Bright Nights (Arslan, 2017): Germany/Norway

Reviewed by Larry Gleeson during the Berlin Film Festival.

German Director Thomas Arslan brings it home with his latest Golden Bear nominated film, Bright Nights (Helle Nachte). Arslan had been previously nominated for the Golden Bear, the Berlin Film Festival’s top film prize in 2013 for his Gold. Bright Nights, making its world premiere in Competition at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, tells the story of a single, working father, Michael, who reunites with his son, Luis, after the loss of his own father.

Arslan proves he is a master of cinematic language from the opening scene set within an industrial batch plant on a waterway. The image of a plant operator seated at his indoor work station wearing a protective hard hat speaks volumes. The lighting recedes from a medium to high key to low key lighting. The man removes his hard hat and drops his head into his hands exasperated. The scene transitions to the solidly built man walking through the night in profile. Reinhild Blaschke managed the Production Design. Director of Photography Reinhold Vorschneider captures some quite picturesque, natural lanscape frames. Editor Reinaldo Pinto Almeida allows much of the story to unfold with long takes and primarily utilizes continuity editing.

Shortly after the opening sequence, Michael discovers his father has died. He makes plans to remediate his father’s cabin and decides to bring his son, Luis, along to help  pack it up. During these scenes a growing silence ensues where Michael comes to the realization he doesn’t really know his own son.

With a sense of his own mortality staring him directly in the face, Michael seeks to reconnect and re-establish a relationship with Luis. Visually pleasing mise-en-scene depicts scenes of father and son hiking and fishing in breathtaking Austrian locations. However, not everything is perfect in this natural sportsman’s paradise. Luis feels confused and rebels.

The relationship teeters in the balance when a young woman befriends the son. The two connect while sharing their experiences and talkijg about their parents. The son decides to give his father a second chance. Going for one last hike the father drives for through a gray, fogged in road. The drive goes on for an uncomfortable amount of time signifying the large amount of gray space in the relationship that needs to be overcome.

The film transitions as they emerge from the fog revealing vibrant colors of green and yellow symbolizing a time of joy and healing with a touch of red foreshadowing that a powerful element of emotionality is still present. The relationship dynamic between Michael, played by Georg Friedrich and Luis, played by Tristan Göbel drives the narrative. Both actors deliver very compelling performances.

In my opinion, the climatic image comes quickly thereafter, as the son goes off on his own. A wide angle long shot of the man running across a mountain ridge with a large mountain range looming in the background slightly out of focus reminiscent of Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia as he rides solo across the barren Arabian desert. Again, the cinematic language is so much greater than mere words. The lengths the father is willing to go to in order to re-establish the father/son relationship bond is beyond measure.

While there are many father/son relationship dynamic films, there is only one Bright Nights. Highly recommended – a cinematic language masterpiece extraordinaire.