Trauma in the Media: Beyond the Lights Movie Review
- Brina B
- Feb 17, 2021
- 8 min read
Welcome to the “Trauma in the Media” series where I explore how trauma is represented in film, tv, and books.
Today, we will dive into a film titled Beyond the Lights, written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The movie focuses on Noni who is having trouble managing the pressures of superstardom until she meets Kaz, who gives her the courage to become the artist she wants to be. Trauma love stories are tricky because there's a fine line between presenting a good love story vs developing a love story that is impacted by trauma. In this review, we will explore how Gina created and presented Noni's trauma narrative, the influence it had on her romantic relationships, and how she attempts to manage and cope with her trauma. Trigger warning: suicide
Noni’s Trauma Narrative
At the beginning of the movie, a young Noni is performing Nina Simone’s Black Bird at a local talent show where she places as runner up. Not pleased, her mom storms out the building pulling Noni along, while the announcer is still speaking. Once outside, she forces Noni to throw her trophy on the ground and says being runner up isn’t good enough.
This scene is an introduction to Noni's trauma while also serving as a backdrop for the film’s acknowledgement of generational trauma. Later in the film we find out that Noni’s mom was ridiculed for being a single mother to a biracial child and written off as a failure. When it was discovered that Noni could sing, her mom saw it as an opportunity to prove people wrong and show that she can be successful. As a result, Noni’s worldview about acceptance and belonging was shaped around the role of making her mom look successful.
Noni’s trauma experience came to a boiling point when she attempted suicide the night she won her first music award. Throughout the night her true feelings came out through various facial expressions, however, those around her were too focused on maintaining the image to notice. After the attempt everyone went back into their roles, mom talked about the importance of her career, Noni attempted to reassure mom that she was okay, and they both focused on dismissing the attempt as something they could quickly move on from.
While witnessing this as a viewer was upsetting, the film does a good job using its storytelling to show the viewer what led to her attempt. Gina takes the audience on a journey of what Noni's trauma is and gives it some much needed context, instead of dropping it off for viewers to decipher on their own. I appreciate the journey because it honors the reality of trauma and suicide instead of using them as plot devices to create character development or as pawns to generate award season buzz, I’m just saying...
There’s a line in the film where Noni says, “I feel like I’m suffocating in the middle of the street and nobody can see me dying,” which summarizes a common experience for Trauma Survivors. This feeling that you’re physically present, but the battle inside you goes unseen. It’s difficult for some to understand the gravity of that statement because on the surface people can say she’s not the only person going through things or she can just talk to somebody. For a lot of survivors, talking about and acknowledging their trauma is a process that is easier said than done. Gina does a great job representing the ups and downs of that process through Noni.
How Trauma Impacts Love
Noni has two romantic partners in this film, Kaz, who I’ve mentioned already, and Kid Culprit. Her relationship with Kid reinforces her trauma worldview by mirroring her belief that acceptance and belonging is dependent on what she can do for others. Kid is part of the successful image she and her mom created, which means to maintain his attention she has to maintain the image. There’s a scene in the movie where after her attempt, he texts her asking if she’s okay. She says yes and that she’s in bed, he responds by asking what is she wearing. He sees and treats her like an object, which Noni leans into it because that is what she knows as acceptance and belonging.
While her relationship with Kid was sexual, I hesitate to say she used intercourse to obtain acceptance and belonging because the film was less about using sex to connect or escape, and more about maintaining the image of success, at least that was my interpretation. I say this because her relationship with Kid centers around the label thinking it was a good look for her image. Noni accepted this perspective because her trauma taught her that if she maintains the successful image she gets acceptance and belonging, but if she doesn’t they both go away.
Another aspect of this film I appreciate is the acknowledgement of the incongruence some Trauma Survivors experience. Despite knowing she’s not happy with maintaining and creating this image, Noni still does it. Why? Noni has carried this worldview of how to achieve acceptance and belonging since she was a child. During a time when her impressionable mind was creating an understanding of how the world works. This worldview is all she’s known and experienced...until she meets Kaz.
While Kid Culprit reinforces Noni’s worldview, Kaz challenges it. As I mentioned, Noni has a suicide attempt after winning her first music award. Kaz is the person who ends up stopping her from succeeding. During the aftermath of this experience, while everyone around her goes back to business as usual, Kaz visits her a few days later and asks how she’s doing, which surprises her. Through this action he interrupted the pattern of her trauma beliefs. Throughout the movie Kaz continues to interrupt the pattern by centering conversations on her thoughts and feelings, and expressing genuine interest in her.
For example, there’s a scene in the movie when Noni says no one cares about what I have to say, and he responds by saying I’m listening. As he poked holes in her trauma worldview, she began to experience the internal battle that quite a few Trauma Survivors have. In Noni's case, the battle is between what she wants, what she has to do, and what she deserves.
I don’t want to give away major spoilers, so I will say that the film does a good job highlighting this internal battle. There’s a moment in the movie when Kaz wants to progress their relationship, or at the very least know what it is, and she pushes him away by not making a decision. When she goes back to maintaining the successful image without him, she finds herself in a state of longing. For example, there’s a beautiful scene in the film where Noni is lying at home daydreaming about Kaz after a night of partying. During this scene Fly Before You Fall by Cynthia Erivo is playing and it shows Noni having this moment where she wants to be with Kaz despite pushing him away.
That’s the thing with trauma, it can be a giant back and forth experience when confronted with alternative perspectives. You’re in this place of confusion and hesitation, and Gina does a good job highlighting it in a way that doesn’t place Noni in a position where the viewer becomes frustrated with her. The back and forth can open the door for judgement and resentment for survivors when it occurs, and I think this film does a nice job of humanizing the battle by presenting it from Noni’s perspective.
How Noni Copes and Manages Trauma
A subtle way that Noni begins to cope and manage her trauma is deciding to lean into small victories, which eventually gives her the courage to accept herself. Over the course of the film she takes minor steps and makes small decisions that gives her space to challenge her trauma worldview on her own. For instance, she makes the decision to hire Kaz to serve as her bodyguard once he visits her during the aftermath of her attempt. Through this action she goes against what her mom doesn’t approve of and focused on what she wanted. In addition, Noni began to make changes to her image in an attempt to decrease the intensity of her sex appeal, such as making a wardrobe change during a performance. I label them as subtle because I see them as building blocks. With each small step and decision Noni stacked together, the clearer her strength and courage became.
As Noni collected her blocks and stacked them together, she reached a place where her worldview began to shift, allowing her to embrace self and romantic love. This method of coping and managing stood out to me because it displays Noni's journey to self discovery after years of internalized trauma. Yes, Kaz disrupted her belief system and unlocked the door of possibilities, however, it was up to Noni to open the door and walk through.
She made the decision to do something different. I truly enjoy this aspect of the film because while Kaz was a supportive partner, he wasn’t painted as her savior. It would have been easy to conclude that Kaz was the hero and she was only blossoming because of him, they even fight about his hero status at one point in the film, but there are major moments in the film when Noni makes decisions on her own. The amazing aspect of her decision making is that she makes them in a way that demonstrates she’s stronger and still healing. She doesn’t pretend that the ripple effects of her trauma are no longer an issue, she's very upfront about the healing journey she has begun. Which leads me to the second way she copes and manages her trauma, she seeks professional help!
Yall. I have to break the writer’s wall for a minute because when I tell you I did a praise hand gesture when I heard Noni speaking about getting professional help...I could have ugly cried on the spot. This aspect of her recovery was important to me because I often see trauma love stories rely on the love between the two characters to serve as the remedy. Yes, romantic love and support can provide a safe space for Trauma Survivors, but we have to balance that with professional help of some kind to get survivors the care they need. For example, there’s a quote in the film, I’m paraphrasing here, when Noni talks about the little girl inside her still having issues and her looking forward to getting to know her. I think this moment touches on the reality that processing trauma can be a lifelong journey for some survivors. Noni obtaining professional help and saying it out loud, was a pretty cool moment for my viewing pleasure.
While I understand that the purpose of film is to entertain not educate, I believe film can influence narratives about real topics and situations. Beyond the Lights does a good job honoring the realities of trauma through the journey it takes the audience on, which includes diving into the multiple layers of Noni's trauma and how self and romantic love can be impacted by trauma. In addition, the film acknowledges how trauma can manifest an internal back and forth creating incongruence, and ultimately interfere with the relationships a survivor develops. Lastly, the film talks about love for Trauma Survivors in a way that honestly gave me hope when I watched it for the first time. Gina created a beautiful story that shows romantic love is possible for survivors.
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Until next time ~Brina B
Disclaimer: This blog post doesn’t serve as therapy or professional help. If you’re in need of professional help, visit the resources section of the website.
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