Last Friday, I had the opportunity to watch the highly acclaimed film, Before Night Falls. This film, based on an autobiography, brought to light the life and trials of Reinaldo Arenas, a brilliant Cuban novelist. The crux of the film revolved around how Arenas explored his sexuality amidst the harsh political climate that surrounded him. What I admired most about this film was how genuine and direct it was. The movie did an excellent job at making you feel uncomfortable and presented the atrocities of the Castro regime in the damning way. The film is very passionate and provides a great insight into the mind of Arenas in such a turbulent time.

Moreover, this film gave me some flashbacks to Junot Diaz’s novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Both pieces of work share similar aspects in the form of characters exploring their sexuality, and how oppressive governments limit the rights of individuals. In the case of Oscar Wilde, this happens in the form of him trying to find his true love and how Rafael Trujillo’s government was nothing short of tyrannical.

In all, I believe that this movie was a wonderful film that truly lives up to the critical acclaim and is one that I highly recommend.