Descolonizando masculinidades negras: Um olhar sobre a trajetória de Chiron no filme “Moonlight”

Abstract

The following article aims to analyze some of the narratives present in the movie Moonlight (2016) about the black masculinities represented in it. More specifically, we’ll attempt to understand, through the experiences of the character Chiron, which processes are present in the construction of the gender experience of black men and what place these masculinities occupy within the gender relations established in the post-colonial world. As the movie is divided in three acts, each one introducing us to a different phase of the character's development - childhood, adolescence, and adulthood - the analysis was also divided in three as a way to separate and identify, in each act, which issues and dynamics are central in the construction of the boy's masculinity throughout the movie. Based on studies of authors who discuss black masculinities, gender, sexuality, and culture, we delved into some of the main scenes to discuss about the intersectionality between race, gender, and sexuality; the construction and imposition of gender stereotypes that reinforce racist and toxic portrayals of masculinity; and the importance of combating the colonial logic that continues to objectify and dehumanize black men. Besides giving us room to discuss these themes, Moonlight stands out for being a movie that, in a critical way, demarcates the importance of subverting these colonial narratives that we commonly find in film productions, emphasizing the importance of fighting against the stigmas and oppressive representations that still fall upon the identities of black men.