The Dark Night | |
---|---|
Spanish | La noche oscura |
Directed by | Carlos Saura |
Written by | Carlos Saura |
Produced by | Andrés Vicente Gómez |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Teo Escamilla |
Edited by | Pedro del Rey |
Production companies |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
Countries |
|
Language | Spanish |
The Dark Night (Spanish: La noche oscura) is a 1989 Spanish-French drama film directed by Carlos Saura. It stars Juan Diego as John of the Cross in solitary confinement in a Carmelite monastery in Toledo in 1577.
Saura both wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Andrés Vicente Gómez is the producer. The film was entered in the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.
John, wearing a blindfold, travels as a prisoner to a monastery in Toledo, unable to see where he is going.
John enters the monastery. In the hall, a group of priests remove his blindfold. They force him to stand trial, but John refuses to obey the friars, unwilling to ask for forgiveness for his Reformist beliefs. The friars order John to take off his clothes and put on one of their robes, but John refuses. Therefore, they put him in solitary confinement. Later, they take him out of his room and whip him while they sing religious hymns. After his first whipping, John begins to create his religious poems. He recites his verses while praying God for the strength to survive.
In a flashback, the Mother of a convent introduces him to the nuns who live there. One nun stares at him, behavior that surprises John. John later prays to God in his room when the same nun appears. She wears a white dress. She begins to take off her clothes in front of John. John approaches her and touches her while circling her. After a moment, he appears very uncomfortable and walks away from her. When he turns around, she had disappeared. The only thing that remains is the white dress on the floor.
While eating, the friars read the history of the nun, Justina. She was tormented by the Devil and almost renounced the church. They explain to John that the Pope wants to end the Discalced Carmelites, but still, John will not renounce his beliefs.
John is sleeping in his bed when a hand appears next to his head. More hands appear from all sides of the bed. The hands rip his clothes apart and scratch his body while he screams. The image of Justina, the nun, appears but this time, she wears a dark blue dress. The hands disappear when the friar who takes care of John enters the room. John says to him that there are demons who want to take over his body to tempt him. He claims he had fought against the devil before and offers to talk about the first time that the demon tried to occupy him. John narrates the story of a woman in the convent who people came to listen to because she seemed dictated by the Devil. That woman was Justina. In another flashback, she writhes on the mud floor in the room and says the demon possesses her. She throws a cross against the wall. John enters Justine's room and sees someone engaged in sexual activities with her. It appears to be John himself.
In the present, John announces that he is too proud, interrupting a dinner and the head priest's Bible reading. However, when asked to repeat what he said, John asks for forgiveness and says his outburst was a moment of weakness. He reaffirms his faith and says the friars are mistaken about their traditional beliefs.
In June, John hears Justine's voice saying he needs to leave the monetary because he has other, more important work to do in the outside world. John uses his scissors and a ball of yarn to measure the distance from his window to the ground. He rips the fabric of his robe to make a rope. When the warden gives him privacy to use the facilities, John breaks the lock on his door. In the night, he escapes from the monastery with his cord.
The film presents true events in John's life to give context. At the beginning of the film, a priest in the monastery reads historical facts about John's life when he enters the hall for the first time for his trial. He also introduces the connection between John and Teresa of Jesus in this moment. Teresa is represented in a negative manner because the priest says that she has created a conspiracy, therefore presenting the tensions between the different Carmelite groups from the beginning. The priest describes the differences between his group and the Discalced Carmelites accurately as well. John's escape from the window using the rope made of his robe is also in line with the historical facts that we have.
But the film is not supposed to be a narrative; rather, it is an investigation. According to El País , the film explores the central question surrounding John's famous life: “¿Cómo, en efecto, en tan atroz adversidad se las arregló Juan de la Cruz para componer tal exquisitez, una tan delicada música de la palabra? [2] ” (translation: “How, indeed, in such atrocity and adversity did John of the Cross resolve to write words so exquisite, delicate, and musical?”). The manner in which the filming techniques present Juan Diego in such intense moments helps us to understand how the poet was able to write something so important to Spanish literature in such terrible conditions. [2] In the interview, Saura says that the film is not about religion; rather, the film focuses specially on John's interior processes and secular mysticism. [2] Therefore, the film is about the skills of this important lyrical poet in Spanish literature.
Carlos Saura wrote and directed the film starring Juan Diego. [3] The film is Spanish-French co-production by Iberoamericana Films and La Générale d'Images. [4] The budget for the film was 250 million pesetas. It was lensed by Teo Escamilla. [3] The majority of the filming was done in Madrid in the Roma studios, but parts were filmed in the Veruela Abbey, in Tarazona and in Toledo. [5] The film's music is by J. S. Bach.
The film was entered in the 39th Berlin International Film Festival in February 1989. [6] [7] It was released theatrically in Spain on 23 February 1989. [8]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | 4th Goya Awards | Best Actor | Juan Diego | Nominated | [9] |
Best Supporting Actor | Fernando Guillén | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematography | Teo Escamilla | Nominated | |||
Best Editing | Pedro del Rey | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Design | Ana Alvargonzález | Nominated | |||
Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Romana González, José Antonio Sánchez, Mercedes Guillot, Josefa Morales | Nominated | |||
Best Sound | Gilles Ortion, Carlos Faruolo | Nominated | |||
Best Special Effects | Reyes Abades | Nominated |
The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order for men and women. Historical records about its origin remain uncertain, but it was probably founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel in the Crusader States. Berthold of Calabria, as well as Albert of Vercelli, have traditionally been associated with the founding of the order, but few clear records of early Carmelite history have survived. The order of Carmelite nuns was formalised in 1452.
John of the Cross, OCD was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and a Carmelite friar of converso origin. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and he is one of the thirty-seven Doctors of the Church.
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the older monastic orders' allegiance to a single monastery formalized by their vow of stability. A friar may be in holy orders or be a brother. The most significant orders of friars are the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, and Carmelites.
Fernando Casado Arambillet, best known as Fernando Rey, was a Spanish film, theatre, and television actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States. A suave, international actor best known for his roles in the films of surrealist director Luis Buñuel and as the drug lord Alain Charnier in The French Connection (1971) and French Connection II (1975), he appeared in more than 150 films over half a century.
Fernando Fernández Gómez better known as Fernando Fernán Gómez was a Spanish actor, screenwriter, film director, theater director and member of the Royal Spanish Academy for seven years. He was born in South America while his mother, Spanish actress Carola Fernán-Gómez, was on tour. He would later use her surname for his stage name when he moved to Spain in 1924.
Francisco Rabal Valera, better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter born in Águilas, a town in the south-western part of the province of Murcia, Spain. Throughout his career, Rabal appeared in around 200 films working with directors including Francesc Rovira-Beleta, Luis Buñuel, José Luis Sáenz de Heredia, Carlos Saura, Pedro Almodóvar, William Friedkin, Michelangelo Antonioni, Claude Chabrol, Luchino Visconti, and Gillo Pontecorvo. Paco Rabal was recognized both in his native Spain and internationally, winning the Award for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for Los Santos Inocentes and a Goya Award for Best Actor for playing Francisco de Goya in Carlos Saura's Goya en Burdeos. One of Spain's most loved actors, Rabal also was known for his commitment to human rights and other social causes.
Carlos Saura Atarés was a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain's most renowned filmmakers. He had a long and prolific career that spanned over half a century. His films won many international awards.
Juan Diego Ruiz Moreno, professionally known as Juan Diego, was a Spanish actor who appeared on stage, in television and film productions since 1957. He starred in films such as The Holy Innocents, The 7th Day, Dragon Rapide, París-Tombuctú and You're the One.
Miracle of Marcelino is a 1955 Spanish film written by José Maria Sanchez-Silva, based on his novel, and directed by Ladislao Vajda. It starred, Juan Calvo and the young child star Pablito Calvo as Marcelino. The musical score and theme song – sung in full during the action, rather than at the start of the film – are by Pablo Sorozábal.
El amor brujo or Carlos Saura Dance Trilogy, Part 3: El Amor Brujo is a 1986 Spanish musical film written and directed by Carlos Saura. It was directed and choreographed in the flamenco style by Maria Pagès. It is the third part of the Saura's flamenco trilogy he made in the 1980s, after Bodas de sangre in 1981 and Carmen in 1983. The film was screened out of competition at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
Andrés Vicente Gómez is a Spanish film producer, head of Lolafilms, with more than 100 films to his credit.
El rey pasmado is a 1991 French-Portuguese-Spanish comedy-historical film directed by Imanol Uribe and written by Joan Potau and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester. The screenplay was based on Torrente's 1989 novel Crónica del rey pasmado.
Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado, was a Spanish Dominican lay sister, mystic and visionary, known popularly as "La Siervita". She lived a life which was austere and simple, and many miracles were attributed to her, as well as levitation, ecstasy, bilocation, the stigmata, clairvoyance and healing, among others.
Juan Luis Galiardo Comes was a Spanish television, theater and film actor.
Ana de Jesús, translated into English as Anne of Jesus, was a Spanish Discalced Carmelite nun and writer. She was a close companion of Teresa of Avila, foundress of the Carmelite reform and served to establish new monasteries of the Order throughout Europe. Known as a mystic and for her writings on prayer, she has been declared Venerable by the Catholic Church.
The Spiritual Canticle, is one of the poetic works of the Spanish mystical poet Saint John of the Cross.
La Macanita is the artistic name of Tomasa Guerrero Carrasco, a Spanish flamenco singer.
Nacho Sánchez is a Spanish actor. After earning early recognition in stage works such as La piedra oscura and Ivan and the Dogs, he made his feature film debut in the 2019 film Seventeen. He has since featured in films such The Art of Return and Manticore.
The 37th Goya Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain, took place at the FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre in Seville, Andalusia on 11 February 2023.
Madre Cecilia del Nacimiento (OCD) was a Spanish nun, mystic, writer, and poet influenced by the Carmelites, of which she became prioress. A Discalced Carmelite and abbess, her work is written in verse and prose and, mainly, it is a mystical production, based on her spiritual experiences. Her production included Romance (poesía), a type of poem characteristic of the Spanish, Iberian, and Latin American literary tradition, glosses, Christmas carols, redondilla, limericks, and theatrical work within the convent. Both Cecilia and her older sister, Madre María Sobrino Morillas, copyists and archivists of manuscripts in their convent.