Barry Jenkins – Moonlight

Thinking Through Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)’s Philosophy on the Art Essence

Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight is a deeply poetic film that contemplates identity, masculinity, and love within the context of Black American life. From a Hegelian perspective, Moonlight can be seen as a cinematic exploration of the self’s dialectical journey towards self-realization. The film’s tripartite structure—depicting the protagonist, Chiron, as a child, adolescent, and adult—mirrors Hegel’s notion of the progressive development of spirit through stages of becoming.

Dialectics of Selfhood and Social Reality

Hegel’s philosophy of art emphasizes the process through which spirit comes to know itself through externalization and reconciliation. In Moonlight, Chiron’s life unfolds as a series of confrontations between his inner self and the external social forces that seek to define him. The aesthetic form of the film, with its meditative pacing and fluid cinematography, mirrors the gradual unfolding of Chiron’s consciousness.

In the first chapter, “Little,” Chiron is portrayed as a vulnerable child, embodying the raw potential of spirit yet to be actualized. This stage reflects the initial self that is still unformed and subject to the external impositions of identity by others—whether through bullying or maternal neglect. Hegel would interpret this phase as a struggle between the individual’s innate essence and the societal perception that imposes an alien identity.

Conflict and Transformation: The Second Chapter

The second chapter, “Chiron,” represents the dialectical clash between self-perception and societal expectation. The brutality of the high school environment and the internalization of pain manifest the tragic contradiction of a spirit unable to fully articulate itself. The physical violence Chiron endures and his subsequent retaliation reflect Hegel’s concept of Aufhebung (sublation), where the negation of passivity transforms into an act of agency, albeit through violence.

Chiron’s relationship with Kevin, filled with both tenderness and betrayal, illustrates the dialectic of desire and rejection, where love becomes a fleeting synthesis disrupted by the harsh reality of social conformity. Jenkins’ use of vibrant, saturated colors and intimate close-ups highlights the sensory dimension of Chiron’s awakening to his own desires, reinforcing Hegel’s idea that art embodies spirit in a sensuous form.

Reconciliation and Authenticity: The Final Chapter

In the third chapter, “Black,” Chiron re-emerges, now a hardened, seemingly impenetrable figure who has adopted the external identity of toughness to protect his wounded spirit. Yet, this hardened exterior is itself a contradiction—an attempt to negate his earlier vulnerability without truly resolving it. Hegel would see this transformation as an attempt to reconcile the fragmented self, albeit through adopting an identity imposed by his environment.

The culminating scene, where Kevin and Chiron finally confront their shared past, is emblematic of Hegel’s concept of reconciliation. Chiron’s admission that Kevin is the only man who has ever touched him symbolizes the return to an authentic selfhood that transcends the performative toughness. The tenderness of the moment reflects the synthesis of vulnerability and strength, where the spirit achieves a semblance of wholeness by embracing its past pain and longing.

Aesthetic Form as Spiritual Reflection

Hegel posits that true art reflects the movement of spirit within human consciousness. Jenkins’ use of ambient soundscapes and dreamlike visuals mirrors the fluidity of Chiron’s internal struggle. The film’s cinematographic style, oscillating between harsh realism and poetic abstraction, signifies the tension between external reality and inner truth. This duality resonates with Hegel’s belief that art mediates between the abstract ideal and the concrete real.

The non-linear storytelling, with its reflective pauses and focus on tactile sensations (like water, touch, and light), encapsulates the temporal fluidity of memory and identity. Chiron’s journey is not a linear progression but a dialectical movement where each phase of his life contains echoes of the previous, thus embodying Hegel’s notion that spirit evolves through the synthesis of past contradictions.

The Universality of Individual Struggle

For Hegel, art must move beyond the particular to reveal universal truths. Although Moonlight is deeply rooted in the specific cultural context of Black queer identity, its depiction of yearning, loss, and reconciliation transcends individual experience, appealing to the universal human quest for self-acceptance. The struggle to articulate one’s identity within a restrictive social framework is emblematic of spirit seeking to actualize its true nature.

The film’s nuanced portrayal of masculinity—shaped by social oppression yet seeking tenderness—underscores the dialectic between the internal essence and external imposition. Chiron’s final acceptance of his vulnerability as part of his identity signifies a movement towards spiritual integration, reflecting Hegel’s belief that self-realization emerges through the synthesis of disparate parts of one’s being.

Art as Ethical and Spiritual Awakening

Hegel sees art as the reconciliation of spirit with itself, where human consciousness confronts and transcends its contradictions. In Moonlight, Jenkins does not present a conclusive triumph but rather an ongoing process of becoming. The reconciliation between Chiron and Kevin is not a final resolution but an opening toward authenticity. This openness aligns with Hegel’s view that human spirit continually evolves toward deeper self-awareness and reconciliation.

The film’s quiet, unresolved ending—where Chiron leans into Kevin’s touch—suggests that self-acceptance is not a static achievement but an enduring struggle. The image of young Chiron bathed in moonlight, juxtaposed with the adult’s hardened demeanor, visually symbolizes the ongoing dialectic between innocence and resilience. In this tender synthesis, spirit acknowledges its fragility while striving toward wholeness.

Conclusion: Art as a Manifestation of Spirit

Moonlight exemplifies Hegel’s assertion that art embodies the process through which spirit becomes aware of itself. It portrays the dialectical journey of selfhood—a continual struggle to reconcile inner truth with outer reality. Jenkins’ film transcends conventional narrative by weaving together moments of silence, beauty, and pain, revealing the profound depth of human longing and the quest for self-identity.

Through its aesthetic richness and philosophical depth, Moonlight emerges as a work where art serves not merely as representation but as the manifestation of the human spirit’s quest for authenticity. The film’s portrayal of self-acceptance as an ongoing, dynamic process aligns with Hegel’s vision of spirit actualizing itself through contradiction, reflection, and reconciliation.