"Before Night Falls" is by no means an easy film. At its end, your heart will not be warmed, nor will it be at peace. No matter how careful you are, you cannot hold this film in your hands without parts of it leaking through your fingers. But what remains will stick with you, as will the disturbing story of Reinaldo Arenas' life.
The film is based on Cuban novelist Arenas' memoir of the same name, published posthumously. As a homosexual and a political dissident, Arenas was imprisoned, and his writing was suppressed in Cuba while winning prestigious awards abroad.
Playing Arenas is Javier Bardem, who lost 35 pounds and studied English for six hours daily in preparation for the role. Bardem, most well-known for his role in director Gomez Pereira's "Boca a Boca," has been Oscar-nominated for his performance in "Night." The nomination is well-deserved, for his work here is, in a word, amazing. Vulnerability, dignity and passion are key to this movie, and Bardem's expressions evoke these emotions in all of their levels.
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As it is in his memoir, Arenas' homosexuality is dealt with frankly. The film does well in showing the beauty of Arenas' feelings along with the persecution he faces as a homosexual in Cuba. But "Night" is not about Arenas' sexual preferences, it is about Arenas. Julian Schnabel, the film's director, has done a wonderful job balancing and intertwining Arenas' passion for writing with his passion for other men, as well as with the affecting political climate of the time.
Arenas' passion for writing has top priority in the film - the man lived to write. His fervor is illustrated in several ways. First we see him as an intense child carving poetry on trees. Then Bardem does several voiceovers, some in English and others in Spanish with subtitles, giving the viewers a feel for Arenas' actual writing. And indeed, the last and most poignant vision of Arenas in the film is in his words being printed on screen, right before the ending credits.
Fear and oppression rage through "Night," but so do beauty and poetry, painting an even, realistic picture of the political turmoil in Cuba. It is not so much the cinematography that paints this picture, however; Arenas' words as narration do the job. Arenas was imprisoned for just this reason - he could indict the Cuban regime with his words. He was a threat to Cuba, and as such, his writing was censored.
Schnabel, a well-known contemporary artist and the creator of 1996's "Basquiat" (a critically acclaimed film based on graffiti artist Jean Michael Basquiat), has applied his artistic eye with outstanding results in directing "Night." Working with two directors of photography, Xavier Perez Grobet and Guillermo Rosas, Schnabel has supplied stunning imagery. For example, one of the first images shows Arenas as a naked infant playing, then abruptly screaming, in a grave-like hole in the ground. Perhaps the symbolism here is overdone and too obvious, but the image's sheer beauty justifies it. Another unforgettable image involves the hands of 60 or so prisoners reaching from behind their bars, swinging small balls of soap from strings like miniature pendulums, creating visual music.
The importance of music is stressed in "Night." Carter Burwell, a veteran New York art musician and composer of scores of films (including all of the Coen Brothers' films), gets a check-plus for his work here. The music in the film captures Arenas' emotions, regardless of his surroundings. Most memorable is a scene at a nightclub - while others dance festively, laughing, Arenas sits in alienation, and his alienation is reflected in the melancholy chords overwhelming the scene, providing a stirring paradox.
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"Night" is a remarkable film that undeniably affects its audience. Yet it has flaws - it is hard to follow at times, due in part to extreme subtlety in certain scenes, causing confusion as to what actually has happened. Also, a certain distance between Arenas and the audience is maintained throughout the film, lending to cringes instead of tears being shed. Whether this is a flaw is up to the viewer.
"Night" necessarily disturbs its audience. That is not to say that the film does not have moments of charm and humor. Watch for Johnny Depp doubling up on two very different (and both entertaining) roles; Sean Penn also pops up in a brief humorous scene.
When the movie ends, you may or may not have enjoyed the anguish to which you have just subjected yourself. But whether or not you appreciate seeing and hearing the words and life of Reinaldo Arenas, you will not likely forget them.
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