Before Night Falls

yesterday I watched the movie version of "Antes de nochesza" (by the autobiography of the cuban revolucionary and gay author Reinaldo Areinas); called "Before Night Falls". It was made in 2001 and is directed by Julian Schnabel. The movie is fucking brilliant and I insist upon everyone to watch it. The first time I saw it was when I studied in Cuba, where it was a part of the curriculum.

I think it demonstrates fairly well that socialism is not for everyone. Castro himself said that those who were not revolucionary (in his meaning the gays) was not wanted in the country either. Therefore he arranged emigration for the homosexuals, and put those who wanted on boats to the States). Others were places in camps for gay people, where their sought to re-eduacate them to be proper citizens (heteros). Isn't that just sick?! These camps were similar to the camps in Polen, Germany and Spain during the WW2; campos de trabajo).

Poster of "Before Night Falls"

Wikipedia's description of "Before Night Falls":
The film offers an episodic look at the life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990), from his childhood in the province of Oriente to his death in New York City. As a youth he joins Castro's rebels. By 1963 he is studying in Havana. He meets the wealthy Pepe, an early lover; their love-hate relationship lasts for years. His writing and openly gay lifestyle get him into trouble: he spends two years in prison, writing letters for other inmates and smuggling out a novel. Later he befriends Lázaro Gómez Carriles, with whom he lives stateless and in poverty in Manhattan after leaving Cuba in the Mariel boatlift. When asked why he writes, he replies cheerfully, "Revenge."

Reinas is portrayed by the brilliant Javier Bardem (the bad guy from No Country for Old Men, and the Don-Juan alike character in Vicky Cristina Barcelona; all very good movies). Moreover, Johnny Deep appears in two different characters in the movie, both as a very convincive transvestite and a military general). In the beginning of the movie, Sean Penn also has a minor role. What I find funny about this movie is that its ulitimately in english (whereas the characters speak english with a spanish accents), but sometimes swiches over to spanish, without that this comes off as unnatural.

Bardem and Depp, as a transvestite, in prison

Depp as the cruel general

Sean Penn as an old drunk that gives the boy-Reinas a ride on his way to joining the rebels.