughout this scene, there are close-ups of each character’s face. It is bright, and cuts are still and focused on a feeling. Thoughts are captured, while waiting for emotional responses. There are establishing shots as well. During these scenes, the main focus is on each character in their deep conversation, which captures your attention, and you feel as if you are sitting there are that table with them. The scene is clutter free and simple. There is such importance in a conversation with a child this age that I feel it creates a comfortable surrounding. The bright pink unfinished walls stand out but the rest of the background in blurred so the focus is on Juan. The angle of the camera is even as if you are the boy looking up listening to what he has to say. It’s tranquil except for when they both speak in quieter tones. I feel this is one of the most capturing moments of this movie.