Customer Reviews

Before Night Falls [VHS]

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3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"Before Night Falls" recounts the incredible life of Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas, played with great sensitivity by Spanish actor Javier Bardem. Born a peasant in the 1930's, Arenas had the great misfortune of being a gay writer in a country that considered art and homosexuality to be counter-revolutionary. "Before Night Falls" is based on his memoir and relates his imprisonment in Cuba and subsequent exodus to the United States. Despite this persecution, Arenas' work flourished and was published widely, albeit mostly outside of Cuba.

Director Julian Schnabel is a well-known "neo-expressionist" painter; accordingly, he is able to bring an artist's understanding and sensibility to the story. His prior film was "Basquiat," about the 1980's graffiti artist. Although Schnabel seems to be limiting himself to portraits of artists, the two films are very disparate. Specifically, "Before Night Falls" is much grander in scope and incorporates more directorial flourishes than does "Basquiat." Despite the epic sweep of the film, Schnabel successfully tells Arenas' very personal and heart-rending story. Another major asset of the film is the cinematography and ambiance; vibrant colors and people populate the film. The viewer is transported to 1960s Cuba; you can feel the humidity and the pulse of the Mambo music.

Javier Bardem gives an astonishing performance, for which he deservedly received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor. For the role, he was required to learn Cuban-Spanish as well as English. The DVD extras include a 7 minute interview with Arenas, and it's apparent that Bardem nails the look and speech of the artist, without reverting to a simple impersonation. Although most of the actors are of Latin descent, two big American stars have small roles: Johnny Depp has hilarious joint roles as a Cuban transvestite and a Cuban general, and Sean Penn plays a peasant farmer, rather convincingly too. The only minor debit of the film is that it's a tad over-long and could have used a bit more editing. However, overall, "Before Night Falls" is a superb film that perfectly captures another time and another place. Most highly recommended.

Extras: The extras include an interesting commentary track with Schnabel and Bardem, a short behind-the-scenes documentary filmed by Schnabel's daughter, and an interview with Arenas conducted in 1984 after he immigrated to the U.S.

Based on the memoirs of the late gay Cuban poet/author Reinaldo Arenas, "Before Night Falls" is a lengthy, depressing, yet brutally realistic film on the life Arenas before, during, and after the Cuban Revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. Starting with his childhood in rural Holguin, Cuba, the film covers every aspect of Arenas' upbringing, his attraction to men, and his run-ins with revolutionary agents as he became one of the island nation's most prominent writers.

Arenas, portrayed excellently by Spanish actor Javier Bardem, sees his life change dramatically, first from what he believes will become a promising age of development after the ruthless Batista regime is toppled by Castro's forces, to later a life of living in fear and hiding as he is blacklisted due to his writings and homosexuality by the new regime's ideological police.

As the film progresses, we see how Arenas deals with the repression of the regime in it's early days, and his persecution for his writings, many that were smuggled out of Cuba by French sympathizers of Arenas's work. Later arrested for a crime that he didn't commit, Arenas finds himself a fugitive living in Cuba, until he is arrested and sent to a Cuban prison before his eventual departure from the island in the Mariel Boatlift of the late 1970's

The film, which is one of the most powerful pieces of filmmaking I have seen in recent years, was directed with style and respect by Julian Schnabel. The film, which is a pioneer to the sense of the many visuals of the male anatomy/body used to illustrate this story of growing up gay in Castro's Cuba might disturb some people who are not accustomed in seeing this on the silver screen and/or gay sexuality. However, this shouldn't be a reason in not seeing this film.

Many excellent actors lend their talent to this, most notably Johnny Depp ("Edward Scissorhands") in a dual role as a prison manager and as a drag queen entertainer at the prison. Also contributing his immense talent is Sean Penn ("U-Turn") in a small role as a wagon driver who picks up a young Arenas on his way to fight in the Revolution. Also many fans of Latin telenovelas will recognize Cuban actor Francisco Gattorno ("Strawberry and Chocolate") in a rare English-language role as a French sympathizer who helps Arenas get his work published abroad in France.

Simply one of the best films of 2000, this is a must-see film for anyone interested in Cuba, it's people, or human rights. While many might see the Castro regime as a very repressive one, in fact the previous Batista regime was equally as ruthless with homosexuals, especially those in Cuba's high society. In the past decade, Castro has allowed greater freedom for homosexuals, so much that the Cuban government funded the Academy-Award nominated for Best Foreign Film, "Strawberry & Chocolate") back in the early 1990's.

One of the best films of 2000! I highly recommend it.

Before Night Falls is the second film from painter Julian Schnabel. Much like his first film, Basquiat, Schnabel uses this film to explore the life of another late artist -- the Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas. The film follows Arenas for his birth to Cuban peasants, his concurrent discoveries of both homosexuality and poetry during his youth, and his eventual, Hellish imprisonment under Fidel Castro's communist regime. Arenas was eventually sent to America as a part of the Mariel boatlift which later became infamous for being made up of several psychotics and habitual criminals. That Castro also included a large number of gay Cubans amongst this bunch shows the beyond low regard in which gays were held in what many still foolishly consider to be Castro's "enlightened" government. Settling in New York and living in great poverty (but finally with the freedom to be, regardless of his sexuality, acknowledged as a human being), Arenas eventually developed AIDS and killed himself in the early '90s. It doesn't sound like a happy story yet strangely, one cannot help but be inspired by this film. Certainly, the scenes in Cuba are the strongest. Though this is not an explicitly political film and Schnabel is hardly a right-winger, he is still unflinching in portraying how Castro's regime established its power by punishing anyone who dared to display any form of individuality and how homosexuals -- who were hardly on society's A list before Castro came to power -- became a convenient scapegoat. Through prodigous excerpts from Arenas's writings, Schnabel also shows how, under a system where freedom is forbidden, both art and any display of defiant individuality (in this case, Arenas' sexuality) become all the more important. They become a lifeblood and finally, the only way to keep oneself from becoming a member of the living dead. Once Arenas reaches America, the film is a little less sure of itself and, until Arenas finds himself facing death -- at times, it seemed that Arenas made it to America and the next day, discovered he was dying. The parts of the film dealing with Schnabel's illness might leave some viewers uncomfortable as Schnabel doesn't attempt to sentimentalize or preach. Yes, it is clear that Arenas, at least according to this film, contracted the disease through having unsafe sex and some might say that, for all his talk of freedom, Arenas' freedom to pursue his lifestyle has now killed him. But I think to say that would be to seriously misread this film. AIDS is presented as a risk but, at the same time, its clear that to have the freedom to live life the way you want is more important than that risk. As well, in New York, at least Arenas has the right to end his own life as opposed to Cuba where he would have been tossed, more or less, into a concentration camp. In the end, this is a film celebrating freedom -- artistic and personal -- and embracing the potential risks involved in that freedom.

As a painter, Schnabel is infamous for his huge canvasses and at times, this film does feel like its striving too hard to be epic and, as a result, about to crash and burn. However, Schnabel always manages to retain control and, only towards the end, does it seem occasionally a little overlong. Visually, the film is hauntingly beautiful (especially in the Cuba segments) and Schnabel shows a good feel for getting good performances from his actors. Javier Bardem is amazing in the lead role -- providing a valuable anchor for the film and never allowing himself to play a 1-D saint. Amongst the other actors, the best known are probably Sean Penn and Johnny Depp in two brief cameos. Penn shows up as Areas' father and is actually a bit of a distraction but he's only on screen for a few minutes. Depp plays two roles during the Cuban prison scenes -- a cross-dressing inmate and a sadistic prison warden. Though at first it might seem like stunt casting, Depp's two roles make a valuable point about the totalitarian existence -- the only real difference between the outcasts and the establishment is the uniform worn.

The sweltering Cuban countryside becomes a metaphor for the dual revolutions that co-exist in this film. At once stunningly beautiful and heartbreakingly deppressed, "Before NIght Falls" testifies to the power of both the forces of nature and the innate condition of the human self. Javier Bardem is brilliant as the noted writer Reinaldo Arenas, who was publicly humiliated by the Castro regime for daring to tell the truth, about his country, the revolution itself, and his own inner self. Edited to resemble a rollercoaster ride, viewers might find themselves lost on occassion by the mix of political and personal stroies, told against the backdrop of a persecuting dictatorship that has thus far existed survived beyond anyone's wildest expectations. To the director's credit, the Cuban landscape is etched with majestic beauty and pathos, at once incredibly beautiful and yet bittersweet, as if all the color had been drained from it. Bardem does a wonderful job of conveying Arena's mixture of pain and hope, first showing the support the writer had for Castro and then seeing the personal pain the dictator imposed. The prison sequences, some of which are told in dream settings, are forceful and rich, evocative of "Midnight Express" and yet intensely personal. While the film portrays the artist's reality in a manner some viewers found difficult to take, its nightmarish vision of how the Cuban people have suffered is notable. Few films have dared to delve into such challenging themes, and fewer still have gone within a Latino culture that at once celebrates its machoisms yet cheers the humiliation of its own. In some ways, "Before Night Falls" is a testament to the power of personal will and the search for freedom, both from one's politics and one's own self. The ending sequences, which involve dramatic and lucid moments of utter fear and pain drive home the message that sometimes, even freedom comes with a price (in this case AIDS.) Some audience members might find the film too harried and rushed, but "Before Night Falls" is deeply moving and well worth a viewing.

Biopic of Reinaldo Arenas, an openly gay Cuban poet; also the best film of 2000. There's the given conflict of the revolution and his homosexuality, but none of it is drenched with the starving artist contrivance you could have found. He's incredibly sure of himself, confident, and handsome, and that's what makes the picture fly. There's no room for the maudlin or the melodramatic, it's understated even inside the incredible grainy cinematography, and no character begs to be understood or cries that he isn't. It's a movie about nice blends; his writing, his job, his friends, and everything done is done effortlessly even under the harshest layers of oppression. It's a bit romanticized, even nostalgic, but always smart about it. Schnabel begs us to come back to reality with harsh depictions, but we get the sense that he's trying to cover up his smirks over how wonderful the human spirit can really be. He makes the argument that if you had to choose a dictator to live under, you'd choose this one. Wonderful performance by Bardem.

This is truly one of the finest films ever made exposing the tyranny of the Cuban communist state over one of its weakest subjects. The irony of the film, is that the effeminate homosexual poet, is actually the bravest, the strongest and the most heroic man in the film. The only "real man" is Reinaldo Arenas. While the Latin 'macho' heterosexual males are actually cowardly accomplices with no honor, guts or bravery. Reinaldo is a patriot, a real man who does not lack the courage of his conviction. This film will make you rethink the concept of manhood, as our homosexual hero stood firm against the Castro dictatorship, continued his conviction in the world of literature which is dominated by a pro Castro Left ... thus guaranteeing that his works would never be published. Unashamed of his sexuality, he faced death with the same conviction he faced injustice while living in Castro's communist Cuba. See this film. One caveat, I suggest you buy the DVD and see the film with the English subtitles. The poetry and the dialogue will make the experience something you'll never forget. The imagery of the film, is outstanding, the musical score is perfect. The scene with Johnny Depp both as a transvestite and as a Gestapo like communist interrogator are in my opinion one of his finest performances. Especially memorable, is Lezama Lima explaining to our hero that since the tyrant cannot govern beauty, he wants to destroy it, allowing 400 years of Cuban culture go down the drain while everyone applauds. There are so many universal truths in this film that one simple review cannot possibly elaborate 1/10 of them. However I guarantee that you will never forget this film. Just remember to use the English subtitles and it will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Before Night Falls was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal year for movies in 2000. Javier Bardem gives a heartbreaking performance as Reinaldo Arenas, an aspiring poet who grows up in Cuba--only to be tortured and condemned for his homosexuality by the very dictatorship he was raised to embrace. When he gets caught for smuggling his printed work overseas, he is arrested, tried, and jailed. He ultimately escapes, flees to New York City with his lover. Revealing more would be unkind, but do have your tissues ready for the ending: it's one of the most powerful scenes I've witnessed. In addition to the film, the DVD also has a short interview with the real life Reinaldo Arenas. If you haven't seen the movie, rent it. If you've already seen it, then by all means buy this DVD. You can thank me later.

There's a lyrical quality to this film that makes the brutality of the oppression it depicts seem almost tangible, and "Before Night Falls, " directed by Julian Schnabel, is photographed in a way that gives much of it something of a documentary feel (and, indeed, some archival footage is included), which defines the drama and adds to the overall impact of the film. And quite a story it is. The true story of writer Reinaldo Arenas (Javier Bardem), who was born in Cuba in 1943, it touches on his childhood, but concentrates on the `60s and `70s, during which time Arenas was considered a counter-revolutionary by the Cuban government because of his writing, as well as his homosexuality.

Schnabel pulls no punches as he presents an incisive picture of the suffering inflicted upon Arenas (and others) through the wanton mistreatment and discrimination of Castro's regime. Extremely well crafted and delivered, it's a film that makes a powerful statement about many of the things so many take for granted. Like freedom of speech and assembly. For as the film points out, in post-revolution Cuba, a gathering of more than three becomes a criminal offense; a group of people getting together for a poetry reading become criminals of the State, and the punishment for expressing one's own thoughts can be, at the very least, torture and imprisonment.

This is the environment in which Arenas grew and matured, as a person, a poet, a writer; still, he was irrepressible when it came to his work, and managed to create and have some of it published, but only by smuggling it out of Cuba (in one instance to France, where his book was named Best Foreign Novel of the year). It's a ruthless, uncompromising world Schnabel lays bare with his camera, and it's that realistic recreation of that very real time and place that is one of the strengths of this film. But what really drives it and makes it so compelling, is Bardem's incredible portrayal of Arenas.

To say that Bardem's performance was worthy of an Oscar would be an understatement; along with Ed Harris (in "Pollock"), it was quite simply one of the two best of the year (2000). In order to bring Arenas to life, it was necessary for Bardem to capture all of the myriad complexities of the man and the artist, which he did-- and to perfection. It's a challenging role, and Bardem more than lives up to it, with a detailed performance through which he expresses the physical, as well as the emotional aspects of the character: His mannerisms, his walk, the body language that says so much about who he is; how he copes with living in a seemingly hopeless situation. By the end of the movie, because of Bardem, you know who Reinaldo Arenas was, and you're not likely to forget him.

The most poignant scenes in the film are those in which Arenas' words are being recited as the camera creates a visual context for them, looking out through the window of a moving car or bus at the streets, towns, buildings and people, as Arenas describes them. These scenes fill the senses and are virtually transporting; and it is in them that the true poetic nature of Arenas is made manifest. It's beautiful imagery, and the contrast between the beauty of the words and the ugliness of the reality against which it is set is powerful. All of which is beautifully conceived and executed by Schnabel; an excellent piece of filmmaking.

In a dual supporting performance, Johnny Depp is effective as Bon Bon, a "queen" Arenas meets during his incarceration, and also as Lieutenant Victor, who oversees the prison. Each character is unique, and it's quite a showcase for Depp's versatility.

Rounding out the supporting cast are Olivier Martinez (Lazaro), Andrea Di Stefano (Pepe), Sean Penn (Cuco), Michael Wincott (Herberto), Pedro Armendariz Jr. (Reinaldo's Grandfather) and Vito Maria Schnabel (Teenage Reinaldo). A film that is not necessarily entertaining, and at times unpleasant to watch because of it's stark realism, "Before Night Falls" is, nevertheless, thought-provoking, riveting drama that is thoroughly engrossing. And it proves that beauty can indeed be found in the least likely of places. But it also makes you realize that it is up to each individual to care enough to seek it out, and to hopefully have the wisdom to realize it once it is found. And that's the real beauty of a film like this; it affords you the opportunity to do just that.

Spanish-born actor Javier Bardem gives a staggering performance as Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas, which is lucky since he is in almost every frame of this film. In fact, he is the only constant in a biopic that sometimes feels disjointed and a bit long-winded, piecing together as it does the various episodes of Arenas' life sometimes sacrificing narrative flow in the process. At the same time, this is a powerfully moving film that displays the intensity of the post-revolution persecution experienced by Cubans more effectively than either Carlos Eire's memoir, "Waiting for Snow in Havana", or Hollywood confections such as Sydney Pollack's "Havana" or Richard Lester's "Cuba".

Director Julian Schnabel, an artist himself who had previously directed a film about celebrity graffiti artist Jean Michael Basquiat, jumps back and forth like an abstract painter clarifying time periods by employing captions. We first see Arenas' birth in 1943 rural Cuba followed by glimpses of his poverty-stricken childhood. The story then moves forward to 1958 just before Castro rose to power and when Arenas becomes a revolutionary living in eastern Cuba. By 1964, as both an open gay and an intellectual, Arenas' writings have made him anathema to Castro's regime. For the next fifteen years, he shuttles back and forth between jail and freedom, and Arenas' story sheds much light on the difficult of living as a member of not just one but two minorities. In highly visual terms, Schnabel creates a striking tableau of life in Cuba that shows how getting out of Cuba was not an easy decision for natives to make, and Arenas, like most Cubans, makes it only begrudgingly at first. Imagine having to give up everything and fleeing. There is a vividly filmed sequence of an all-night party in an abandoned convent that houses a homemade hot-air balloon (shades of Jules Verne) by which one of them decides to escape selfishly and fatally. There are also some powerful scenes that show the humiliating torture Arenas experienced in prison ending finally with his escape and ultimately his departure from Cuba in the Mariel Harbor exodus of 1980 as one of Castro's "undesirables". Arenas then went into exile in New York living with his former lover, Lazaro. Sadly, soon after his arrival in America, he became ill with AIDS. The American sequence is short, allowing maximum time for the Cuba ordeal that makes up most of the film.

The charismatic Bardem is superb capturing the emotional combustion in his character's life. There are a few guest appearances that somewhat undermine the story's realism, a nearly unrecognizable turn by Sean Penn as a Cuban peasant and in dual roles, Johnny Depp as a sadistic, closeted lieutenant and a transvestite named Bon Bon, who entertains prisoners in El Moro prison. And the use of English versus Spanish seems to be more at the director's discretion than the actual circumstances within scenes. But these are forgivable indulgences since Schnabel has made a valuable film telling a tale of Cuban struggle and hardship of a type that we surprisingly don't see that often in film. At 133 minutes, it does seem a bit overlong, but Arenas packed a full life in his 47 years. Most importantly, Schnabel successfully paints a picture depicting the influences behind Arenas' writing: his difficult childhood, his conflicted feelings for his mother, coming to terms with his sexuality, the revolution in Cuba, and the pain of being an outcast in his own country. As one might expect from a painter, Schnabel uses images as effectively as words to advance the story. Most are simple and quite beautiful, such as an early scene of a rainstorm that turns into a raging torrent of water, a later shot of countless prison inmates dangling bars of soap outside of their jail cells, or flashes of snow falling in New York as Arenas and his friend lie on a speeding convertible. Nevertheless, because Arenas, as a writer, dealt in words, it is impossible to tell his story without embracing this component, and Bardem's economical voiceovers attest to that aspect in a dramatically effective manner. Strongly recommended in spite of the relatively minor flaws. The DVD also includes an interesting French television interview with the real Arenas from 1983.

One doesn't need to know who Reinaldo Arenas was to appreciate this film. By the time it's over you can't wait to read Arenas' books (or re-read them as the case my be). Julian Schnabel has created a rich and multi-layered film about freedom and art - how staying true to the art of expressing yourself (even in the face of adversity) is the only truly liberating thing in life.

For non-Spanish- (or French-) speaking film audiences, Javier Bardem and Olivier Martinez are the acting-Finds of the decade! Bardem is as well known to Spanish-speaking audiences, as Martinez is in France. We can only hope to see them both more often in English-language films that get widespread releases internationally. It's only a shame that Bardem didn't win the Oscar he was nominated for at the 2000 Academy Awards - seldom have I been so moved by an acting performance. Johnny Depp is lots of fun as "Bon-Bon" - the smuggling drag queen, but looks somewhat out of place in his double role as a Cuban police inspector (it's probably the glued-on mustache that doesn't work for me!). Keep and eye out for Sean Penn, too.

The film is an extraordinary masterpiece! A "Must-See"!