JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT

US, 2005, 88 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Scott Glenn, Mos Def, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Alice Braga.
Directed by Eric Eason.

Journey to the End of the Night is an odd film, set in one night in the Brazilian city of São Paulo. It is the story of an American gangster, owner of a brothel, Sinatra, played by Scott Glenn, and his son, also a gangster, Paul, played by Brendan Fraser.

It is shown in flashback that a Russian mobster is murdered in the brothel by his wife and has left a case full of drugs. Father and son have sought out a Nigerian crew on a ship to sell the drugs. When their courier dies after sexual exertion, they find a cook who speaks the language and who agrees to exchange the drugs for money. This he does but is pursued by Paul’s thugs who want to steal the money and thwart his father. There is also a crooked detective after the money as well.

Part of the complication is a young woman who encounters the Nigerian cook and shares a dangerous car chase with him. She is played by Alice Braga.

There is also a soothsayer who has foreseen Alice Braga’s death and who is then consulted by Sinatra, with Paul arranging his abduction to find out what he told his father.

And there is also Sinatra’s young wife, a former prostitute, Cataline Sandino Moreno, whom he has married but who has borne a child who is really Paul’s. She is about to leave with Paul, deceiving her husband.

A very busy night in São Paulo, showing the ugliness of the exploitative world of brothels and pimps, of drug dealing and of thugs for hire and corrupt police.

1. A 21st century film noir? A grim story? Grim tones?


2. The Brazilian setting? The city of São Paulo? The night? The brothel, the streets, the docks? The garish colours? The musical score?

3. The unsympathetic characters, their backgrounds, exploitation, greed? Violence?

4. The title, the action taking place over one night?

5. The situation, explained in the flashback, the Russian client, his wife and her gun, killing him, shooting herself? Leaving the case of drugs? Sinatra and his decision about the drugs? Paul and his attitudes? The decision to sell them? The Nigerian group, needing a go-between? Their agent, his picking up the transvestite, the sexual encounter, his death?

6. Sinatra and his character, Paul and the revelation of his father’s callous attitude towards his wife and her dying of cancer, his sexual behaviour with the nurse and ignoring his wife? Paul and his angry reaction, tears, unable to forgive his father? Paul in himself, his relationship with Anita, defying his father, deceiving him, the child? Anita as a prostitute and then Sinatra marrying her? Her not telling him that it was Paul’s child? Sinatra and his love for the child, wanting to be a father and carefully him? The plans to get away, with the money? A different life?

7. Sinatra going to the kitchen, seeing Wemba, testing him out on the language? Giving Wemba the mission? Paul and his mistrust? The irony of the detective and his associate, the prostitute giving him information, his planning to take the money? Paul and his setting up his own contact? To get the money and defy his father?

8. The old woman going to the soothsayer? His vision? Seeing her daughter’s death? Sinatra coming to see him, their discussions, the soothsayer not being able to tell Sinatra what would happen? Paul sending his thug to confront the soothsayer, find out what he told his father? Killing the man’s dog? Taking him to his father? His not getting any information, his anger?

9. Wemba, driving to the dock, with the drugs, meeting the Nigerians, going on board, the deal, demanding to see the money? The exchange? His leaving, his being pursued by the thugs, the car chase, the bike, the gate and the escape? The encounter with Monique, the dangers, his taking her with him, her fears in the car ride, her support of him? Going into the building, taking the motorbike, her being wounded, his leaving her in the street and the ambulance coming?

10. Paul, his violence towards the transvestite and the responsibility for the death of the Courier? The transvestite returning, with the gun, the wounds from Paul’s beating? The confrontation, shooting Paul and his falling out the window? His shooting the transvestite? Threatening to kill Anita, Sinatra coming in between, his being shot? Wemba arriving, Sinatra’s trust being vindicated? Urging him to take the money, save Anita and the boy?

11. The detective, his wanting the money, threatening with his gun, Sinatra shooting him?

12. Wemba, Anita and the boy, finally leaving – to what future? The irony of Wemba being a cook and his finishing the night with all the money?