 Media Credit: Press Shot
Gay and artsy in Cuba: a hard-knock life.
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“A Dictatorship doesn’t like artists. Art is beauty, beauty needs to be destroyed…”
The press screenings at Parc usually consist of myself and one or two other people, so nothing could have prepared me for last Friday. The scene I encountered was abuzz with people, many quite well-known, both from radio and newspapers. This led me to the conclusion that the high numbers meant one thing: this movie was going to be big and probably well-received.
Before Night Falls, based on the true story of Reinaldo Arenas, an author we encounter both in childhood and as an adult, is a movie that sweeps the viewer up into Communist Cuba and doesn’t let you go until the credits roll. Reinaldo commited suicide in 1980, and four years later, his autobiography, Before Night Falls, was published. The screenplay of the movie is based on that novel and was written by Reinaldo’s longtime friend and lover, Lazaro Gomez Carrilles, with the help of Cunningham O’Keefe and Julian Schnabel, who doubles as director. This movie knows just how to get the story to fit the screen, a talent that is often lost in adaptations.
We first see Reinaldo dealing with parental neglect and a life raised on revolution. As an adult, Reinaldo struggle with being both an author and a homosexual in a politically staunch environment. This leads to Reinaldo being a frequent target of Castro’s government. Artists, homosexuals and the politically motivated were all censored in an attempt to prevent what was seen to be anti-communist propaganda from being spread to the masses.
Before Night Falls pulls you along on its emotional struggle, as Reinaldo is betrayed by friends attempting to make it to Florida, and being mistreated for the two years he spend in jail. Upon release, he eventually makes it over to the States during May 1980, when Castro allowed anyone who was gay, mentally ill, or had a prison record to leave Cuba. Throughout his life, Reinaldo is only truly free through his words. Even in the States, he speaks of how he is stateless and doesn’t feel as if he exists.
Though he only published one book in Cuba, through smuggling, he managed to internationally publish eight other novels, short stories and poems. His dedication to his work and his courage are admirable.
Reinaldo’s Cuba is filled with revolutions of all kinds, both violent and sexual. Despite all this, the need for escape is always present among all the character in this movie. The strength of this film lies in its realistic portrayal of emotions. Horror, alienation, loneliness, fear and happiness are artfully conveyed . Much of the credit goes to Javier Bardem, who plays Reinaldo to near perfection. One particulary vivid scene is when Reinaldo is in jail and forced into solitary confinement. In the small cubicle, with nothing but a fluorescent light, Reinaldo’s sense of being scared, lonely, cramped and close to being driven mad by the buzzing of the light is transmitted to the viewer.
Johnny Depp plays two different characters including Bon Bon, a drag queen. There is a Sean Penn cameo, which is simply gratuitous and doesn’t advance the plot.
The haunting quality of this film allows for deconstruction over and over long after the movie has ended.
It is rarity that you find such a touching story and such a powerful glimpse into the world of Communist Cuba. Before Night Falls isn’t a protest against Cuba, but rather a story of a man who is angered by the constraints placed on free expression and art.
Before Night Falls is playing at Cinéma du Parc from February 16th-March 16th.
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