When Night Is Falling
When Night Is Falling
| 01 February 1995 (USA)
When Night Is Falling Trailers

Camille is a professor at a Protestant college who is engaged to Martin, a respected minister and fellow professor. When Camille meets Petra, a bold and flamboyant performer in a circus troupe, she is inexplicably drawn. Pursuing Petra, Camille throws her whole conservative life into disarray.

Reviews
Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
SnoopyStyle Camille Baker (Pascale Bussières) and boyfriend Martin (Henry Czerny) are fellow professors at a Christian university. Martin could get a coveted promotion but they can't continue to live in sin. She's devastated by her dog's death. Circus acrobat Petra (Rachael Crawford) sees her breakdown at the laundromat and comforts her. They become friends and eventually even more.Camille is probably not conservative enough at the start. She's ill-fitting at the university. By starting her off as a liberated woman, her journey isn't as far or as dramatic as it needs to be. The style is rather bland. The idea of a circus in an industrial space could have been amazing. Overall, the movie is too slow and there isn't enough drama. It tries to be artistic which only drains the movie of any inherent tension.
zetes Vaguely familiar; all through the movie, I could have sworn that I had seen it before on late-night HBO or Cinemax while trolling for nudity as a teenager. But looking at its release year, I'm kind of doubting it. Still, this dreamy bit of 90s erotica feels like the kind of movies I was watching on pay cable late at night, after I was sure everyone else in the house was asleep. It's a Canadian film - I can tell because of the presence of Don McKellar (also it ends with a Leonard Cohen song). Pascale Bussieres plays a professor at a Christian college in Toronto. She meets up with circus performer Rachael Crawford at a laundromat. Crawford is instantly attracted to her and makes sure they are to meet again and, upon that next meeting, makes no bones about her intentions. Bussiere is intrigued, but, as a Christian, one who is engaged to be married, no less (to Henry Czerny), she initially resists. She's never met anyone else like Crawford, though, and the intrigue and excitement soon melt her defenses. Man, this film is HOT. There really isn't much sex, but when they get to it, it's blistering. Rozema builds it up just right. While, in its essence, When Night Is Falling is basically softcore porn, it is impressively artful. The circus performances in particular are great, and Crawford's costumes are awesome. The performances are pretty good, too. The writing isn't especially strong. The climax in particular is silly and relies on a ridiculous coincidence - not to mention an especially silly plot development that plays out in short snippets during the credits. I really liked the film, though. Definitely recommended.
dens003 By the time I was coming out, this movie was released. It was a great struggle for years...but the film made me understand the importance of accepting my lesbian identity, combating my own fears, and embracing my sensuality.The sensitive directing/writing as well as the excellent and sensitive portrayals of Pascale Bussieres and Rachael Crawford opened the floodgates of understanding and respect for the lesbian lifestyle. The lovemaking was tasteful and everything was just put brilliantly in place.Thanks, ever since no one has ever taunted me for my sexual preference and orientation. It was simply the self-respect and subtle political confrontation of the lesbian sexuality shown in the movie that helped me become.
frdolives These women are psychotic. They are selfish, codependent, and obsessed. There are 3 good things about this movie. The performances of the circus troop, the score, and, I agree, the sex scenes.However, the depiction of lesbian women (or bisexuals) is awful. This is nothing but demeaning. I am ashamed that this is what is shown to the world as an example of what a good relationship is about.Camille abandons her boyfriend, Martin, and her pet, Bob. (She can't even dig a grave for Bob down into the dirt but only buries him in the snow - more on that below). These women are self centered and clearly show no caring for the people around them or what they are doing to each other. Petra stalks, shoots arrows through apartment windows and hangs around outside until she, like a child throwing a tantrum is noticed. This is attractive? The woman is Psycho. Camille is no better. She persists in lying to Martin, and placing herself in Petra's path (even after the aforementioned psychotic behavior) and wants to be "friends." Oh, c'mon. The kindest thing would have been to let Petra go on her own way. Really.One reviewer said, "These are anyone's woman." What? You have to be kidding. These women are astonishingly beautiful, far from the average, and have fantastic jobs - how many people do you know that work for a circus?OK, now for the piece de resistance: the end. Remember the dead dog, Bob? Guess what? He isn't dead. He resurrects himself at the end to the musical backdrop of Allellujah as Camille drives off with her new love in a circus caravan and leaves her boyfriend and resurrected dog behind. Absolutely ridiculous. I nearly peed myself.