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Before Night Falls

6.6

9,840

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Original title

Before Night Falls

Year

2000

Running time

133 min.

Country

United States

Director

Julian Schnabel

Screenwriter

Julian Schnabel, Cunningham O'Keefe. Autobiography: Reynaldo Arenas

Cast

Music

Carter Burwell

Cinematography

Xavier Pérez Grobet, Guillermo Rosas

Producer

Grandview Pictures Production

Genre

Drama | Biography. Gay & Lesbian. Literature. Disease/illness. AIDS. 1970s. 1980s

Synopsis

Episodic look at the life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990), from his childhood in Oriente province to his death in New York City. He joins Castro's rebels. By 1964, he is in Havana. He meets the wealthy Pepe, an early lover; a love-hate relationship lasts for years. Openly gay behavior is a way to spite the government. His writing and homosexuality get him into trouble: he spends two years in prison, writing letters for other inmates and smuggling out a novel. He befriends Lázaro Gomes Garriles, with whom he lives stateless and in poverty in Manhattan after leaving Cuba in the Mariel boat-lift. When asked why he writes, he replies cheerfully, "Revenge."

Awards: 2000: Nominated for Oscar: Best Actor (Javier Bardem)

2000: Nominated for Golden Globe: Best Actor - Drama (Javier Bardem)

2000: 2 Awards National Board of Review: Libertad of expresión, Actor (Javier Bardem)

2000: Venice Film Festival: Special Jury Prize and Best Actor (Javier Bardem)

2000: American Film Institute (AFI): Top 10 Movies of the Year

2000: New York Film Critics Circle: Nominated for Best Actor (Javier Bardem)

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Ranking Lists Position

59 My Top 10 Movies from 2000 (33)

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Before Night Falls

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