Poetic Amateurism
Taking place in New York City, Tall Enough centers around an interracial romance between two photographers: one being a Black woman and the other a Chinese man. Over the course of the film, the two contemplate the beautiful memories that have arisen from their relationship, ultimately realizing the true strength of their love in the end. To depict this story, director Barry Jenkins (famous for his films Moonlight (2016) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)) utilizes an unusual approach that breaks conventions in cinematography and continuity, embodying the teachings of influential filmmaker and theorist Maya Deren.
In her paper entitled “Amateur versus Professional”, Ukrainian-American filmmaker and theorist Maya Deren praises amateur filmmakers for “[devoting themselves] to capturing the poetry and beauty of places and events” (Deren 17). Pushing for more filmmakers to do the same, Deren’s point is exemplified in Tall Enough largely through Jenkins’ choice of cinematography. Throughout much of his film, Jenkins employs amateurish, handheld camerawork to illustrate flashbacks and emphasize contact between the characters. Seeing that amateurism has a sense of humanness associated with it (given that professionalism is extremely curated and rigid), Jenkins’ visual choices add to the meaning of these flashbacks as substantial memories shared between two lovers. Put differently, the naturalness of Jenkins’ cinematography makes his film seem real as opposed to staged, therefore elevating the emotional weight of the piece. Adding on to this, Jenkins also uses his unprofessional style to capture close-ups of physical contact between the characters. Whether it be a shot of them holding hands or another of them embracing each other, the amateurish cinematography once again functions in elevating the romantic and emotional elements of Jenkins’ film, thus showcasing the “poetry and beauty” of love.
As previously referenced, Maya Deren viewed amateurism within cinema to be quite powerful in communicating the beauty of an occasion or setting. However, in another paper of hers entitled “Cinematography: The Creative Use of Reality”, Deren also dives into how the “meaningful manipulation of [sequencing]” can result in creative relationships between characters, time, and locations (Deren 126). In Tall Enough, Jenkins captures the essence of this revelation through the film’s non-linear plot. Beginning in the present with the two characters covering each other’s eyes, the film proceeds to travel down a myriad of memories until returning to the present at the end. Throughout this, the film also finds time to include an interview portion between the main characters, each one using this time to describe their experiences in the relationship. Ultimately breaking industry rules of well-structured continuity, Jenkins uses this unconventional form of storytelling to exemplify the love between these characters in an unforgettable and impactful way. Instead of spoon-feeding his audience every little detail of each memory and event, Jenkins takes an approach that elicits curiosity with the viewer, prompting them to think more about these characters and the bond they share. Additionally, the music and overall glee of each scene evoke a sense of endearing nostalgia, seeking to connect with the viewer’s understanding of the joy that often derives from reminisce.
All in all, Tall Enough is a beautiful film that showcases amateurism as the poetic concept in which Deren describes it, illustrating an endearing story that is bound to stick with audiences.
