childhood friend Kevin masturbates him on a beach in front of the sea . Again , the ocean represents freedom , in this case , sexual freedom . Chiron can only allow himself to embrace his homosexuality when he is near the water . However , this freedom is still somewhat repressed . The action takes place at night , and so under cover of darkness suggesting that to express their true selves , Kevin and Chiron must do it in secret . It means they are not yet fully able to accept themselves and their sexuality . This is shown in the shot where Kevin masturbates Chiron ; the camera is placed behind them , so we only see their backs with Chiron having placed his head on Kevin ' s shoulder . This mirrors Chiron ’ s framing throughout the film . There are multiple tracking shots where the spectator is placed behind Chiron - we are not allowed to read his expressions or fully understand him , similarly to how he cannot understand himself .
As a teenager , Chiron is bullied at school , primarily because his peers had assumed that he was gay . Kevin is eventually peer pressured into hitting Chiron , and Chiron was beaten until he can no longer stand . Chiron subsequently hits the bully ( Terrel ), who orchestrated the attack with a chair resulting in Chiron being sent to a Juvenile Hall . This sequence signifies Chiron ’ s transformation from a teenager into the third chaptertitled ' Black '.
Similarly to how African Americans separate themselves from the water in modern-day western society due to a fear of the unknown , in the film ' s final chapter , Chiron moves to Atlanta , a city situated inland , meaning he moves away from the water . As ' Black ' Chiron creates a toughened ‘ gangster ’ exterior as he makes himself physically big and strong and becomes a drug dealer . Through doing this , he assigns himself to a stereotype of Black men in America as he cannot comprehend the coexistence of his racial identity and his sexual orientation . In America , there is a feeling in Black communities that being gay is ‘ something that white people do ’ ( Carbado , 2001p . 250 ). The idea that being gay is associated with whiteness mirrors how swimming was ( and still is ) perceived to be a white activity . This rule dictated by society means Chiron is only permitted to embrace one of the two key elements of his character . By moving away from the ocean , he rejects his sexuality . Chiron suppresses the truth about his sexuality to fit into the standards of a society that continuously rejects him , and his connection to the ocean and water begins to fade away . In an interview , Jenkins said , ' growing up in Miami , the ocean has this charge , this energy , something you can feel . Sometimes you can smell it despite the fact it might be two miles away ’ ( Entertainment Weekly , 2017 ). Chiron can connect to his true self when near the water since the ocean is a central aspect of life in Miami . When Chiron lives near the sea , he seems to partially accept his sexuality despite external factors belittling him for it . At the beginning of the chapter , Chiron has just been released from prison and receives a call from Kevin to visit him in Miami . He does so , and they reconnect , with Kevin inviting Chiron back to his apartment .
In the film ’ s penultimate shot , Chiron places his head on Kevin ' s shoulder - mirroring their position when Kevin masturbated Chiron on the beach . This time , however , the spectator is permitted to see the men ’ s facial expressions as the camera is placed infront of them . Although there is no water visibly present , the non-diegetic sound of waves can be heard . It is the first time we see adult Chiron as vulnerable , allowing the toughened exterior he manufactured for himself to fall away . Jenkins alignment of this shot with the sound of waves shows that Chiron is finally at peace with his sexuality by returning to Miami .
The film ’ s closing shot is of Little looking out to sea , highlighting Chiron ’ s lifelong connection to the water and ultimately unites the Black people ’ s bodies and water ’ s image indefinitely . Before the camera cuts to black , Little turns and looks up out of frame . Although we as spectators are not privy to what he is looking at , Jenkins suggests optimism about his future that was not there before Chiron returned to Miami . The lighting is essential in this shot as it appears to have a blue tint to it , making Little ’ s skin glow blue . The film is adapted from Tarell Alvin McCrane ' s unpublished play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue . The play ' s title links Black people ’ s bodies with water since a
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