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| Before Night Falls is a masterpiece, lovingly and elegantly crafted by director Julian Schnabel (of “Basquiat” fame). The film opens with a stark, minimalist credit sequence – telling you, essentially, enough to enjoy the film. Basically, that the title is Before Night Falls. Then, it makes sure you know you’re in Oriante Province, in the year 1943. The opening line of dialogue: “Trees have a secret life that is only available to those who are willing to claim them.” This kind of poetic language – sometimes in English, occasionally in Spanish, is used effortlessly and elegantly in the otherworldly, exotic opening sequence, and this interesting technique follows through the remainder of the film. Before Night Falls transports the viewer someplace else – whether it’s the leafy, exotic jungle of Oriante Province, the poor, grimy environs of Havana, or the similarly impoverished, dingy environs of New York City. The movie is based on the life of Reinaldo Arenas as laid forth in his memoir Before Night Falls. Arenas, a Cuban-born novelist and poet, contrasts his childhood of “absolute poverty yet absolute freedom” with the later difficulty and oppression he was subjected to as a writer and homosexual in post-revolutionary Cuba. The film’s director, Julian Schnabel, combined images from Arenas’ autobiography Before Night Falls with his other works, including The Hallucinations, The Parade Ends, The Color of Summer and stories from Lázaro Gómez Carriles (a longtime friend of Reinaldo and a prominent character in the film). It’s a powerful blend of poetry and cinematography, making the film itself more than the sum of its parts. The film has a wonderful way of making the audience forget itself – and, indeed, making the film itself seem to disappear for a time. The sensation is akin to a marvelous freefall, where one finds oneself lost in the sheer beauty of language – either the Spanish in which the words are spoken by Javier Bardem (Reinaldo Arenas) or the English subtitles in which the translation appears. In portions -- particularly the one where we see the first real meeting of Lazaro and Reinaldo – the approach is marvelous. In a sequence devoid of natural sound and accompanied by a wonderful string company, the cinematography seems to replicate all the joy and wonder of falling in love again. The screenplay artfully integrates the poetic sequences narrated by Bardem and the action of the film. The performances are genius – Javier Bardem leading the way with a complex yet authentic performance all his own. His performance as Arenas is magnificent and refined. There’s a kind of amiable, gentle air to his performance, as well as a certain unnamable something that may remind the viewer of Raul Julia, another wonderful Latin actor. The film carries with it a kind of amazing authenticity – the sequences that are beautiful are amazingly beautiful… and at the same time, the sequences that are painful or tragic ring similarly so. Before Night Falls is refreshing – while it maintains a proud tradition of cinema as art, it does so without being unnecessarily pretentious or lofty. Over all, the film is marvelously integrated, one element melting wonderfully into another. No part of the film seems to overshadow another, no sequence remaining with the viewer more than another, no performance flashy. Johnny Depp appears in not just one – but two unexpected (and utterly surreal) roles. Sean Penn appears as well, turning in a brief but unforgettable performance. However, these two big-name Hollywood actors seem to simply disappear into the ensemble. Not in a forgettable sense, but in the sense of a true ensemble. While the film deals with Arenas’ homosexuality and the AIDS that he suffered with towards the end of his life, it does so in a way that does not overshadow the rest of the subject matter. Neither is exploited, highlighted -- or underplayed. It’s simply a part of his story, and is used as such. Before Night Falls is an understated, charming film about what the wonderfully complex, interesting, quirky life of a wonderfully romantic writer. The final diagnosis: go see it in the theatre. It’s one of those movies that critics call a tour-de-force. Before Night Falls is a piece of poetry on film that manages to be incredible without being pretentious or self-conscious. See it. By Sean $9.50/$10.00 |
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