1 00:00:21,244 --> 00:00:24,604 Speaker 1: Film Spotting is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all you 2 00:00:24,645 --> 00:00:27,565 Speaker 1: can watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in 3 00:00:27,685 --> 00:00:31,365 Speaker 1: just two visits. See any standard two D movie anytime 4 00:00:31,725 --> 00:00:34,725 Speaker 1: with no blackout dates or restrictions. Sign up now on 5 00:00:34,765 --> 00:00:36,964 Speaker 1: the Regal app or at the link in our description 6 00:00:37,165 --> 00:00:41,004 Speaker 1: and use code film spot twenty six to receive fifteen 7 00:00:41,045 --> 00:00:44,845 Speaker 1: percent off time for another archive drop. Josh and we 8 00:00:44,885 --> 00:00:49,724 Speaker 1: are continuing our best Picture winners theme building up to 9 00:00:49,885 --> 00:00:53,844 Speaker 1: the Oscars. We've got a look back at Barry Jenkins 10 00:00:53,965 --> 00:00:58,005 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen. Yes it won not La La Land. Moonlight 11 00:00:58,365 --> 00:01:02,645 Speaker 1: one best picture that year, surprise at the moment, and 12 00:01:03,685 --> 00:01:09,045 Speaker 1: seems like the better and better choice every year that 13 00:01:09,125 --> 00:01:11,884 Speaker 1: has gone by, which isn't always the case necessarily for 14 00:01:12,605 --> 00:01:15,524 Speaker 1: Best Picture winners. I think people and sometimes us we 15 00:01:15,685 --> 00:01:18,325 Speaker 1: like to joke about them, but in this case, I 16 00:01:18,325 --> 00:01:20,244 Speaker 1: think they probably got it right. And that's no shade 17 00:01:20,285 --> 00:01:22,125 Speaker 1: on Lalla Land, which I still love and think is 18 00:01:22,164 --> 00:01:25,924 Speaker 1: an incredible film. But yeah, for me at least, there's 19 00:01:26,444 --> 00:01:31,165 Speaker 1: increasing resonance with Moonlight, even beyond what we found in 20 00:01:31,205 --> 00:01:32,164 Speaker 1: our original review. 21 00:01:32,405 --> 00:01:34,684 Speaker 2: Well, let's see what we had to say in our 22 00:01:34,725 --> 00:01:38,124 Speaker 2: original review, and also we'll get to hear what Barry 23 00:01:38,205 --> 00:01:41,765 Speaker 2: Jenkins himself, along with his star Naomi Harris, had to 24 00:01:41,765 --> 00:01:44,804 Speaker 2: say about the film. I had the opportunity to talk 25 00:01:44,845 --> 00:01:47,525 Speaker 2: to them back when the film was released in October 26 00:01:47,565 --> 00:01:51,005 Speaker 2: twenty sixteen, So you're going to get that conversation followed 27 00:01:51,005 --> 00:01:52,245 Speaker 2: by our review. 28 00:01:53,805 --> 00:01:54,485 Speaker 3: What happened? 29 00:01:56,525 --> 00:01:57,525 Speaker 4: What happens? Chiron? 30 00:01:58,085 --> 00:01:59,765 Speaker 5: Why you didn't come home like you're supposed to? 31 00:02:00,485 --> 00:02:02,725 Speaker 4: Huh? 32 00:02:02,765 --> 00:02:03,404 Speaker 2: And who is you? 33 00:02:04,285 --> 00:02:10,005 Speaker 3: Nobody? I found him yesterday, found him in a hold 34 00:02:10,085 --> 00:02:12,885 Speaker 3: on fifteen, Yeah, that one. 35 00:02:14,125 --> 00:02:17,045 Speaker 4: Some boys chased him in a cut scared more than anything. 36 00:02:17,885 --> 00:02:19,685 Speaker 4: Wouldn't tell me where he lived on this morning. 37 00:02:21,205 --> 00:02:24,965 Speaker 5: Wow. Thanks for seeing to them. You usually can take 38 00:02:25,005 --> 00:02:25,805 Speaker 5: care of itself. 39 00:02:27,285 --> 00:02:31,285 Speaker 4: Be good that way, Barry. I'll start with you. 40 00:02:31,365 --> 00:02:34,644 Speaker 2: Medicine from Melancholy was a movie that certainly earned some acclaim. 41 00:02:34,685 --> 00:02:38,165 Speaker 2: I remember it got generally very favorable reviews. But the 42 00:02:38,204 --> 00:02:40,364 Speaker 2: response to this movie Moonlight seems to be its own 43 00:02:40,484 --> 00:02:42,525 Speaker 2: kind of whirlwind. Do you have a sense of what 44 00:02:42,565 --> 00:02:46,165 Speaker 2: it is that audiences are connecting with so strongly and 45 00:02:46,484 --> 00:02:48,285 Speaker 2: is it the same thing as what drew you to 46 00:02:48,365 --> 00:02:48,924 Speaker 2: the material? 47 00:02:49,325 --> 00:02:52,285 Speaker 3: Yeah? You know, I think it's really the movie's very personal, 48 00:02:52,484 --> 00:02:54,685 Speaker 3: you know, and I think people just sort of they 49 00:02:54,725 --> 00:02:58,365 Speaker 3: identify with, you know how specifically we sort of engage 50 00:02:58,405 --> 00:03:01,084 Speaker 3: Hyonn's struggle, you know, and it's not this thing where 51 00:03:01,445 --> 00:03:03,965 Speaker 3: what Chiron goes through is relatable to everyone. I think 52 00:03:04,005 --> 00:03:07,205 Speaker 3: people see just how deep we dove into that one character, 53 00:03:07,484 --> 00:03:10,244 Speaker 3: and they go, oh, I wish someone could add the 54 00:03:10,365 --> 00:03:13,445 Speaker 3: deeply into me. You know, they see themselves in the character. 55 00:03:13,445 --> 00:03:15,965 Speaker 3: They don't see everyone in the character. And I think 56 00:03:15,965 --> 00:03:18,484 Speaker 3: in that one to one exchange, the movie is just spreading, 57 00:03:18,565 --> 00:03:18,925 Speaker 3: you know. 58 00:03:19,325 --> 00:03:20,885 Speaker 4: And you don't have to get too personal, but what 59 00:03:21,125 --> 00:03:21,685 Speaker 4: you see in the. 60 00:03:21,685 --> 00:03:25,005 Speaker 3: Character, well, you know, for Chirone, you know, and Naomi 61 00:03:25,085 --> 00:03:27,005 Speaker 3: sitting next to me, And to be brutally honest, you know, 62 00:03:27,044 --> 00:03:29,365 Speaker 3: when I first read Suel's Peace, which was written here 63 00:03:29,405 --> 00:03:31,765 Speaker 3: in Chicago actually when he was an undergrader to Paul 64 00:03:32,245 --> 00:03:35,525 Speaker 3: Naomi plays his character Paula, who is a composite of 65 00:03:35,565 --> 00:03:38,005 Speaker 3: my mom and t Where's Mom? And so I could 66 00:03:38,045 --> 00:03:40,525 Speaker 3: just relate to Chirone as a kid who was watching 67 00:03:40,525 --> 00:03:42,845 Speaker 3: this person who he loves, you know, go through this 68 00:03:42,965 --> 00:03:44,245 Speaker 3: is just terrible ordeal. 69 00:03:44,925 --> 00:03:47,645 Speaker 2: And now we speaking of your character Paula. As viewers, 70 00:03:47,685 --> 00:03:50,445 Speaker 2: we make certain assumptions and judgments about her. I think 71 00:03:50,485 --> 00:03:53,404 Speaker 2: before we even meet her, her son is so determined 72 00:03:53,445 --> 00:03:55,205 Speaker 2: not to go home and to hang out with these 73 00:03:55,445 --> 00:03:58,805 Speaker 2: total strangers, we wonder how horrible his home life must be. 74 00:03:59,165 --> 00:04:01,285 Speaker 2: When we do meet her, we recognize she may not 75 00:04:01,365 --> 00:04:03,684 Speaker 2: be perfect, but she is caring and she is protective, 76 00:04:03,765 --> 00:04:06,165 Speaker 2: like we expect a mother to be. There's a decline 77 00:04:06,205 --> 00:04:08,605 Speaker 2: from there. But how did you go about not judging 78 00:04:08,645 --> 00:04:10,365 Speaker 2: this incredibly flawed character. 79 00:04:11,205 --> 00:04:13,525 Speaker 5: I didn't, I think initially. I think that was my 80 00:04:13,725 --> 00:04:16,605 Speaker 5: biggest discovery. Actually when I started, when I took on 81 00:04:16,685 --> 00:04:19,525 Speaker 5: the role, I thought initially that I didn't want to 82 00:04:20,325 --> 00:04:22,725 Speaker 5: play paul Or. I had some resistance to playing her 83 00:04:22,805 --> 00:04:27,405 Speaker 5: because I wanted to portray positive images of women and 84 00:04:27,605 --> 00:04:30,485 Speaker 5: positive images of black women in particular. But actually, once 85 00:04:30,525 --> 00:04:33,925 Speaker 5: I started researching the character, I really realized I had 86 00:04:33,925 --> 00:04:35,685 Speaker 5: to be honest with myself that a lot of the 87 00:04:35,725 --> 00:04:39,805 Speaker 5: resistance was about my own judgment about addiction. I'm miscontrol freak. 88 00:04:39,885 --> 00:04:42,285 Speaker 5: I'm teetotal and a drink and of smoke and don't 89 00:04:42,284 --> 00:04:46,045 Speaker 5: even drink coffee. So I had a real problem getting 90 00:04:46,085 --> 00:04:49,685 Speaker 5: wrapping my head around what drives someone to have an 91 00:04:49,685 --> 00:04:52,765 Speaker 5: addiction to something like crack cocaine. And it was a 92 00:04:52,805 --> 00:04:55,685 Speaker 5: wonderful journey where I had to learn deep compassion well, 93 00:04:55,725 --> 00:04:59,844 Speaker 5: first of all, understanding and then deep empathy for Paula's choices. 94 00:05:00,005 --> 00:05:02,485 Speaker 2: Yeah, and without spoiling too much of the movie and 95 00:05:02,525 --> 00:05:05,164 Speaker 2: the journey Paula goes on, did you come to see 96 00:05:05,485 --> 00:05:07,125 Speaker 2: her journey as a positive one? 97 00:05:07,485 --> 00:05:12,284 Speaker 5: Absolutely? I think it's a shining example of how you 98 00:05:12,325 --> 00:05:14,565 Speaker 5: know you can only give to others what you have 99 00:05:14,685 --> 00:05:18,725 Speaker 5: received yourself. You know, if your love tank is empty 100 00:05:18,805 --> 00:05:21,205 Speaker 5: because you didn't receive what you needed as a child, wild, 101 00:05:21,525 --> 00:05:24,445 Speaker 5: it's very difficult to give that to another human being. 102 00:05:24,844 --> 00:05:28,045 Speaker 5: And also another human being is who that's your child 103 00:05:28,165 --> 00:05:30,484 Speaker 5: because often your child is you know, your child is 104 00:05:30,485 --> 00:05:33,405 Speaker 5: an extension of yourself. So I think your self loathing 105 00:05:33,765 --> 00:05:36,125 Speaker 5: and Paula has a lot of that is taken out 106 00:05:36,125 --> 00:05:38,044 Speaker 5: on your child because when you look at them, you 107 00:05:38,085 --> 00:05:41,005 Speaker 5: see yourself. So until you heal that relationship with yourself, 108 00:05:41,005 --> 00:05:43,205 Speaker 5: I think it's very difficult to have another. 109 00:05:43,045 --> 00:05:44,885 Speaker 2: Human I think that really comes through in particular in 110 00:05:44,964 --> 00:05:47,645 Speaker 2: one scene kind of at her worst moment, where she 111 00:05:47,765 --> 00:05:50,364 Speaker 2: says almost in a hunting way but also in a 112 00:05:50,445 --> 00:05:53,805 Speaker 2: loving way, that you're my only and I'm yours. There 113 00:05:53,844 --> 00:05:56,805 Speaker 2: is that reflection back in those characters. So what's more 114 00:05:56,885 --> 00:06:00,325 Speaker 2: challenging than shooting a Bond film in this den bowl 115 00:06:00,365 --> 00:06:03,205 Speaker 2: with all these action scenes, or playing someone so opposite 116 00:06:03,205 --> 00:06:04,005 Speaker 2: who you really are? 117 00:06:06,245 --> 00:06:11,445 Speaker 5: I would say, actually, yeah, yes, because of all the stunts. 118 00:06:11,725 --> 00:06:16,325 Speaker 5: Yeah it's that's no. They're just completely different challenges, aren't they. 119 00:06:16,404 --> 00:06:19,365 Speaker 5: They're sure and yeah, it's challenging in a completely different way. 120 00:06:19,404 --> 00:06:20,685 Speaker 2: Well, so I guess the more serious version of that 121 00:06:20,765 --> 00:06:22,685 Speaker 2: question is why is it important to you as an 122 00:06:22,685 --> 00:06:26,725 Speaker 2: actress to take both kinds of roles, these big action spectacles, 123 00:06:26,725 --> 00:06:28,685 Speaker 2: but do these smaller, more intimate movies as. 124 00:06:28,565 --> 00:06:33,725 Speaker 5: Well, Because I think because I'm ultimately interested both as 125 00:06:33,725 --> 00:06:37,364 Speaker 5: a performer and as an individual in growth and learning. 126 00:06:38,365 --> 00:06:41,645 Speaker 5: I think that in life we often play one character, 127 00:06:42,205 --> 00:06:46,125 Speaker 5: and actually we are made up of multiple characters that 128 00:06:46,485 --> 00:06:49,165 Speaker 5: usually most people don't get to discover. And I think 129 00:06:49,205 --> 00:06:52,165 Speaker 5: the joy in acting is discovering all those different parts 130 00:06:52,245 --> 00:06:55,765 Speaker 5: of yourself. And that's what acting allows you to do. 131 00:06:55,925 --> 00:06:58,164 Speaker 5: And if I play varied roles and I get to 132 00:06:58,205 --> 00:07:01,005 Speaker 5: exercise those parts of myself I never knew existed. 133 00:07:01,605 --> 00:07:04,085 Speaker 2: Barry, I wanted to ask you about the influences, because 134 00:07:04,085 --> 00:07:05,525 Speaker 2: I know you've gotten this question a lot. At the 135 00:07:05,605 --> 00:07:09,044 Speaker 2: Chicago Film Fest Q and A after the movie, you 136 00:07:09,325 --> 00:07:11,605 Speaker 2: throughout the three movies that you said had the biggest 137 00:07:11,605 --> 00:07:14,165 Speaker 2: influence on the style of this film, both Travia, three 138 00:07:14,205 --> 00:07:16,805 Speaker 2: Times Happy Together, and I think you can definitely see 139 00:07:16,805 --> 00:07:18,925 Speaker 2: those influences in the film and the way that it's 140 00:07:19,005 --> 00:07:22,725 Speaker 2: quite lyrical. It's certainly not focused on gritty realism necessarily. 141 00:07:23,125 --> 00:07:25,085 Speaker 2: And the moments that, as I reflect back on it 142 00:07:25,125 --> 00:07:27,325 Speaker 2: to stand out to me in the movie are actually 143 00:07:27,725 --> 00:07:29,965 Speaker 2: just those There. There are moments, There are the moments 144 00:07:30,005 --> 00:07:32,965 Speaker 2: that you kind of draw out or heighten or return to. 145 00:07:33,085 --> 00:07:35,285 Speaker 2: There are kind of moments that these tableaux kind of 146 00:07:35,325 --> 00:07:37,565 Speaker 2: moments that almost take you out of time and space. 147 00:07:37,805 --> 00:07:40,525 Speaker 2: And I thought that was appropriate because I think those 148 00:07:41,325 --> 00:07:44,165 Speaker 2: those are the moments we remember from our childhoods. As 149 00:07:44,205 --> 00:07:46,685 Speaker 2: we reflect back, we think of those. We we forget 150 00:07:46,765 --> 00:07:49,765 Speaker 2: a lot, but we remember just certain images and certain sounds. 151 00:07:49,885 --> 00:07:52,365 Speaker 3: Yeah, And as a person who has you know, kind 152 00:07:52,365 --> 00:07:56,165 Speaker 3: of found their voice through creating visual storytelling, you know, 153 00:07:56,245 --> 00:07:59,005 Speaker 3: through through images, you know, it was something to roll 154 00:07:59,005 --> 00:08:01,125 Speaker 3: on to always discussed this project as sort of being 155 00:08:01,205 --> 00:08:03,365 Speaker 3: like a like a fever dream. You know, I said 156 00:08:03,365 --> 00:08:05,685 Speaker 3: to him, you've taken memories of my memories and and 157 00:08:05,965 --> 00:08:08,765 Speaker 3: and sort of like presented them as his fever dream. 158 00:08:09,325 --> 00:08:11,165 Speaker 3: And I feel like in the film, you know, I 159 00:08:11,205 --> 00:08:14,245 Speaker 3: wanted the audience to experience, you know, what Shyrona is experiencing. 160 00:08:14,525 --> 00:08:16,925 Speaker 3: And he is almost like he's a participant in his 161 00:08:16,965 --> 00:08:19,645 Speaker 3: own life. But at some point this consciousness sort of 162 00:08:19,685 --> 00:08:21,405 Speaker 3: like you know, it sort of gets away from him, 163 00:08:21,445 --> 00:08:24,605 Speaker 3: you know, and it takes on this heightened quality, you know, 164 00:08:24,605 --> 00:08:26,845 Speaker 3: And I wanted to find a way to translate that, 165 00:08:26,885 --> 00:08:28,725 Speaker 3: you know, in a way that the audience can experience 166 00:08:28,805 --> 00:08:30,765 Speaker 3: what the character is experiencing. 167 00:08:30,925 --> 00:08:33,525 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that notion of it being a fever dream, 168 00:08:33,645 --> 00:08:36,285 Speaker 2: it reminds me of what Terrell said about having written 169 00:08:36,325 --> 00:08:38,765 Speaker 2: this this script or written this play and then realized 170 00:08:38,765 --> 00:08:41,405 Speaker 2: that he couldn't really stage it. You obviously saw something 171 00:08:41,485 --> 00:08:43,725 Speaker 2: cinematic in the material, was say. 172 00:08:43,685 --> 00:08:44,205 Speaker 4: Yeah right away. 173 00:08:44,245 --> 00:08:46,885 Speaker 3: You know. It was partly because you know, as a filmmaker, 174 00:08:46,885 --> 00:08:49,444 Speaker 3: I've never made anything that was like personal in this way, 175 00:08:49,485 --> 00:08:51,325 Speaker 3: but which I mean that was like at the foundation 176 00:08:51,405 --> 00:08:53,325 Speaker 3: of how I grew up, where I grew up, when 177 00:08:53,325 --> 00:08:56,364 Speaker 3: I grew up and Terrell's Peace gave me the opportunity 178 00:08:56,365 --> 00:08:58,645 Speaker 3: to do that, and because of that, it's like a 179 00:08:58,645 --> 00:09:01,444 Speaker 3: one to one sort of like translation. It's like, Oh, 180 00:09:01,525 --> 00:09:03,325 Speaker 3: I know exactly what that looks like and what that 181 00:09:03,365 --> 00:09:05,445 Speaker 3: feels like. I don't need to travel, you know, two 182 00:09:05,485 --> 00:09:08,325 Speaker 3: thousand miles to Miami to know what that corner feels like. 183 00:09:08,485 --> 00:09:10,605 Speaker 3: I've been there, you know, and in a beautiful way, 184 00:09:10,645 --> 00:09:13,285 Speaker 3: and then took this filmmaking voice I've developed, which is 185 00:09:13,365 --> 00:09:16,805 Speaker 3: absent from my home environment where I grew up, and now. 186 00:09:16,684 --> 00:09:17,525 Speaker 4: I can I think. 187 00:09:17,564 --> 00:09:20,885 Speaker 3: I think film has given me a chance to speak about, 188 00:09:21,085 --> 00:09:23,165 Speaker 3: you know, the way I grew up in a voice 189 00:09:23,205 --> 00:09:25,405 Speaker 3: that I didn't think myself capable of, you know, And 190 00:09:25,845 --> 00:09:28,965 Speaker 3: then the converse happened, where now my filmmaking voice has 191 00:09:29,005 --> 00:09:31,685 Speaker 3: been elevated because I know this world so viscerally. 192 00:09:31,965 --> 00:09:34,564 Speaker 2: The films that you mentioned as influences are those films 193 00:09:34,605 --> 00:09:37,885 Speaker 2: that you came to through film school and kind of 194 00:09:37,925 --> 00:09:39,565 Speaker 2: later as you got into cinema, or were they some 195 00:09:39,564 --> 00:09:41,805 Speaker 2: of the films that really turned you on to cinema 196 00:09:41,845 --> 00:09:42,525 Speaker 2: in the first place. 197 00:09:42,605 --> 00:09:44,365 Speaker 3: You know, The two things happened at once. Yeah, I 198 00:09:44,365 --> 00:09:47,005 Speaker 3: didn't I wasn't in love with cinema at all. Growing up, 199 00:09:47,045 --> 00:09:49,204 Speaker 3: I didn't really care that much about movies. I kind 200 00:09:49,205 --> 00:09:51,565 Speaker 3: of stumbled into it after I was already at Florida 201 00:09:51,564 --> 00:09:55,045 Speaker 3: State doing my undergrad and creative writing, and I'm a 202 00:09:55,045 --> 00:09:57,925 Speaker 3: big football fan, and there just happened to be a 203 00:09:57,965 --> 00:10:00,125 Speaker 3: film school in the football stadium. That's where the film 204 00:10:00,125 --> 00:10:02,285 Speaker 3: school was at Florida State. Yeah, so I was going 205 00:10:02,325 --> 00:10:05,045 Speaker 3: to a football game because they rebuilt the stadium, and 206 00:10:05,085 --> 00:10:06,765 Speaker 3: I think out of guilt, they had to put something 207 00:10:06,765 --> 00:10:09,445 Speaker 3: there that wasn't football related, and that was the film school. 208 00:10:09,645 --> 00:10:10,845 Speaker 3: So I thought, oh, I kind of like movies. 209 00:10:10,885 --> 00:10:11,605 Speaker 4: I'll check this out. 210 00:10:12,245 --> 00:10:14,805 Speaker 3: And I saw right away that everybody was the movies 211 00:10:14,845 --> 00:10:17,405 Speaker 3: they were watching were sort of informing their aesthetic, and 212 00:10:17,445 --> 00:10:19,844 Speaker 3: I thought, I want my aesthetic to be unique, and 213 00:10:19,885 --> 00:10:22,605 Speaker 3: so I'm gonna watch nothing but Horn films. And some 214 00:10:22,645 --> 00:10:25,245 Speaker 3: of those films are the movies I watched as I 215 00:10:25,285 --> 00:10:28,045 Speaker 3: was first falling in love with filmmaking. And I think 216 00:10:28,165 --> 00:10:30,605 Speaker 3: it's not a surprise that my voice has been heavily 217 00:10:30,645 --> 00:10:33,285 Speaker 3: influenced by those things. And I think the work of 218 00:10:33,285 --> 00:10:35,565 Speaker 3: the last fifteen years as a filmmaker has been Okay, Now, 219 00:10:35,804 --> 00:10:37,645 Speaker 3: this is where the influence stops, and this is where 220 00:10:37,645 --> 00:10:41,245 Speaker 3: Barry Jenkins begins. And this project gave me just the 221 00:10:41,285 --> 00:10:42,805 Speaker 3: greatest palette to express that. 222 00:10:43,725 --> 00:10:46,485 Speaker 2: NI. At that same Chicago film fest, Q and A. A. 223 00:10:46,525 --> 00:10:48,564 Speaker 2: Trell mentioned one of the central questions in the movie 224 00:10:48,645 --> 00:10:51,365 Speaker 2: being am I a man? What kind of man? 225 00:10:51,445 --> 00:10:51,765 Speaker 4: Am I? 226 00:10:51,885 --> 00:10:55,725 Speaker 2: What defines me? Is it my sexuality? How tough I am, 227 00:10:55,845 --> 00:10:58,805 Speaker 2: how I look? But I recognize I think that that 228 00:10:58,965 --> 00:11:01,725 Speaker 2: identity struggle doesn't just apply to the boys. 229 00:11:01,765 --> 00:11:01,925 Speaker 4: Here. 230 00:11:01,925 --> 00:11:06,005 Speaker 2: There's a certain expectation placed on women like Paula as 231 00:11:06,205 --> 00:11:08,765 Speaker 2: women to be a certain type of mother, and there's 232 00:11:08,765 --> 00:11:11,125 Speaker 2: a lot of baggage associated with that that I don't 233 00:11:11,165 --> 00:11:12,965 Speaker 2: know that most of us think about every day, but 234 00:11:13,045 --> 00:11:13,765 Speaker 2: probably should. 235 00:11:14,285 --> 00:11:18,125 Speaker 5: Yeah. I think you know, that's a really interesting question. 236 00:11:18,165 --> 00:11:22,445 Speaker 1: We haven't actually, we have never gotten that question. 237 00:11:22,525 --> 00:11:23,204 Speaker 4: I apologize. 238 00:11:23,205 --> 00:11:26,845 Speaker 5: I minded spinning like that's a good question. 239 00:11:27,085 --> 00:11:32,204 Speaker 3: What do you think? I think the question is getting 240 00:11:32,205 --> 00:11:34,804 Speaker 3: at something that that's really interesting, which is all these 241 00:11:34,885 --> 00:11:37,885 Speaker 3: characters have a full, full life. It's like the Iceberg 242 00:11:37,965 --> 00:11:41,324 Speaker 3: theory from Himingway. Uh. Because of the pace we tell 243 00:11:41,325 --> 00:11:44,285 Speaker 3: the story yet Chyne's Iceberg, we do reveal all these 244 00:11:44,285 --> 00:11:46,245 Speaker 3: things beneath the surface. It's a part of the character. 245 00:11:46,325 --> 00:11:48,765 Speaker 3: He's pushing everything down and we're like, Okay, we're going 246 00:11:48,804 --> 00:11:50,645 Speaker 3: to take you down there, and we want to see 247 00:11:50,645 --> 00:11:52,605 Speaker 3: the rest of the iceberg. I think with a character 248 00:11:52,645 --> 00:11:54,885 Speaker 3: like Paula, you know, we're not privy to those things, 249 00:11:55,165 --> 00:11:57,285 Speaker 3: but I feel like it's in the performance. And I 250 00:11:57,285 --> 00:11:59,405 Speaker 3: think when we meet her on that very first scene, 251 00:11:59,445 --> 00:12:02,645 Speaker 3: on that porch, you can see all these pressures, all 252 00:12:02,684 --> 00:12:05,365 Speaker 3: these things, you know that that that she has to 253 00:12:05,445 --> 00:12:09,565 Speaker 3: be both for herself and for chirone, and it's a 254 00:12:09,605 --> 00:12:11,765 Speaker 3: lot to deal with, and I think it's part of 255 00:12:11,804 --> 00:12:16,324 Speaker 3: the reason why, you know, the sort of addiction overcomes her, 256 00:12:16,445 --> 00:12:18,205 Speaker 3: you know, I think there's just so much weight. 257 00:12:18,525 --> 00:12:20,765 Speaker 5: Yeah, And I think that weight is there because actually 258 00:12:21,005 --> 00:12:24,965 Speaker 5: that's a good point about mothering, because it takes a 259 00:12:25,005 --> 00:12:29,084 Speaker 5: community to raise a child, and ultimately, what Paula is 260 00:12:29,125 --> 00:12:30,965 Speaker 5: trying to do is do it on her own because 261 00:12:31,485 --> 00:12:35,445 Speaker 5: she's surrounded by so many negative influences, and on top 262 00:12:35,485 --> 00:12:37,885 Speaker 5: of that, she doesn't have the personal resources to be 263 00:12:37,965 --> 00:12:40,525 Speaker 5: able to do that. She hasn't had the good parenting 264 00:12:40,605 --> 00:12:42,804 Speaker 5: model that she needed to be able to parent her 265 00:12:42,845 --> 00:12:44,325 Speaker 5: son on top of all of that. 266 00:12:44,525 --> 00:12:46,005 Speaker 3: So I think it's very and I just love that 267 00:12:46,045 --> 00:12:48,165 Speaker 3: we're in a world where and she has a boy, 268 00:12:48,405 --> 00:12:50,765 Speaker 3: you know, who is not going to be embraced by 269 00:12:50,804 --> 00:12:54,205 Speaker 3: everyone in the community for certain stigmas. 270 00:12:53,885 --> 00:12:56,564 Speaker 2: And that moment that you have really one of the 271 00:12:56,564 --> 00:12:59,565 Speaker 2: most powerful scenes in the film, where you have a 272 00:12:59,605 --> 00:13:02,285 Speaker 2: confrontation with jan That's kind of the undercurrent of that 273 00:13:02,885 --> 00:13:05,084 Speaker 2: whole scene is that it's very easy for him to 274 00:13:05,165 --> 00:13:07,565 Speaker 2: judge and suggests that you should be a certain type 275 00:13:07,564 --> 00:13:09,605 Speaker 2: of mother, but he doesn't actually have the responsibility. 276 00:13:09,765 --> 00:13:11,925 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's partly that, and I think it's 277 00:13:11,965 --> 00:13:15,285 Speaker 5: also partly because that's an example for me of how 278 00:13:15,365 --> 00:13:18,165 Speaker 5: Paula has been let down by men so often in 279 00:13:18,205 --> 00:13:22,205 Speaker 5: her life in the past that she can't accept any 280 00:13:22,245 --> 00:13:24,925 Speaker 5: form of help because she's not used to having any 281 00:13:24,965 --> 00:13:27,525 Speaker 5: and if anybody does offer help, it's always because they've 282 00:13:27,525 --> 00:13:30,245 Speaker 5: got an angle they want to take something ultimately, so 283 00:13:30,285 --> 00:13:33,645 Speaker 5: she's very suspicious to that point. Yeah, she's like, what's 284 00:13:33,725 --> 00:13:35,645 Speaker 5: going to come next? Like, what do you want from 285 00:13:35,684 --> 00:13:36,085 Speaker 5: my son? 286 00:13:36,325 --> 00:13:36,485 Speaker 4: Right? 287 00:13:36,925 --> 00:13:39,045 Speaker 2: I want to ask Barry about the casting and the 288 00:13:39,085 --> 00:13:41,925 Speaker 2: directing of the three actors who play the three incarnations 289 00:13:41,925 --> 00:13:45,525 Speaker 2: of Sharon, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Travante Rhodes. But I 290 00:13:45,564 --> 00:13:48,365 Speaker 2: first want to ask you, I think you're the only 291 00:13:48,525 --> 00:13:52,324 Speaker 2: direct link between those three characters in terms of seeing 292 00:13:52,325 --> 00:13:54,925 Speaker 2: you in all three stories. What was it like for 293 00:13:55,005 --> 00:13:59,804 Speaker 2: you having to maintain some continuity emotionally and psychologically opposite 294 00:13:59,885 --> 00:14:00,965 Speaker 2: those three different actors. 295 00:14:01,845 --> 00:14:04,805 Speaker 5: I mean, I didn't really find that difficult, because you know, 296 00:14:05,885 --> 00:14:08,685 Speaker 5: I had to have done that research beforehand, in known 297 00:14:10,125 --> 00:14:13,125 Speaker 5: Paula's arc and journey and her history and so on, 298 00:14:13,564 --> 00:14:16,045 Speaker 5: and I just brought that to bear in each of 299 00:14:16,085 --> 00:14:18,645 Speaker 5: the chapters. But I think it really did help having 300 00:14:19,565 --> 00:14:22,525 Speaker 5: charone played by a different acts is because my relationship 301 00:14:22,565 --> 00:14:25,445 Speaker 5: with my three sons those in those three stages is 302 00:14:25,485 --> 00:14:30,325 Speaker 5: fundamentally extraordinarily different, because paul is in such a completely 303 00:14:30,365 --> 00:14:33,245 Speaker 5: different emotional state. It's not just that they've changed just 304 00:14:33,245 --> 00:14:36,645 Speaker 5: because she's almost you know, she's changed dramatically in each 305 00:14:36,685 --> 00:14:39,325 Speaker 5: of those chapters. So I think it helped. 306 00:14:40,245 --> 00:14:42,485 Speaker 2: I was shocked to hear you say, Arry at that 307 00:14:42,565 --> 00:14:45,725 Speaker 2: Q and A that you didn't have those actors interact 308 00:14:45,805 --> 00:14:48,485 Speaker 2: with each other, didn't watch footage of each other. It 309 00:14:48,565 --> 00:14:50,765 Speaker 2: really was shocking to me, just because they're they're not 310 00:14:50,805 --> 00:14:54,245 Speaker 2: only similar in appearance, but they're similar in their physicality 311 00:14:54,325 --> 00:14:57,485 Speaker 2: and their demeanors, how they hold their heads when they're silent, 312 00:14:57,565 --> 00:14:59,725 Speaker 2: which is a key part of these performances. I would 313 00:14:59,765 --> 00:15:02,365 Speaker 2: have assumed exactly the opposite, that you were really meticulous 314 00:15:02,365 --> 00:15:04,645 Speaker 2: about having them study each other. 315 00:15:04,765 --> 00:15:06,285 Speaker 4: So how did you pull that off? 316 00:15:06,285 --> 00:15:08,325 Speaker 2: Because I think it's so crucial that at the end, 317 00:15:08,325 --> 00:15:10,445 Speaker 2: when we see the character Black, we have to see 318 00:15:10,765 --> 00:15:13,885 Speaker 2: little and Chirne in him, and we do. 319 00:15:14,165 --> 00:15:19,285 Speaker 3: There's two words bruh, hocus pocus no. No. You know, 320 00:15:19,605 --> 00:15:21,965 Speaker 3: it's almost like Naomi was just saying, you know, so 321 00:15:22,085 --> 00:15:24,485 Speaker 3: much time passes between each chapter that you know, I 322 00:15:24,525 --> 00:15:27,045 Speaker 3: think there's this commentary in the film of how the 323 00:15:27,085 --> 00:15:29,485 Speaker 3: world shapes us, you know, or how we can allow 324 00:15:29,565 --> 00:15:31,925 Speaker 3: the world to shape us, both for good and for bad. 325 00:15:32,525 --> 00:15:34,965 Speaker 3: And so I wanted to show, or to illustrate in 326 00:15:35,045 --> 00:15:37,685 Speaker 3: the physical embodiment of this character that the world has 327 00:15:37,685 --> 00:15:39,845 Speaker 3: made him a different person. So I wanted to cast 328 00:15:40,205 --> 00:15:42,565 Speaker 3: different actors, you know, to play the same person, and 329 00:15:42,645 --> 00:15:44,925 Speaker 3: I didn't want them to physically mimic one another, you know, 330 00:15:44,965 --> 00:15:47,205 Speaker 3: I didn't want them to try to carry the performance 331 00:15:47,245 --> 00:15:50,245 Speaker 3: that came before and to their performance, because again, I 332 00:15:50,245 --> 00:15:53,365 Speaker 3: wanted to show just how different the world can make us, 333 00:15:53,405 --> 00:15:55,165 Speaker 3: how the world can shape us if we allow it, 334 00:15:55,165 --> 00:15:57,565 Speaker 3: and if we don't have this nurturing you know that 335 00:15:57,605 --> 00:16:00,045 Speaker 3: we see in the first story that isn't present in 336 00:16:00,085 --> 00:16:03,485 Speaker 3: the second and the third stories. But and yet at 337 00:16:03,485 --> 00:16:07,405 Speaker 3: the same time, there is a continuity, you know, amongst 338 00:16:07,405 --> 00:16:09,245 Speaker 3: those three young men. And I'm sure when we were 339 00:16:09,245 --> 00:16:11,405 Speaker 3: casting them, we were trying to find this feeling, you know, 340 00:16:11,485 --> 00:16:14,765 Speaker 3: the soulfulness, because I think there's this idea of spiritual 341 00:16:14,765 --> 00:16:17,085 Speaker 3: transference in the film. It's why the swimming scene, you know, 342 00:16:17,245 --> 00:16:19,325 Speaker 3: is the way it is. You know, there's this transference 343 00:16:19,365 --> 00:16:22,685 Speaker 3: between one in little in that scene. And it felt 344 00:16:22,685 --> 00:16:25,005 Speaker 3: like if you could look into Travante Rose's eyes and 345 00:16:25,045 --> 00:16:28,285 Speaker 3: you could still see Ashton Sanders, still see Alex Hibbert, 346 00:16:28,365 --> 00:16:31,125 Speaker 3: that you would feel like this character has changed. Yes, 347 00:16:31,205 --> 00:16:34,085 Speaker 3: he's a different person, but he's still He's still in there, 348 00:16:34,125 --> 00:16:36,125 Speaker 3: you know. And I think it's interesting because you know, 349 00:16:36,125 --> 00:16:38,005 Speaker 3: we're trying to create this journey for Travante and the 350 00:16:38,005 --> 00:16:41,125 Speaker 3: third story where he is the characters crawled so deep 351 00:16:41,165 --> 00:16:44,365 Speaker 3: inside and buried himself so deep inside that the work 352 00:16:44,445 --> 00:16:47,645 Speaker 3: Travante is doing aided by you know, Andre Holland and 353 00:16:47,765 --> 00:16:50,405 Speaker 3: Kevin is to slowly dig his way back out to 354 00:16:50,445 --> 00:16:52,365 Speaker 3: the surface, and I want to do that. I thought 355 00:16:52,365 --> 00:16:54,925 Speaker 3: it was it would be best, you know, to literally 356 00:16:55,045 --> 00:16:57,005 Speaker 3: have the character embodied by a different person. 357 00:16:57,285 --> 00:17:01,445 Speaker 2: Yeah, how confident were you in your decision to did 358 00:17:01,485 --> 00:17:02,685 Speaker 2: not have them mirror each other at all? 359 00:17:02,725 --> 00:17:03,965 Speaker 4: Did you ever have doubts about that? 360 00:17:04,205 --> 00:17:06,205 Speaker 3: Yeah? You know. So, you know, we shot them with 361 00:17:06,325 --> 00:17:08,445 Speaker 3: me mostly in sequence. You know, we did a story one, 362 00:17:08,485 --> 00:17:10,645 Speaker 3: story two, story three. The only overlap was when Naomi 363 00:17:10,685 --> 00:17:12,885 Speaker 3: showed up because she had visa issues. We did all 364 00:17:12,885 --> 00:17:15,805 Speaker 3: her work in three days. But other than that, that 365 00:17:15,885 --> 00:17:18,325 Speaker 3: was the only time those three days when the main 366 00:17:18,405 --> 00:17:20,205 Speaker 3: characters jumped, you know, I had to work with all 367 00:17:20,205 --> 00:17:22,885 Speaker 3: of them. So Travante shows up and does his first 368 00:17:22,925 --> 00:17:26,165 Speaker 3: two days and because of the way the shoot was scheduled, 369 00:17:26,205 --> 00:17:28,165 Speaker 3: his first two days, I mean and Travante. 370 00:17:27,845 --> 00:17:28,925 Speaker 4: Roads this is radio all say. 371 00:17:29,285 --> 00:17:32,005 Speaker 3: He is just just hulking, you know, like you know, 372 00:17:32,205 --> 00:17:35,365 Speaker 3: five to eleven, two hundred twenty pound guy, like two 373 00:17:36,005 --> 00:17:38,925 Speaker 3: percent body fact, just like ripped. And his first two 374 00:17:39,005 --> 00:17:42,205 Speaker 3: days he's walking around in his boxes like working out, 375 00:17:42,325 --> 00:17:45,165 Speaker 3: and he's like, you know, on the phone and count money. 376 00:17:45,205 --> 00:17:47,845 Speaker 3: And it was like it was like really jarring departure 377 00:17:47,885 --> 00:17:50,925 Speaker 3: from this real thin teenager you know that we worked 378 00:17:50,925 --> 00:17:53,405 Speaker 3: with before, which was Ashton Sanders, whose shoulders are always 379 00:17:53,405 --> 00:17:56,085 Speaker 3: trooped and he was always like kind of sad and brooding. 380 00:17:57,005 --> 00:18:00,165 Speaker 3: And I thought, man, did we go too far? Because 381 00:18:00,205 --> 00:18:03,005 Speaker 3: it was so jarring going from working with Ashton to 382 00:18:03,045 --> 00:18:05,485 Speaker 3: working with Travante. And then we did the phone call 383 00:18:05,805 --> 00:18:09,525 Speaker 3: where Travante call or Kevin calls, and Black picks up 384 00:18:09,525 --> 00:18:12,245 Speaker 3: the phone and it's just Travante in the room and 385 00:18:12,245 --> 00:18:15,045 Speaker 3: Andre Holland's voice is actually on the phone, and I 386 00:18:15,045 --> 00:18:18,645 Speaker 3: can see Travante just breaking and just so this huge, 387 00:18:18,685 --> 00:18:22,485 Speaker 3: hulking guy, just so sensitive, vulnerable. And after the first 388 00:18:22,485 --> 00:18:24,485 Speaker 3: take I looked at him, I said, that's why you 389 00:18:24,525 --> 00:18:26,685 Speaker 3: got the part, and I was like, okay, we're on 390 00:18:26,765 --> 00:18:29,165 Speaker 3: the right track certainly, but but for those that day 391 00:18:29,205 --> 00:18:32,805 Speaker 3: and a half, I was like, oh, man, but but 392 00:18:32,805 --> 00:18:34,325 Speaker 3: but but then I said in the audience, and I 393 00:18:34,365 --> 00:18:36,885 Speaker 3: see the audience have the same reaction he comes from screening, 394 00:18:36,965 --> 00:18:40,285 Speaker 3: and sometimes the audience will go yeah, like literally it 395 00:18:40,325 --> 00:18:43,565 Speaker 3: takes the breath because they just the gasp, this is 396 00:18:43,605 --> 00:18:45,605 Speaker 3: what this is what the world is done to this guy, 397 00:18:45,685 --> 00:18:45,845 Speaker 3: you know. 398 00:18:46,045 --> 00:18:48,885 Speaker 2: Yeah, But then when we when we see him at 399 00:18:48,885 --> 00:18:52,525 Speaker 2: the diner sitting across from Kevin, and we see we 400 00:18:52,565 --> 00:18:55,445 Speaker 2: see chirone in him in those moments, then I think 401 00:18:55,445 --> 00:18:55,885 Speaker 2: we gasp. 402 00:18:56,405 --> 00:18:58,445 Speaker 3: Well, And the beauty of this process is, you know, 403 00:18:58,525 --> 00:19:01,005 Speaker 3: I can only write this thing and get the actions 404 00:19:01,005 --> 00:19:03,965 Speaker 3: in place and push the button, and then an intellectual idea, 405 00:19:04,085 --> 00:19:06,445 Speaker 3: you know, a scripted idea, you know, it's given this 406 00:19:06,645 --> 00:19:10,605 Speaker 3: flesh and blood emotion when somebody like Dramonte can actually 407 00:19:10,925 --> 00:19:14,885 Speaker 3: express that vulnerability and sensibility that we don't associate or 408 00:19:14,925 --> 00:19:17,525 Speaker 3: we don't think someone who's that masculine this case, Sure. 409 00:19:17,405 --> 00:19:19,845 Speaker 2: Enough, just two more quick questions and I'll get you 410 00:19:19,885 --> 00:19:22,565 Speaker 2: guys on your way, nail we the mention there of 411 00:19:22,645 --> 00:19:25,285 Speaker 2: doing this whole role in just three days. Is there 412 00:19:25,325 --> 00:19:28,445 Speaker 2: any advantage at all to having to work that quickly? 413 00:19:28,525 --> 00:19:30,325 Speaker 2: There is as an actress, Yeah, there are many? 414 00:19:30,405 --> 00:19:35,285 Speaker 5: Actually, well yeah, because you don't spend hours in your 415 00:19:35,685 --> 00:19:38,845 Speaker 5: trailer agonizing about what you're going to do, plodding it 416 00:19:38,885 --> 00:19:41,045 Speaker 5: out in your head. You know, you just have to 417 00:19:41,085 --> 00:19:45,405 Speaker 5: get on and deliver. And the best place to be 418 00:19:45,565 --> 00:19:47,805 Speaker 5: always is out of your head. But the place you 419 00:19:47,805 --> 00:19:50,285 Speaker 5: always want to go to is your head. Sure, sure, 420 00:19:50,725 --> 00:19:54,005 Speaker 5: but yeah, I think it actually really helped me doing 421 00:19:54,045 --> 00:19:55,285 Speaker 5: it in those three days. 422 00:19:55,885 --> 00:19:59,085 Speaker 2: Very last question for you then, a film school film 423 00:19:59,125 --> 00:20:00,845 Speaker 2: geek question, because we have a lot of them who 424 00:20:00,845 --> 00:20:02,685 Speaker 2: listen to the show, people who are just really getting 425 00:20:02,725 --> 00:20:05,805 Speaker 2: into film or who are aspiring filmmakers. At that Q 426 00:20:05,925 --> 00:20:08,205 Speaker 2: and A, you mentioned Walter Merchant in The Blink of 427 00:20:08,245 --> 00:20:10,485 Speaker 2: an Eye, And that's a book that whenever people write 428 00:20:10,485 --> 00:20:12,085 Speaker 2: into the show and ask me to recommend books, I 429 00:20:12,125 --> 00:20:14,205 Speaker 2: read that in film school. It's one of my top five, 430 00:20:14,245 --> 00:20:16,125 Speaker 2: I always say, but can you just talk about the 431 00:20:16,125 --> 00:20:18,685 Speaker 2: influence of that book on your visual approach with this 432 00:20:18,685 --> 00:20:20,765 Speaker 2: film or any other work that you've done. And what 433 00:20:20,805 --> 00:20:23,005 Speaker 2: a their books do you throw out when you get 434 00:20:23,005 --> 00:20:23,645 Speaker 2: asked that question? 435 00:20:23,765 --> 00:20:25,205 Speaker 3: Yeah. The only other book I throw out is a 436 00:20:25,245 --> 00:20:27,485 Speaker 3: book called Masters of Light, you know, and I would 437 00:20:27,525 --> 00:20:30,205 Speaker 3: say find the original version. It was this book where 438 00:20:30,205 --> 00:20:34,245 Speaker 3: they really thick book, thin paper, thick book. They interviewed 439 00:20:34,245 --> 00:20:38,845 Speaker 3: cinematographers about their process and it's really really dense, but 440 00:20:38,885 --> 00:20:41,165 Speaker 3: it will teach you, if you pay attention, some really 441 00:20:41,205 --> 00:20:44,405 Speaker 3: solid things about the visual approach I mean craft, yeah, 442 00:20:44,405 --> 00:20:47,125 Speaker 3: to the process, how craft can be elevated or sublimated 443 00:20:47,445 --> 00:20:49,805 Speaker 3: into art. So that book is the only the only 444 00:20:49,845 --> 00:20:52,125 Speaker 3: other one I recommend as far as Merch, you know, 445 00:20:52,165 --> 00:20:55,245 Speaker 3: Walter Merch was an editor and sound designer. He worked 446 00:20:55,245 --> 00:20:57,445 Speaker 3: with Coppola on some of his just greatest, some of 447 00:20:57,485 --> 00:20:59,885 Speaker 3: the greatest films in the history of American cinema. And 448 00:20:59,965 --> 00:21:02,125 Speaker 3: he wrote this book as a thesis statement on what 449 00:21:02,245 --> 00:21:04,565 Speaker 3: he thought, you know, was the true essence of craft 450 00:21:04,565 --> 00:21:07,885 Speaker 3: and cinema, which was the eyes of the actors and 451 00:21:07,965 --> 00:21:10,725 Speaker 3: the eyes being the window into the soul. And literally 452 00:21:11,485 --> 00:21:14,045 Speaker 3: he wanted to break down why editorially when you make 453 00:21:14,085 --> 00:21:17,045 Speaker 3: a cut, you know what that does thematically emotionally to 454 00:21:17,085 --> 00:21:20,005 Speaker 3: the audience, because you're breaking the link between you know, 455 00:21:20,085 --> 00:21:22,685 Speaker 3: the actor and the audience. So for me, I use 456 00:21:22,725 --> 00:21:25,805 Speaker 3: it for casting because if I'm close on two actors 457 00:21:26,125 --> 00:21:28,045 Speaker 3: and they're pretty much neck and neck, you know, the 458 00:21:28,045 --> 00:21:30,965 Speaker 3: same ability, whoever blinks the less they're getting the part, 459 00:21:31,365 --> 00:21:33,205 Speaker 3: you know. And it came in to play a little 460 00:21:33,205 --> 00:21:35,005 Speaker 3: bit on the casting of this the old Michael Kaine 461 00:21:35,045 --> 00:21:38,365 Speaker 3: acting school trick as well. Yeah, exactly, and well, because 462 00:21:38,405 --> 00:21:40,725 Speaker 3: you want to have that continuum that continue on, that 463 00:21:40,805 --> 00:21:44,645 Speaker 3: continuous sort of feeling with the audience. And then like 464 00:21:44,685 --> 00:21:46,165 Speaker 3: I said, you know, I knew I wanted to cast 465 00:21:46,165 --> 00:21:49,885 Speaker 3: three different actors to play Chirne in this film, and 466 00:21:49,925 --> 00:21:52,925 Speaker 3: what we found ourselves honing in on was it's got 467 00:21:52,965 --> 00:21:55,085 Speaker 3: to be in the eyes, you know. It was why 468 00:21:55,285 --> 00:21:58,005 Speaker 3: casting someone like Travonte Rhodes. I was okay with it, 469 00:21:58,085 --> 00:22:00,165 Speaker 3: or I was comfortable with it because I thought he 470 00:22:00,325 --> 00:22:03,845 Speaker 3: looks so different than Ashton, you know, just because he's 471 00:22:03,845 --> 00:22:05,965 Speaker 3: so bulked up. But I thought, you know what, I'm 472 00:22:05,965 --> 00:22:09,845 Speaker 3: gonna have faith in this principle now of my filmmaking process, 473 00:22:09,845 --> 00:22:12,285 Speaker 3: which is the eyes of the window into the soul. 474 00:22:12,685 --> 00:22:14,685 Speaker 3: Find the eyes and you'll see the soul, and if 475 00:22:14,685 --> 00:22:17,125 Speaker 3: the soul is the same, the audience will follow the character. 476 00:22:17,805 --> 00:22:19,805 Speaker 2: Thank you both so much for the movie. Thank you 477 00:22:20,005 --> 00:22:21,805 Speaker 2: for your time, best of luck with it. 478 00:22:22,125 --> 00:22:26,685 Speaker 3: Thank you, man, I ain't seeing you in like a decade. 479 00:22:26,885 --> 00:22:28,005 Speaker 4: That's not what I expected. 480 00:22:31,365 --> 00:22:38,565 Speaker 2: What did you respect My thanks again to Barry Jenkins 481 00:22:38,645 --> 00:22:40,725 Speaker 2: and Naomi Harris. I knew they would be a delight 482 00:22:40,805 --> 00:22:42,445 Speaker 2: to talk to you after hearing them talk for a 483 00:22:42,445 --> 00:22:44,805 Speaker 2: little bit at that film fest Q and A the 484 00:22:44,885 --> 00:22:48,885 Speaker 2: night before, But they exceeded my expectations and I was 485 00:22:48,925 --> 00:22:51,245 Speaker 2: the last stop on their way out of town. I 486 00:22:51,325 --> 00:22:53,045 Speaker 2: knew they had been locked up in a hotel room 487 00:22:53,085 --> 00:22:56,125 Speaker 2: all day answering questions from idiots like me, and then 488 00:22:56,125 --> 00:22:57,885 Speaker 2: they were stopping to see me at the studio and 489 00:22:57,965 --> 00:23:01,245 Speaker 2: head out. And usually that can mean sometimes they're a 490 00:23:01,245 --> 00:23:04,285 Speaker 2: little tired and maybe not quite as engaged as even 491 00:23:04,325 --> 00:23:05,805 Speaker 2: they'd like to be, and I'd like them to be. 492 00:23:05,885 --> 00:23:07,365 Speaker 2: That certainly wasn't the case with them. 493 00:23:07,725 --> 00:23:10,925 Speaker 1: I'm really glad that Jenkins brought up cinematography there at 494 00:23:10,925 --> 00:23:13,325 Speaker 1: the end and mentioned the book Masters of Light, where 495 00:23:13,485 --> 00:23:16,365 Speaker 1: Dennis Schaeffer and Larry Salvado they have conversations with some 496 00:23:16,405 --> 00:23:20,405 Speaker 1: of the most noted cinematographers, and Jenkins comment too about 497 00:23:20,445 --> 00:23:24,445 Speaker 1: how the book explains how cinematography can be a craft 498 00:23:24,725 --> 00:23:28,045 Speaker 1: that can be elevated to art, because that is exactly 499 00:23:28,365 --> 00:23:32,725 Speaker 1: what my takeaway was from Moonlight is watching that actually 500 00:23:32,805 --> 00:23:36,365 Speaker 1: happen on the screen. This is just a master work 501 00:23:36,405 --> 00:23:40,005 Speaker 1: in cinematography. And Jenkins was working here with James Laxton 502 00:23:40,165 --> 00:23:44,365 Speaker 1: as his cinematographer, and really it becomes it's not only 503 00:23:44,365 --> 00:23:47,765 Speaker 1: that the movie is beautifully lit, but it's that the 504 00:23:48,085 --> 00:23:52,325 Speaker 1: skin tones, particularly the African American skin tones, are just 505 00:23:52,485 --> 00:23:55,245 Speaker 1: exquisitely lit in this movie and I single that out 506 00:23:55,285 --> 00:23:58,485 Speaker 1: because it's not always the case. Even when you're talking 507 00:23:58,605 --> 00:24:04,485 Speaker 1: about you big Hollywood films with massive budgets, sometimes they 508 00:24:04,485 --> 00:24:07,165 Speaker 1: don't know how to light all of the actors correctly. 509 00:24:07,525 --> 00:24:10,365 Speaker 1: And this connects very much with what I think Moonlight 510 00:24:10,485 --> 00:24:13,805 Speaker 1: is doing on a thematic level as well. There is 511 00:24:14,005 --> 00:24:18,645 Speaker 1: just this aura of compassion that seeps down from the movie. 512 00:24:18,645 --> 00:24:21,285 Speaker 1: And obviously they're getting this a little bit by the 513 00:24:21,325 --> 00:24:23,725 Speaker 1: reference that the title pulls from, you know, the illumination 514 00:24:23,845 --> 00:24:26,725 Speaker 1: of the moon. That's a guiding light in a couple 515 00:24:26,725 --> 00:24:29,085 Speaker 1: of ways for this film, but it really carries through 516 00:24:29,125 --> 00:24:33,205 Speaker 1: no matter whether they're in a dark night scene or 517 00:24:33,285 --> 00:24:35,605 Speaker 1: whether they're in one of the high school classrooms where 518 00:24:35,605 --> 00:24:38,405 Speaker 1: there's fluorescent lights, or wherever they may be. There is 519 00:24:38,525 --> 00:24:42,925 Speaker 1: such care to make these varied skin tones illuminate and 520 00:24:42,965 --> 00:24:45,645 Speaker 1: you can see the texture and the detail. And I 521 00:24:45,685 --> 00:24:49,165 Speaker 1: think that carries over again to how the movie sees Schyron, 522 00:24:49,205 --> 00:24:52,605 Speaker 1: how it sees really all of its characters, but particularly him, 523 00:24:52,765 --> 00:24:57,205 Speaker 1: in just giving this sort of beneficent hue that makes 524 00:24:57,285 --> 00:25:00,005 Speaker 1: us just fall in love with this kid, an ache 525 00:25:00,005 --> 00:25:02,205 Speaker 1: for him, really ache for him in a way that 526 00:25:02,405 --> 00:25:04,605 Speaker 1: few movies manage to make audiences do. 527 00:25:04,845 --> 00:25:08,605 Speaker 2: Yeah, you mention the reference there in the title Moonlight, 528 00:25:08,685 --> 00:25:11,685 Speaker 2: and it does come up within the text there of 529 00:25:11,805 --> 00:25:15,925 Speaker 2: the screenplay. But the story that McCraney originally wrote, the 530 00:25:15,965 --> 00:25:18,925 Speaker 2: piece he originally wrote that he couldn't stage, is called 531 00:25:18,965 --> 00:25:22,525 Speaker 2: in Moonlight, black Boys Look Blue, And that is such 532 00:25:22,925 --> 00:25:26,685 Speaker 2: a brilliantly striking central metaphor. Like I said, that does 533 00:25:26,725 --> 00:25:30,725 Speaker 2: come up in this movie because it sets up exactly 534 00:25:30,725 --> 00:25:32,685 Speaker 2: what this whole film is about, but in a pretty 535 00:25:32,725 --> 00:25:36,765 Speaker 2: subtle way, which is that other people are always going 536 00:25:36,805 --> 00:25:38,965 Speaker 2: to try to define you. They are going to see 537 00:25:39,005 --> 00:25:41,285 Speaker 2: you how they see you within a certain moment, and 538 00:25:41,365 --> 00:25:43,845 Speaker 2: you may not be able to escape the way they 539 00:25:43,925 --> 00:25:46,965 Speaker 2: see you. It is ultimately on you to define yourself. 540 00:25:47,005 --> 00:25:49,485 Speaker 2: And as simplistic as that might be, there's nothing simple 541 00:25:49,885 --> 00:25:53,485 Speaker 2: about this film or about the performances. And one of 542 00:25:53,525 --> 00:25:55,645 Speaker 2: the things that I was really glad Barry Jenkins said 543 00:25:56,085 --> 00:25:59,525 Speaker 2: in my conversation there in praise of Harris, he mentioned 544 00:25:59,605 --> 00:26:03,045 Speaker 2: how we're not privy to a lot of information about her, 545 00:26:03,245 --> 00:26:06,205 Speaker 2: but it comes through in her performance, and that's so true, 546 00:26:06,245 --> 00:26:08,965 Speaker 2: and that must be so hard for any actor or 547 00:26:09,005 --> 00:26:12,245 Speaker 2: actress to pull off. But I felt like I knew 548 00:26:12,285 --> 00:26:16,045 Speaker 2: her entire backstory. I understood her relationship with men, I 549 00:26:16,125 --> 00:26:19,765 Speaker 2: understood her problems as a mother raising this boy just 550 00:26:19,805 --> 00:26:23,805 Speaker 2: from the performance, no flashbacks, no other dialogue to spell 551 00:26:23,845 --> 00:26:26,205 Speaker 2: it out. It really does all come through in the 552 00:26:26,325 --> 00:26:28,645 Speaker 2: experience of watching the performance. 553 00:26:28,845 --> 00:26:31,005 Speaker 1: And she does have the benefit, as you mentioned in 554 00:26:31,045 --> 00:26:33,605 Speaker 1: the interview, of appearing in each of the three sections. 555 00:26:33,725 --> 00:26:36,925 Speaker 1: So not she doesn't have huge part in each of those, 556 00:26:36,965 --> 00:26:39,685 Speaker 1: but she does appear and makes a large impact in 557 00:26:39,725 --> 00:26:43,005 Speaker 1: those scenes that she has. But really, every actor we 558 00:26:43,085 --> 00:26:46,885 Speaker 1: see manages to make the most of their time on screen, 559 00:26:46,925 --> 00:26:49,525 Speaker 1: and there's a continuity as you guys talked about among 560 00:26:49,565 --> 00:26:53,445 Speaker 1: the three actors playing Chyron and how they manage to 561 00:26:53,485 --> 00:26:57,325 Speaker 1: capture things that are similar in each section but also 562 00:26:57,445 --> 00:26:59,885 Speaker 1: make him distinct in each section. I think the through 563 00:26:59,925 --> 00:27:02,245 Speaker 1: line again is the cinematography. When we see him in 564 00:27:02,245 --> 00:27:05,685 Speaker 1: the same literal light, we connect him as being the 565 00:27:05,765 --> 00:27:08,725 Speaker 1: same person. But I also want to take time to 566 00:27:08,805 --> 00:27:14,085 Speaker 1: praise Mahashala Ali because that was the performance that I 567 00:27:14,125 --> 00:27:19,125 Speaker 1: don't know why just and it's devastating when he disappears 568 00:27:19,125 --> 00:27:24,085 Speaker 1: from the narratives, feel that absence in the other segments 569 00:27:24,125 --> 00:27:27,125 Speaker 1: that he's not in because he makes such an impact 570 00:27:27,125 --> 00:27:29,525 Speaker 1: in that first segment, and not because he gets any 571 00:27:29,525 --> 00:27:34,045 Speaker 1: grand standing scene. He's almost in the background, so quiet 572 00:27:34,165 --> 00:27:38,845 Speaker 1: as this drug dealer who takes young little under his wings, 573 00:27:38,885 --> 00:27:41,205 Speaker 1: and at first he's almost you wonder, is this a 574 00:27:41,245 --> 00:27:45,205 Speaker 1: wolf in sheep's clothing? You just were trained by other movies, right, 575 00:27:45,285 --> 00:27:46,285 Speaker 1: more than anything else. 576 00:27:46,125 --> 00:27:47,765 Speaker 4: To that, and this is a bad situation. He does 577 00:27:48,205 --> 00:27:48,725 Speaker 4: hand either way. 578 00:27:48,765 --> 00:27:51,005 Speaker 1: No, he does not. I mean, you still get a 579 00:27:51,045 --> 00:27:54,125 Speaker 1: sense that maybe this could go wrong near the end, 580 00:27:54,165 --> 00:27:57,245 Speaker 1: even after you've seen him and really feel that his 581 00:27:57,325 --> 00:28:01,165 Speaker 1: protection is genuine. There's that gorgeous scene where he takes 582 00:28:01,325 --> 00:28:04,285 Speaker 1: little swimming and teaches him how to swim, and I 583 00:28:04,285 --> 00:28:07,285 Speaker 1: think that's where we finally begin to understand that his 584 00:28:07,405 --> 00:28:10,605 Speaker 1: interest is genuine in the boy. But just the way 585 00:28:10,765 --> 00:28:15,925 Speaker 1: Ali makes these quiet moments hit so hard again without 586 00:28:16,005 --> 00:28:19,885 Speaker 1: pushing any sort of demonstrative personality, you would think, as 587 00:28:19,925 --> 00:28:22,845 Speaker 1: this drug dealer who runs the block, the temptation would 588 00:28:22,925 --> 00:28:25,165 Speaker 1: be to go big, right right, No, it's just his 589 00:28:25,365 --> 00:28:28,965 Speaker 1: quiet presence and it's really one of my favorite performances 590 00:28:28,965 --> 00:28:29,285 Speaker 1: of the year. 591 00:28:29,365 --> 00:28:31,885 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm with you, And I think that gets back 592 00:28:31,925 --> 00:28:34,725 Speaker 2: to what I was saying about Harris as well, where 593 00:28:35,005 --> 00:28:38,285 Speaker 2: she's playing the crack addicted, negligent mother. We've seen a 594 00:28:38,365 --> 00:28:40,645 Speaker 2: character like her in plenty of films. We've seen a 595 00:28:40,725 --> 00:28:44,325 Speaker 2: character like Ali's playing one in a lot of films, 596 00:28:44,325 --> 00:28:46,485 Speaker 2: that drug dealer, even the drug dealer with a heart 597 00:28:46,485 --> 00:28:49,165 Speaker 2: of gold, which sure he is more or less as 598 00:28:49,205 --> 00:28:52,205 Speaker 2: we get to know him. But there isn't anything cliche 599 00:28:52,245 --> 00:28:54,765 Speaker 2: at all about these characters as it comes through in 600 00:28:54,805 --> 00:28:58,405 Speaker 2: these performances. And Ali's one of those faces where as 601 00:28:58,405 --> 00:29:00,485 Speaker 2: soon as I saw him on screen, I felt comfortable. 602 00:29:00,885 --> 00:29:03,605 Speaker 2: I knew I had seen him before. Recently, I looked 603 00:29:03,685 --> 00:29:06,125 Speaker 2: up IMDb later and he's been in a bunch of things, 604 00:29:06,165 --> 00:29:10,165 Speaker 2: but recently in the Hunger Games movies, and that's where 605 00:29:10,165 --> 00:29:12,285 Speaker 2: I did have his face in my mind. But what 606 00:29:12,365 --> 00:29:16,565 Speaker 2: about Andre Holland. Andre Holland, he plays Kevin. He's talking 607 00:29:16,565 --> 00:29:20,605 Speaker 2: about your scenes, yeah, that third act of this film, 608 00:29:21,045 --> 00:29:23,445 Speaker 2: and he's someone again I'm watching him going. Not only 609 00:29:23,525 --> 00:29:26,885 Speaker 2: is he remarkable, I could watch him and Ali in 610 00:29:26,925 --> 00:29:29,125 Speaker 2: their scenes. Just give me a movie that's just in 611 00:29:29,165 --> 00:29:31,685 Speaker 2: those their stories. I would so watch those films. I'd 612 00:29:31,725 --> 00:29:34,245 Speaker 2: watch multiple films with those guys. But he was another 613 00:29:34,285 --> 00:29:36,645 Speaker 2: face that seemed really familiar to me, and I couldn't 614 00:29:36,685 --> 00:29:38,605 Speaker 2: place it, and then I looked up later he was 615 00:29:38,605 --> 00:29:42,205 Speaker 2: in the Nick the Steven Soderberg series, and he's another 616 00:29:42,525 --> 00:29:47,925 Speaker 2: wonderful actor. And I wanted to remention the three titles 617 00:29:48,125 --> 00:29:51,565 Speaker 2: that came up in the interview that Jenkins listed as 618 00:29:51,605 --> 00:29:54,765 Speaker 2: the biggest influences on this film, because some people may 619 00:29:54,805 --> 00:29:56,685 Speaker 2: not be familiar with them, or maybe they just went 620 00:29:56,685 --> 00:29:58,645 Speaker 2: by too fast and they didn't catch the titles. But 621 00:29:58,725 --> 00:30:01,845 Speaker 2: you talk about cinematography and the craft of that and 622 00:30:01,885 --> 00:30:04,925 Speaker 2: how that's art. Not as surprise that those elements would 623 00:30:04,965 --> 00:30:07,845 Speaker 2: come through in this film when those influences were Clardoni's 624 00:30:07,925 --> 00:30:11,325 Speaker 2: film Bo Trava Ho, Shau Shen's Three Times, and then 625 00:30:11,365 --> 00:30:12,605 Speaker 2: wankar wi Is Happy Together? 626 00:30:12,645 --> 00:30:13,965 Speaker 4: Now Have you seen Happy Together? 627 00:30:14,165 --> 00:30:15,885 Speaker 1: Having Days of Being Wild was the last one I 628 00:30:15,925 --> 00:30:16,245 Speaker 1: caught up. 629 00:30:16,325 --> 00:30:19,605 Speaker 2: So that's a Wankar Wai film. I regretfully haven't seen either. 630 00:30:19,685 --> 00:30:22,325 Speaker 2: But a friend of mine who loves that film and 631 00:30:22,365 --> 00:30:24,565 Speaker 2: who was at the same Moonlight screening I was, and 632 00:30:24,605 --> 00:30:28,805 Speaker 2: who loved Moonlight, said that there's definitely some one car 633 00:30:28,845 --> 00:30:31,325 Speaker 2: why happy to get our touches there, especially in that 634 00:30:31,445 --> 00:30:36,605 Speaker 2: third sequence with Trevante Rhodes and Andre Holland. We meet 635 00:30:36,765 --> 00:30:40,805 Speaker 2: Andre Holland's character first through a phone conversation he's having. 636 00:30:40,885 --> 00:30:42,525 Speaker 2: We hear his voice, and we only see parts of 637 00:30:42,605 --> 00:30:44,685 Speaker 2: him as he's a cook, he's in a kitchen. We 638 00:30:44,725 --> 00:30:47,165 Speaker 2: don't actually see his face for a while. And my 639 00:30:47,245 --> 00:30:50,165 Speaker 2: friend said that that is really something that is mirrored 640 00:30:50,245 --> 00:30:51,925 Speaker 2: actually in the Wan car Why film. So I did 641 00:30:52,005 --> 00:30:54,445 Speaker 2: want to mention that for people who love that film 642 00:30:54,565 --> 00:30:56,645 Speaker 2: as well. A couple other things that came out of 643 00:30:56,685 --> 00:30:59,365 Speaker 2: the Q and A after the screening that I thought 644 00:30:59,365 --> 00:31:00,165 Speaker 2: were really fascinating. 645 00:31:00,245 --> 00:31:01,885 Speaker 4: I just wanted to throw out there. Trell. 646 00:31:01,925 --> 00:31:05,085 Speaker 2: Alvin McCraney, the playwright and writer of the original piece, 647 00:31:05,325 --> 00:31:07,365 Speaker 2: was part of the Q and A, and he said 648 00:31:07,405 --> 00:31:09,525 Speaker 2: something that I don't know that I would have been 649 00:31:09,565 --> 00:31:13,845 Speaker 2: able to articulate at all, but absolutely felt in every 650 00:31:13,845 --> 00:31:18,085 Speaker 2: moment of that third act with those actors, those grown 651 00:31:18,125 --> 00:31:20,845 Speaker 2: up versions of these characters we've met earlier in the film. 652 00:31:21,085 --> 00:31:25,525 Speaker 2: He talks about how there's heightened tension and a sense 653 00:31:25,565 --> 00:31:28,765 Speaker 2: of urgency in there because of the fact that they 654 00:31:28,805 --> 00:31:32,405 Speaker 2: are what he termed real minutes, and what he was 655 00:31:32,525 --> 00:31:34,885 Speaker 2: articulating or what I took away from it is that 656 00:31:34,965 --> 00:31:38,405 Speaker 2: he was saying, when you're watching this film that starts 657 00:31:38,445 --> 00:31:40,965 Speaker 2: with one version of this character in the past, and 658 00:31:40,965 --> 00:31:43,005 Speaker 2: then we go to another version and we realize that 659 00:31:43,045 --> 00:31:46,765 Speaker 2: he's older. We know we're watching this construct where we're 660 00:31:46,845 --> 00:31:50,885 Speaker 2: very aware that this happened in another place and time, 661 00:31:51,085 --> 00:31:53,525 Speaker 2: and it's almost like it's not really happening now. And 662 00:31:53,565 --> 00:31:56,685 Speaker 2: when we get to that version of him right now 663 00:31:56,885 --> 00:32:00,805 Speaker 2: in the present day, these two characters meet again. Now 664 00:32:00,845 --> 00:32:04,485 Speaker 2: we know that we're watching them starting a whole new trajectory, 665 00:32:04,525 --> 00:32:06,845 Speaker 2: and we have no idea where it's going to go. 666 00:32:06,925 --> 00:32:09,285 Speaker 2: It's where their lives in some way begin for us 667 00:32:09,325 --> 00:32:11,325 Speaker 2: as viewers, and we have to fill in the blanks. 668 00:32:11,325 --> 00:32:14,445 Speaker 2: And there is something inherently fascinating about that that does 669 00:32:14,605 --> 00:32:17,205 Speaker 2: raise the stakes of two people mostly. 670 00:32:16,925 --> 00:32:19,845 Speaker 1: Just talking real minutes? Was that the phrase real minutes? Yeah, 671 00:32:19,925 --> 00:32:22,205 Speaker 1: that's my impression, and while I was watching it is 672 00:32:22,685 --> 00:32:26,725 Speaker 1: what incredible patience on the part of Jenkins to allow 673 00:32:26,845 --> 00:32:31,405 Speaker 1: this reunion to spread out in what almost feels like 674 00:32:31,525 --> 00:32:33,525 Speaker 1: real time. There's the phone call to set it up, 675 00:32:33,845 --> 00:32:37,165 Speaker 1: and then when Sharon, who's now goes by the name Black, 676 00:32:37,525 --> 00:32:41,405 Speaker 1: shows up at the restaurant to meet with Kevin. He 677 00:32:41,485 --> 00:32:44,325 Speaker 1: first says hello, and then Kevin goes to serve some 678 00:32:44,405 --> 00:32:47,565 Speaker 1: other people, just minute boring things that I won't go 679 00:32:48,005 --> 00:32:50,845 Speaker 1: on to describe except to say that it extends the 680 00:32:50,925 --> 00:32:53,445 Speaker 1: scene so that it's not that all we get are 681 00:32:53,485 --> 00:32:56,485 Speaker 1: there conversation together, and even their conversation is interrupted by 682 00:32:56,565 --> 00:32:59,445 Speaker 1: Kevin having to go do some more work, and that 683 00:32:59,605 --> 00:33:02,325 Speaker 1: does exactly what you're talking about. It breaks up the 684 00:33:02,365 --> 00:33:04,845 Speaker 1: pattern of what we've seen before, where they're not vignettes, 685 00:33:05,245 --> 00:33:08,885 Speaker 1: they're not episodes. We're here with these two in the 686 00:33:09,005 --> 00:33:12,045 Speaker 1: right now, and that lends it so much more drama. 687 00:33:12,125 --> 00:33:14,365 Speaker 2: Yeah, the other part, and this is something I certainly 688 00:33:14,805 --> 00:33:17,965 Speaker 2: wouldn't have been aware of had Jenkins not expressed it 689 00:33:18,245 --> 00:33:21,125 Speaker 2: and described it in answer to a question someone the 690 00:33:21,165 --> 00:33:23,885 Speaker 2: audience who was aware of this style of music. But 691 00:33:24,285 --> 00:33:26,605 Speaker 2: what he did with the score here in the music 692 00:33:26,645 --> 00:33:28,645 Speaker 2: as well, it really comes through in that third sequence. 693 00:33:28,925 --> 00:33:30,285 Speaker 4: But you reflect back on. 694 00:33:30,365 --> 00:33:34,805 Speaker 2: How some of the more traditional movie score sounds are 695 00:33:34,845 --> 00:33:38,405 Speaker 2: rendered in this film, where they seem distorted in some way, 696 00:33:38,445 --> 00:33:40,485 Speaker 2: they seem like they are perfectly in keeping with this 697 00:33:40,565 --> 00:33:42,885 Speaker 2: notion of a kind of heightened fever dream. 698 00:33:43,045 --> 00:33:44,285 Speaker 4: But I couldn't put my finger on it. 699 00:33:44,325 --> 00:33:46,925 Speaker 2: I didn't understand exactly what was being done to the 700 00:33:46,965 --> 00:33:50,525 Speaker 2: sounds to manipulate them, to make them have that distorted, 701 00:33:50,565 --> 00:33:53,405 Speaker 2: heightened effect. And what he described is this style of 702 00:33:53,485 --> 00:33:56,485 Speaker 2: music that came out of Houston in the early nineties, 703 00:33:56,525 --> 00:33:59,765 Speaker 2: mainly called chopped and screwed, and it's where you take 704 00:34:00,325 --> 00:34:04,365 Speaker 2: hip hop and you remix it so that everything is 705 00:34:04,485 --> 00:34:08,884 Speaker 2: slowed way down and it does have that distorting kind 706 00:34:08,885 --> 00:34:11,924 Speaker 2: of effect. So we hear that in the songs that 707 00:34:11,965 --> 00:34:15,364 Speaker 2: are playing in Black's car really the whole time that 708 00:34:15,565 --> 00:34:18,205 Speaker 2: we are with him. But then you realize that even 709 00:34:18,445 --> 00:34:21,884 Speaker 2: the obos and the other strings and things that you're 710 00:34:21,925 --> 00:34:24,525 Speaker 2: hearing in earlier portions of the film, they have that 711 00:34:24,605 --> 00:34:27,285 Speaker 2: same technique applied to them to give it that effect. 712 00:34:39,685 --> 00:34:42,364 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's just the use of those classical music 713 00:34:42,405 --> 00:34:46,165 Speaker 1: instruments all together where you might not expect it. In 714 00:34:46,205 --> 00:34:48,565 Speaker 1: the early segment where the boys are just out on 715 00:34:48,605 --> 00:34:51,885 Speaker 1: the field, you know, rough housing and wrestling and messing around, 716 00:34:52,125 --> 00:34:54,645 Speaker 1: we get this lyrical music to it that makes it 717 00:34:54,685 --> 00:34:56,845 Speaker 1: suddenly seem as if it's something from a Malick film. 718 00:34:57,045 --> 00:34:59,685 Speaker 1: And I believe the same sort of music accompanies that 719 00:34:59,845 --> 00:35:03,605 Speaker 1: swimming scene, which is some sort of you know, baptism 720 00:35:03,685 --> 00:35:07,845 Speaker 1: moment taking place, and so these are other uses of 721 00:35:08,765 --> 00:35:12,805 Speaker 1: the usual cinematic techniques in ways that maybe we've seen 722 00:35:12,845 --> 00:35:15,125 Speaker 1: here or there, but not always applied to a story 723 00:35:15,205 --> 00:35:15,405 Speaker 1: like this. 724 00:35:20,085 --> 00:35:20,565 Speaker 4: There are, of. 725 00:35:20,485 --> 00:35:25,485 Speaker 1: Course, any other reviews and interviews in the Film Spotting Archive. 726 00:35:26,005 --> 00:35:28,445 Speaker 1: Access to that archive is just one of the benefits 727 00:35:28,485 --> 00:35:32,005 Speaker 1: of joining the Film Spotting Family. You'll also get bonus shows, 728 00:35:32,005 --> 00:35:34,924 Speaker 1: you'll get a weekly newsletter, early access to events, and 729 00:35:35,005 --> 00:35:37,325 Speaker 1: more so, if you'd like to join, head on over 730 00:35:37,445 --> 00:35:39,725 Speaker 1: to film spottingfamily dot com. 731 00:35:39,765 --> 00:35:44,085 Speaker 3: This conversation can serve no purpose anymore but burn