The Way He Looks Essay

“The Way He Looks” (2014) is a Lesbian, gay, bi, transgender (LGBT) Brazilian film that follows the struggles of Leonardo, a blind teen who seeks independence from his disability. As a high-schooler, Leonardo is teased and ridiculed by piers that are insensitive to his disposition. As a new kid is introduced to his class, Leo finds himself wanting to experience his youth over being worried about his lack of sight. Gabrielle become close friends with Leo, assisting him in uncovering his desire to seek uncharted surroundings. Additionally, Leo finds ways to cope with his disability and integrate with his class and their activities. This is shown when he gains the confidence to go outside his barriers when an opportunity to study abroad comes up. Despite his parents beliefs of him not

In attempting to understand Leo, Giovana misinterprets his endeavors and assumes he no longer wants to be friends with her. When Gabrielle is invited to a party by a popular girl named Karina, Leo insists he joins in. The party is impactful for Leo, as he is peer pressured into playing spin the bottle. Many of his peers purposely set him up to kiss a dog, but Giovana steps in to rescue Leo. There are many misinterpretations from the two due to lack of communication from their age. Leo argues that he deserved to have a ‘good time’ at the party and that Giovana prevented his first kiss, when in reality she saves him. The most influential scene is when Gabrielle steps in after the fight and kisses Leo. The two are both confused by the encounter and are left wordless as they give each other time to figure out their identities. By this scene, Leo accepts the fact that he has fallen for Gabrielle and isn’t ashamed of it. When Leo finds that Gabrielle has no interest in Karina, he discovers comfort in identity and kisses Gabrielle, who he starts a relationship