Symbolism Of Water In The Movie Moonlight

In the movie Moonlight, the significance of water in Chiron’s life appears multiple times, like his christening experience when learning how to swim, to dipping his head into ice water, to his first sexual experience with Kevin by the ocean. While growing up, Chiron had been found by Juan, his mother's drug dealer. Although Juan was supplying to his mother, He and his girlfriend Theresa had befriended chiron and had cared for him. Chiron, realizing that Juan had been a cause for the trouble in his life at home, had caused somewhat of an internal conflict, but he had continued to grow affection for Juan after time. After an argument between Chiron and his mother, he had asked Juan “What’s a faggot?”. Juan had responded “A faggot is... a word

This scene was very similar to a baptism, with Juan holding Chiron’s head in his head in the way a priest would hold a child during a baptism. Another identical to baptism was Chiron finally accepting Juan as a father figure in his life during this time with him, as a baptism involves accepting god as your father. The intimate scene between these two provided a spiritual connection as he taught him how to swim, creating a sense of trust as Juan had reassured him “Ok. Let your head rest in my hand. Relax. I got you. I promise. I won't let you go. Hey man. I got you. There you go. Ten Seconds. Right there. You in the middle of the world.”. The connection between them grew as it was a man teaching a young black kid how to swim. Between these words and the water, a common symbol of rebirth and new starts, this scene had allowed Chiron to cleanse and wash away his past as he evolved into a new stronger person. The significance of this scene is very powerful as Juan has helped him along his journey growing up and providing a safe and secure space for Chiron to grow. This short but impactful scene was also captured in a way that had drawn the audience closer and engulfed the viewer into the changing