BEFORE NIGHT FALLS

US, 2000, 122 minutes, Colour.
Javier Badim, Olivier Martinez, Andrea di Stefano, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Michael Wincott, Hector Babenko.
Directed by Julian Schnabel.

An unticipated popular success at the American box-office with Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Spanish star, Javier Bardem. It is a controversial film tackling, as it does, themes of the Castro revolution in Cuba, the repression of intellectuals and, because of its central character, the treatment of homosexuals. Screened in competition at the Venice Film Festival, it won awards for best actor and best director. It also received one of the awards from the International Catholic Organisation for Cinema, OCIC.

As president of that Jury, it was an important experience to assess why the jury members wanted the film to receive an award. It was certainly well-made (and that is one criterion for an award). However, the jury thought that in its tackling of moral and social issues, it was asking its audience to think more broadly than behaviour, to look at social injustice and persecution and their consequences and to consider where true tolerance and understanding are needed

Before Night Falls was directed by Julian Schnabel, a well-known artist. His first film was Basquiat, about the New York artists associated with Andy Warhol York City. Before Night Falls is based on the life of the Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas. Schnabel discovered Arenas as a writer some
years after his death in New York City in 1990. He found him a symbol of Cuba and the response to Castro's revolution. Arenas was born in poverty, an absent father and a strict mother. He also discovered early in his life that he was homosexual. He went off to join the rebels and supported Castro's revolution.

However, as the revolution went on and Castro tightened his policies on morals and ideology, Arenas found himself at odds with the government. The film shows his early life, his writing, his friends, his success with his first novel in Cuba. However, he is later denounced and imprisoned. He tries to escape Cuba but fails. Finally, when Castro granted an amnesty to criminals, homosexuals and undesirables to get rid of them from Cuba, he was able to go to America. He lived for ten years in New York City, continuing to write, finally succumbing to AIDS and committing suicide in 1990.

Spanish star Javier Bardem brings Arenas to life with his award-nominated performance. There is a strong international supporting cast, often in cameo roles, including Johnny Depp in two roles as the interrogating lieutenant and as the transvestite who smuggles Arenas's novel out of prison. Sean Penn appears briefly as a Cuban farmer, Michael Wincott as a poet who denounces himself, director Hector Babenko as a literary adviser to Arenas.

Schnabel uses footage from the period as well as imaginative symbolic sequences which use Arenas's poetry in voice-over. The film comes together as a partial biography, an interpretation of character, a poetic exploration of an artist as well as a very strong picture of Castro's Cuba from 1960 to 1990. It asks for understanding of a complex and confused world.

1. A biography of a Cuban writer? The title of his memoir, Before Night Falls? Its symbolic meaning for his life?

2. The impact of Arenas in Cuba during the Castro era? His novel and winning the competition? His other writings published outside Cuba and making him an enemy of the state? His finally being stateless in the United States? His reputation outside Cuba, winning a prize in France, settling in the United States?

3. The work of Julian Schnaubel as artist and film-maker? His visual and poetic interpretation of Arenas's life and work? The technical virtuosity of the film: the naturalistic settings, the use of footage from the period, the poetic use of Arenas's poetry? The combination of these elements for a biography and an interpretation?

4. The importance of the voice-over, the quotations from Before Night Falls, the quotations from his other work, the poem by Lazaro as he died? The final poem about the unfortunate and unwanted child?

5. Cuba in the `40s and `50s? The poverty of the peasants? The Arenas household, the women, the domination of the grandmother, the mother and her alienation of her husband? His anger with her, giving the coins to his son and disappearing? The dominance of Arenas's mother - yet her always being young in his memories? His growing up, playing, working, at school? The introduction of the sexual theme - in the class, his watching the men in the river? The establishing of the alienated unfortunate child and his sexual orientation?
The revolution, the rebels, Castro? The atmosphere of revolution? The young Reinaldo going off to join the rebels, the ride on the cart with the farmer and his talking about the rebels and his own family? Getting off the cart, going with the soldiers? His endorsing of the revolution? 1964, his writing, studying, seeing the competition and entering it? His getting the runner-up prize? The publishers and the writers and their interest in him, the writer getting him to read the Bible and other classics? The writer editing the book and its finally being published? His work in the national library and his love of books? His continued reading?

6. The chance encounter with the man with Errol Flynn's car? The sexual pass and his reaction? Later meeting him, joining in the homosexual community of young men in Havana? In the car together - and giving the cigarettes to the soldiers? The comments on the sexual revolution being used as a weapon against Castro's oppression? A symbol of freedom? The beach party, the military arriving and the homosexuality? The young man on the cliff and his punching Reinaldo? The confusion of the times? The characters and friends of Reinaldo? Pepe and his bisexuality and his behaviour? Friendship and antagonism?

7. The years passing, Arenas and his writing, unable to be published in Cuba? The encounter with the couple and their smuggling his manuscript out of Cuba and its being published in France, winning the competition? The beach sequence and the kite, the fight with Pepe, the young men stealing their clothes, the summons, the police, the arrest? The imprisonment - and his escaping and swimming away? Hiding? The persecution and his feeling on the margin?

8. The attempt to escape, its failure? The return, the support of his friends, especially Lazaro? In the village, having something to eat, being propositioned and arrested? His being put in jail, the ugliness of the jail, his taking the drugs, his reputation, writing the letters? Bonbon and the provocation, taking the manuscript out of the prison? His being put in solitary and its effect on him? The confrontation and interrogation by Lieutenant Victor? His sexual fantasy, the reality?

9. Trying to survive in Cuba in the late `70s? His friends, the clash with Pepe, the support of Lazaro? The possibility of escaping in the balloon? The balloon being stolen and crashing?

10. Castro and his edict, the friends lining up for a pass, changing his document and his being allowed to go to the United States? The sense of freedom?

11. The experience in New York City, the interviews, seeing him at home, a happy life, his continued writing in publications, his friendship with Lazaro and sharing the room with him, writing the book about him? The final illness, his antagonism towards Lazaro, the reconciliation? His deciding to end his life, taking the pills, Lazaro reading the poem, smothering him?

12. The impact of the novelist and his reputation? His place in Cuban literature? The cross-purposes of his success with Castro's policies? The exile and the man on the margin? An interpretation of a Cuban writer for a worldwide audience in the 21st century? Literature? Social questions? Politics?