When Night is Falling

Canada | 1995 | Directed by Patricia Rozema

Logline: An uptight and conservative woman, working as a Christian university professor and engaged to another of the college’s professors, finds herself strangely attracted to a free-spirited, liberal woman whom works at a local carnival which has come to town.

A deeply lush and exquisitely sensual drama streaked with a subtle, but resonating sense of humour, this romance continues to age like a fine wine; rich, vibrant, heady and intoxicating. Not to mention very erotic in particular moments!

From the pen and eye of the same woman who made the quirky independent darling of the arthouse scene, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, this is another lesbian love story, albeit one entangled in the trappings of heterosexuality and the moral complications of theology. Throw in a Sirkus of Sorts and you’ve got a small, but wonderful dose of surrealism to wrap around the dramatics.

Pascale Brussieres as Camille and Rachael Crawford as Petra are sensational as the star-crossed lovers, each a foil to the other’s desires. Henry Czerny is excellent as Martin, Camille’s fiancé. Petra throws a deliciously tempting spanner into Camille’s works and Martin feels the cold metal slap him in the face. Meanwhile Timothy (Don McKellar) and Tory (Tracy Wright), the circus organizers whom Petra is the troupe’s shadow dancer, are having trouble within their own relationship, and this is played off against the more serious implications of the Camille, Petra, Martin triangle. David Fox adds zing as Reverend DeBoer, holding great concern 0ver Camille’s increasingly strange behaviour and Martin’s attempts at rationalising it.

The events are set off after Camille’s dog is accidentally run over. In a state of confused grief Camille decides to put the small dog in her fridge rather than burying him. This triggers a soul-searching chasm to open up for her, and Petra swings out over it to caress her hand. Her exotic beauty catches Camille off guard, as does her forwardness. This in turn causes Camille to question her own love for Martin as she finds herself being drawn into Petra’s seductive adventurous realm. When they finally make love it liberates Camille and she has found her true calling.

Poor Martin can only flounder and stew in his own juice of contempt, as does the good Reverend as well. There is an hilarious scene between DeBoer, Camille and Petra. But ultimately it is Martin’s frustrated and despairing actions which emancipate Camille. At movie’s end rather curiously Camille’s dog is freed too. It’s a beautiful and poignant (not to mention surreal) epilogue.

When Night is Falling is unashamedly beautiful, from the gorgeous contrasting leads; hourglass Brussiere with her strawberry blonde hair, high cheek bones, almond eyes and full lips, and svelte Crawford with her brunette crop, mocha complexion, soulful eyes, and luscious lips. The cinematography is fabulous, as is the music and the production design (especially that of the avant garde Sirkus of Sorts). In fact, the realm of the carnival where Camille ventures to first return Petra’s clothes which “accidentally” turned up in her laundry bag is a mesmerizing experience; those trapeze artists, and Petra’s shadow dance, juggling the light.

The unexpected romance is what drives the narrative, but there’s a subtext: the friction of what we are which exists as one thing on the outside, but another thing entirely on the inside. Patricia Rozema plays with this allowing fantasy to weave and undulate through the storytelling rearing its head in moments that imbue the film with a Fellini-esque magic.

When Night is Falling is a dreamy, mischievous and forbidden love affair for adults.

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