The secret of tree life, only those who are willing to climb know

Wiley 2022-03-02 08:01:06

Exiled in NYC under Castro If it weren't for the movie "Before Night Falls", I am afraid that Cuban writer and poet Reinaldo Arenas will never be known, and his poems will be missed forever. The poet's biography is as smooth as a poem. (1) The childhood of the angry child Reinaldo, as he narrated, "My childhood was surprisingly wonderful because of extreme poverty and because of complete freedom in the wild, in the woods, among animals, and among people who were indifferent to me." The narrator happily narrated this paragraph, The naked child playing in the mud on the screen made me inappropriately envy his free and unfettered childhood, but missed the most important point. He was an unwelcome child from childhood and grew up in a cold crowd. It wasn't until he died that a friend read a passage from his memoir and realized: "I am that unlikeable child definitely unwanted with the round dirty face who before the giant street lights or under the grandames also illuminated or in front of the little girls that seem to levitate projects the insult of his dirty face I am that angry and lonely child of always that throws you the insult of that angry child of always and warns you: If hypocritically you pat me on the head I would take that opportunity to steal your wallet. I am that child of always before the panorama of imminent terror, imminent leprosy, imminent fleas, closed markets, closed cinemas, closed parks, closed cafes, sometimes showing dusty signs, justifications: 'CLOSED FOR RENOVATION' 'CLOSED FOR REPAIRS' What kind of repairs? When will these so-called renovations be finished? When at last will they begin ? closed...Closed...closed...everything closed... I arrive, open the countless padlocks and run up the temporary stairs There she is, waiting for me I pull off the cover, and stare at her dusty, cold shape I clean off the dust and caress her With my hand, delicately, I wipe clean her back, her base and her sides In front of her, I feel desperate and happy I run my fingers over her keyboard and suddenly it all starts up With a tinkling sound the music begins, little by little, then faster Now full speed Walls, trees, streets, cathedrals, faces and beaches. . . cell, mini-cells, room small room big room starlit night bare feet pine trees clouds hundreds of thousands of parrots stools rising factories they are all responding me all walking towards me walls receding roofs disappear you float naturally you float Uprooted and lifted away from immortality, saved thanks to the delicate and constant melody, the music, the constant percussion) (3) Water and prison Reinaldo showed the poet's sensitivity since childhood: "Don't ask where he came from, don't you see Don't come from the garden from the most beautiful flowers" "It's about to rain and my roses will be drowned" "The moonlight bathes death, it looks like a dazzling star, twinkling in the middle of the backyard" Adulthood , who has been dreaming of being a writer, he was lucky enough to meet "Pippi", he had a typewriter, a social circle, and sex, his works were published, and he became famous; it also became his misfortune, because Homosexuality was condemned and jailed for opposing the Red Revolution's Castro. He paddled across the sea on rubber tires to escape from prison, but was still washed back by the waves. He was drenched and huddled up and down, crying with extreme grievance. He thought of his mother and the flood in his childhood! Cuba is a communist ideal country, and aliens like Reinaldo are destined to be eradicated. He was imprisoned again on charges of trumped-up rapist and murderer, and the torture and repression in prison was appalling. There was a moment when he was locked up alone in a very small room where he couldn't turn around for several days, his will was completely destroyed; then he was announced that he could choose to be released or die, and the moment the gun was aimed at his throat, he wept bitterly, completely. collapsed..... (4) Homosexuality In fact, Reinaldo is a homosexual. The explanation in the film is a bit vague. He doesn't know how he became gay when he lived with a group of happy women and praised his beautiful mother from time to time. It seems that when Pippi expressed sex to him for the first time, he chose to leave and refuse immediately. Did Pippi change him? Or did accepting Pippi's same-sex love become a trade-off for his typewriter and writers' circle? He suffered, but ironically saved him, because of his homosexuality, which ultimately allowed him to escape Cuba and come to the United States. Perhaps "homosexuality" is a way of his struggle, a kind of revenge and backlash against the stimuli of repression. In the film, Reinaldo categorizes homosexuality into four categories: 1) Homosexuality in the dog pen, he declares loudly that he is gay, his sexuality has no end, so he is always arrested, the social system creates an eternal neck for his neck so they can control him and take him to rehab camp like a wampala old man 2) gay in general, he has commitments with other gays, he has a job, goes to a movie club, likes to hang out with his friends Drinking tea, writing poetry now and then, only having sex with gays, never taking risks, never knowing what a real man is 3) gay in the closet, no one knows he is gay, he is married, has kids, Dodges when he goes to the bathroom, always wears the wedding ring his wife gave him, it's hard to recognize them, but we have one here, most of the time they always blame other gays , a communist country, because of his close relationship with our Marxist leader, or his special job with national security and management, he can openly declare that he is gay, travel at home or abroad, and be dressed in jewels, He can even have a limousine and he should be the first one!

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Extended Reading
  • Myrna 2022-03-15 09:01:10

    It should have been filmed in Spanish, but it seems nondescript in English. Dubbed as an imperialist recruiting film, I wish you an early success in defecting hahaha!

  • Brent 2022-03-19 09:01:10

    Javier Bardem is right

Before Night Falls quotes

  • Reinaldo Arenas: What do you want?

    Cuban Police Officer: What do I want... First of all, I want Carlos to frisk this guy.

    Reinaldo Arenas: But he's not even dressed.

    Police Officer: What's your name?

    Reinaldo Arenas: My name? Franz Kafka.

    Police Officer: Hm. You think I am ignorant?

    [Reinaldo shakes his head]

    Police Officer: Have any of you ever heard of a Camp called La Isla de Joventud?

    [Everyone declines]

    Police Officer: Then maybe you can tell me, when's the last time you took it up your ass.

    Reinaldo Arenas: The last time? Oh, I don't remember.

    Police Officer: No?

    Reinaldo Arenas: But I remember the last time you did.

    Police Officer: When was that?

    Reinaldo Arenas: Maybe the last time you bent over to tie your boots.

  • Reinaldo's Mother: Reinaldo, would you be sad if I died?