Brussels by Night

Borderline brilliant, with witty genius, a cult-worthy near-masterpiece in first 60% of film ... 'Brussels by Night' is then sadly ruined by a devastatingly flawed screenplay ending, introducing some totally un-needed themes of gross violence in a cheap, foolish attempt to be a 'profound and important film'.

But the film in its early parts - about 4 troubled characters in Belgium in the early 1980s - is really extraordinary in many ways, with a very light sophisticated touch. Great film-work and use of music, shows how a smart European on a low-budget can totally outclass Hollywood - for at least part of a film.

Not just a great insight into modern secular European life in 'borderland' regions - really not all that different in Europe today - 'Brussels by Night' initially has a story of marginal and seedy urban characters, who despite some petty failings and 'crime', are not that different from common people in general. The film's brilliance is in a Marcel-Proust-like ability to fascinate us with the meaning of small incidents, in life and in sexual relationships. It is totally compelling viewing, up to a point beyond the first half of the film.

If the film had stayed in that sphere, it might have become one of the great cult classics of European cinema verité, life 'as it really is' on the European streets.

The switch back and forth from Dutch to French, the two main characters being bi-lingual (with a little use of English too), are a nice window into European life, where even uneducated, edgy people speak several languages. This is authentic Brussels (officially bi-lingual) and Belgium (60% Dutch-speaking, the rest mostly French-speaking, including most of Brussels).

But the violent themes that get introduced toward the end, are so utterly soiling, that they make you forget how good the movie was in the early parts. Not that it needed a 'happy' ending, but just some more thought as to what to do with the various troubled people in Brussels who so fascinate the viewer ... characters who deserved better than pointlessly shocking, disconnected conclusion scenes.

The film just needed to stay on its early level, a brilliant movie about the small, hugely intriguing things that can compose real life, versus being transformed un-necessarily into a gratuitous video presentation of psychopathic behaviour and horror. Though the violence is in part suggested rather than shown, it is a betrayal of the viewer's initial eager enjoyment of a genius film about the small but vivid components of petty lives.

Hesitate to recommend it, because of the way 'Brussels by Night' disturbs at the end ... I am left with a sense of tragedy, both to see a semi-genius film collapse so disgustingly before its conclusion ... and to realise that a possibly great young European director, had likely damaged his future prospects, by the cheap, awful ending to his brilliantly-begun 'Brussels by Night'.

This depressing and disturbing film starts great. The protagonist is interesting, the soundtrack superb and the overall atmosphere feels desolate. But once the plot focuses on a love triangle and not so much on that interesting protagonist, the film starts to lose itself. A pity because this could have been a great social drama / film noir. At the end we get back to the reason why this man is wondering through nighttime Brussels, but the entire middle section of the film (and the finale as well) makes him a jealous member of a ménage a troi. It is a shame, a focus on his central problem would have been much more interesting.

Marc Didden used to be one of the most famous Belgian directors. Mind you, he is still alive but Belgian movies are rather rare and knowing that Didden only made a second movie ("Istanbul") says enough about the quantity of Belgian movies. But good I saw by coincidence tons of Belgian movies this month and "Brussels by night" happened to be the most dated. The subject is paranoia and racism.... The uncontrollable outbursts from Max (François Beukelaers) are finely acted but the second subject (racism) is based on too many clichés. They all might have been true in 1983 but they're not current (sadly enough racism is still current though) as they're too much based on cynical jokes we heard too much and that's exactly the platform of this whole movie. Being a Belgian myself, I can only tell that the title suits the film : Brussels by night, and we all know there is nothing to do.... Watching this film isn't a waste of time but it absolutely does not deserve its cultstatus.

Brussels by Night is a dark powerfull human condition movie which focuses on the travellings of the main male character thru the grey streets of Brussels. A frustrated men in his thirties, early fourties seams to want to escape, especially himself.

In his searchings he encounters with a couple of underclass characters, full of never to be reached dreams.

This movie grabbed me by the throath from the very beginning on, due to the enormous actingperformance of De Beuckelaere and the straight in your face confrontation with the solitude of anonymous citylife.

People change, cities too. This Belgian movie gives a good picture of Brussels during the (dark) 80'. It was cold, dark and strange. I've been living in Brussels all my life, but have to be honest I do not recognize Brussels pictured in the movie anymore. Brussels changed a lot the last 10-15 years. But if anyone is interested in experiencing the atmosphere of Brussels in that time, watch the movie and be glad that things do change. The story is quite simple, it's about a few people who spent some days together, with rising tensions and feelings, which finally ends in a rather nasty situation. A psychological drama of a time I was glad I could forget it.