ABSTRACT
Moonlight speaks to a history of African American cinema, particularly in relation to the theme of masculinity as it is explored in the film. It is important to consider the history of stereotypes of African American men in Hollywood film in the twentieth century in order to examine the ways in which Moonlight engages with and disrupts these cinematic inheritances. The chapter also situates Moonlight in relation the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s and the New Black Realist films of the 1990s, considering how Moonlight’s depiction of Black adolescence converges with and diverges from these traditions that also depict the coming-of-age journeys of young Black men. I will focus on three principal characters in the film: Chiron’s mentor and father-figure Juan, Chiron’s friend and love interest Kevin, and of course, Chiron himself, whose transition from boy to man the film charts. While the film is primarily an exploration of Black masculinity, it is also important to analyze the depiction of women in the film, notably Paula and Teresa and critical interpretations of their roles.
