NUIT DE CHIEN (TONIGHT)
Germany, 2008, 120 minutes, Colour.
Pascal Greggory, Bruno Todeschini, Amira Casa, Eric Caravaca, Natalie Delon, Jean- Francois Stevenin, Bulle Ogier, Laura Martin, Sami Frey, Elsa Zylberstein.
Directed by Werner Schroeter.
Nuit de Chien is based on a novel by the Argentinian Juan Carlos Onetti. The setting is a night in an unnamed town, with Hispanic or Portuguese overtones. (In fact it was filmed in Porto in Portugal.) The action takes place from eight o’clock in the evening to six o’clock the next morning.
Pascal Greggory portrays a surgeon who has been caught up in the revolution for years and is returning to the town in order to reconnect with his former partner and the two of them escape in a boat away from the revolution. However, he finds that his partner has disappeared. His journey during the night is a kind of odyssey, taking him to the leader of the rebels, a confrontation with the leader of the powers that have taken over from the government which has fled, to various individuals, to a seedy club which shows something of the decadence that the town has fallen into. He then discovers the whereabouts of the former leader and confronts him. Later he finds his daughter and she accompanies him on the journey. He also encounters a woman who has had surgery from him twenty years earlier as well as a friend with whom he has a sexual encounter.
In the background, however, is a glimpse of the head of the Secret Police who wants to take over, his visit to the club, his arrest of some of the women, the interrogations and tortures, an assassination attempt on his life by one of the waiters.
The film is baroque in its style, sometimes lurid – with a touch of the florid. However, it also shows the background of so many of the revolutions, especially in Latin American countries, the individuals caught up, the loss of idealism, the deals that are made, the violence and the betrayals. The film ends quite pessimistically. At beginning and end there is a rhetorical question about death and why people should fear death because it is inevitable.
The film has a somewhat apocalyptic tone, uses classic art in the opening credits to show dogs present in crisis situations. It returns to the modern when it uses the voice of Orson Welles in his famous 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds.
A cinema oddity.
1.A picture of society, revolution and war, the apocalyptic tone?
2.The title, the initial art, the dogs, the end and the animals in the home of the head of the Secret Police? The voice-over beginning and end and the fear of death?
3.The town of Porto, the night photography, the tower and the lights? The streets, the taxis and the jeeps, the wharf and the boat, the club and the performers, apartments? The facilities like phones and electricity generally working, the television going off?
4.The musical score, the club and the songs, the classics: Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Bach? And the voice of Orson Welles and The War of the Worlds?
5.The structure of the film: Ossorio and his arriving, his journey throughout the night, his quest, the failure of his quest?
6.The city and the introduction, the bridge, the trains, the citadel, the war planes flying over, the atmosphere of civil unrest, people disappearing – Clara’s disappearance and the cigarettes? The deception about cholera? The plans of the government and the revolutionaries?
7.General Frago’s attack, the defence of the city, Martins and the rebels, Masseran and the Secret Police, Barcella and his past, corruption, the combination of betrayal, deals, deaths?
8.Ossorio and the gradual revelation about him, as a surgeon, his friends, fighting, rebel, leaving the city, fighting Fraga? The relationship with Clara, his return, motivation? To get the tickets? Going to the club, to meet Manou for the tickets, his death, suicide? The proprietor of the club, its style? The songs and the music? The discussion with Martins? The visit to Baccala, the confrontation, giving the information to Masseran? Going to the house at of Inez, for some sleep, meeting Victoria, Baccala’s daughter? The visit to Maria, the information about Gronowski, the sexual liaison with Maria? Gronowski and the information, Martins’ death and his presence, going to Masseran’s house, finding everybody dead, the stuffed animals? Meeting Max, going to the wharf, Max’s fear, Vila and his alleged help, going onto the wharf with Victoria, his death? As a possible leader? The futility of his last day?
9.Clara, her absence, Ossorio’s love for her, publishing the paper, with Baccala, the alleged alcohol problem, Gronowski’s information, the object of Ossorio’s quest?
10.The club, the types, the proprietor and her relationships, Rosaria and Manou’s death, her arrest, her mother? Irene and her being taken by Masseran? Juan and his propositioning Ossorio? Max and the variety of guests?
11.Irene, her being taken, tortured? Rosaria and her help? Irene being beaten, her injuries, her death?
12.Masseran and his interrogations in the abandoned church? The significance of the crucifix, the focus on the face of Jesus, the continual return to the crucifix when people were tortured, especially Irene?
13.Juan, at the club, coming to Masseran, offering the information, asking to be exposed, his attempt to shoot Masseran, his death? His relationship with Maria, her waiting for him, her phone calls?
14.Masseran and his arrival in the club, the Secret Police, the search, arresting Rosaria, taking Irene? The drink with the proprietor? Masseran in the church, Vila as his assistant, the torture, Juan and the confrontation, his death, Max and his offer for a deal, the police and support of Masseran? Masseran and his deals, especially with Martins, his killing his family and suicide?
15.Martins, old brigade, at the club, with Ossorio, his headquarters, the deal with Masseran, his injuries and death?
16.Max, Masseran, going to the cellar, free, offering to help Ossorio, driving, his fear?
17.Victoria, her age, with Inez, Inez and the reading, Inez and her hospitality?
18.Victoria, young, daughter of Baccala, her mistaking Ossorio’s identity, accompanying him, the young boy, the shower, the end, not afraid, death?
19.The various people who are tortured, their screams, their mad behaviour, the young boy, the shower?
20.The taxi drivers, wanting tickets to leave, their fares, the dangers?
21.Ordinary people, like Inez and her home, continuing, the facilities still going, the lights, electricity, phones? The television going off?
22.The ending, revolution, power struggles, active rebels, victims? Latin American politics and the reference to other dictatorships?
