Directed by Barry JenkinsReleased 2016Genre of DramaThemes of sexuality, drugs, crime, family

Mise-en-scene: As I've recently learned, it's considerably more difficult to shoot people with dark-skin than it is with light skin which is why I must give props to the director for not once poorly shooting one of the all black cast. Barry Jenkins even managed to do this while tampering with light to create meaning. For example, the following shots:

Both shots are very similar. The positioning and angle is nearly identical. However, there are two key differences that separate these shots. In between the first and second shot, Chiron’s soon-to-be

father figure tore down a boarded-up window to find Chiron there, thus basking Chiron in light. This is a key difference because it shows hope. Chiron was on the floor crying in the dark before he was found by Juan. The second difference; which is a much subtler, but in my opinion just as effective use of lighting, is the very dark hallway that is present in the second shot but not the first. The reason this is so important is because it represents a choice. Chiron (or as he’s known in this portion of the movie, Little) can choose to go with Juan, towards the light, or he can turn his back on him and return to the dark isolation of his new hiding place. He even takes a few steps towards the hallway in recoil when Juan first enters, showing his reluctance to trust this stranger, nearly choosing the less favourable option of loneliness.

Sound: I don’t think this was used as effectively as the mise-en-scene but that isn’t to say it didn’t have its share of techniques. For example, there were multiple instances where we saw Chiron being bombarded with sound, but strangely, the audience heard nothing. In one shot, his mother is raining down on him with a very visibly loud lecture, but all we can hear is a high pitched, subtle ringing. This gives us some insight into Chiron as it shows he’s blocking out the noise; lost in thought. This is a very good way to connote that he is overwhelmed and would prefer to drown out all this hate he’s receiving by simply reserving himself in his own mind. This isn’t the only instance where subtlety in sound is used. We also see something similar in the scene where Kevin and Chiron are on the beach having some intimate relations. The camera is too close for us to really tell what’s happening but due to the sounds of the actor’s we can easily assume for ourselves.