Before Night Falls (2000): Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Before Night Falls is a 2000 biographical drama directed by Julian Schnabel. It runs 2 hours 13 minutes and earned $8.6 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 6 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Critics gave it 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 13m (133 min)
- Director
- Julian Schnabel
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Fine Line Features
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Before Night Falls About?
The premise of Before Night Falls without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
This powerful biopic portrays the extraordinary life and literary talent of Reinaldo Arenas. The film follows his journey from a carefree childhood through challenging experiences as a writer and marginalized figure in Castro's Cuba. Facing persecution and exile, Arenas ultimately finds a path to freedom in America, revealing a profound story of artistic expression, resilience, and the complexities of the human spirit.
Before Night Falls Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- gay
- male frontal nudity
- homosexual
- gay latino
- gay kiss
- caribbean sea
- cuba
- male pubic hair
- brief male full frontal nudity
- gay protagonist
- implied gay sex
- 1950s
+38 more Show fewer
- 1960s
- 1970s
- nude boy
- poet
- novelist
- havana cuba
- boy
- male rear nudity
- bare chested male
- male nudity
- fiesta
- cross dresser
- beach
- gay slur
- gay bashing
- pubic hair
- co written by director
- based on autobiography
- based on documentary
- oriente cuba
- cuban
- communist cuba
- prostitute
- social drama
- younger version of character
- rebellion
- national library
- manual typewriter
- 1980s
- sexual intolerance
- political suppression
- escape from prison
- suicide by jumping off a building
- false arrest
- inner tube
- political refugee
- romantic drama
- suicide attempt
The Director of Before Night Falls
Directed by Julian Schnabel.
-
Director Julian Schnabel
More from Julian Schnabel
More films directed by Julian Schnabel, best-rated first: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, At Eternity's Gate, Berlin and Basquiat.
Before Night Falls Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Before Night Falls 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and 85 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
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IMDb 7.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 74% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 83%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 85 Metascore
User score 6.9
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 67% User score
See on TMDB
Before Night Falls Plot Summary
What happens in Before Night Falls from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Before Night Falls narrates the poignant journey of Reinaldo Arenas, a talented writer, poet, and novelist hailing from a humble rural background in Eastern Cuba. Initially, he was an enthusiastic supporter of the Cuban Revolution that elevated Fidel Castro to power in 1959. In 1963, Arenas transitioned to La Habana, where he cultivated his passion for writing. His literary debut, El mundo alucinante (Hallucinations), published in 1966, garnered significant acclaim, earning an honorable mention from the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists.
Full summary
The whole story of Before Night Falls, scene by scene
Before Night Falls Box Office
Before Night Falls grossed $8.6 million worldwide. $4.2 million came from the US and Canada and $4.4 million (51%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$8.6M
- US & Canada
- $4.2M
- International
- $4.4M
Before Night Falls Awards & Nominations
Before Night Falls won 1 award from 6 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Spirit Awards 2001, with 1 win from 4 nominations.
1 win6 nominations3 ceremonies
-
Spirit Awards 2001 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Best Male Lead – Javier Bardem
- Nominated Best Cinematography
- Nominated Best Director – Julian Schnabel
- Nominated Best Feature
-
Golden Globes 2001 1 nomination- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Javier Bardem
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Oscars 2001 1 nomination- Nominated Actor in a Leading Role – Javier Bardem
Before Night Falls Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Before Night Falls.
How Well Do You Know Before Night Falls?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What year was Reinaldo Arenas arrested for ideological deviation?
Before Night Falls Also Known As
23 alternative titles, including “Antes do Anoitecer” and “Avant que tombe la nuit”.
- Also known as
-
- Antes do Anoitecer
- Avant que tombe la nuit
- Ennen yötä
- Prin pesei i nyhta
- Πριν Πέσει Η Νύχτα
- Prima che sia notte
- Bevor es Nacht wird
- Antes que anochezca
- Avant la nuit
- Mielőtt leszáll az éj
- לפני שהלילה יורד
- Zanim zapadnie noc
+11 more Show fewer
- 비포 나잇 폴스
- Пока не наступит ночь
- Než se setmí
- Antes Que Anoiteça
- 夜になるまえに
- Животът на Рейналдо Аренас
- 当黑夜降临
- Karanlıktan Önce, სანამ დაღამდება
- ก่อนรัตติกาล
- Înainte de căderea nopții
- Поки не настала ніч
Seen Before Night Falls?
Movies Like Before Night Falls
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Una Noche, Night Watch and Viva.
Before Night Falls FAQ: Box Office, Awards & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Before Night Falls, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Before Night Falls?
Before Night Falls runs 2 hours 13 minutes (133 minutes).
When was Before Night Falls released?
Before Night Falls was released on December 22, 2000.
Who directed Before Night Falls?
Before Night Falls was directed by Julian Schnabel.
More films by Julian Schnabel How much did Before Night Falls make at the box office?
Before Night Falls grossed $8.6 million worldwide ($4.2 million domestic, $4.4 million international).
How is Before Night Falls rated?
Before Night Falls has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.
What awards did Before Night Falls win?
Before Night Falls won 1 award from 6 nominations, including Best Male Lead at the Spirit Awards 2001.
Does Before Night Falls have a post-credit scene?
No. Before Night Falls has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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