In the mid-90s, queer cinema was largely defined by tragedy or punchlines. Then came Patricia Rozema’s When Night Is Falling 1995, a film that didn't just break the mold—it melted it down into something lush, spiritual, and genuinely erotic. It’s weird to think back on how rare it was to see a lesbian romance that felt like a fairytale rather than a cautionary tale.
Honestly, the movie is a bit of a miracle.
It tells the story of Camille, played by Pascale Bussières, a professor at a conservative Christian college who finds herself drifting away from her safe, beige life and her equally beige fiancé. Enter Petra, a circus performer with a dog that may or may not be dead and a worldview that doesn't include shame. It’s a collision of worlds. Religious academia meets the traveling circus. Faith meets desire. The film is famous for that specific 1995 aesthetic—saturated colors, heavy coats, and that haunting, snowy Toronto landscape that feels both freezing and cozy at the same time.
The Cultural Impact of When Night Is Falling 1995
When people talk about the "New Queer Cinema" movement of the 90s, they often point to gritty, low-budget indies. But When Night Is Falling 1995 was different. It was beautiful. Rozema, who had already gained massive acclaim for I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, decided to lean into the sensual. She wasn't interested in a "coming out" story that focused on the trauma of rejection. Instead, she focused on the internal awakening of a woman realizing her soul had been asleep.
The film faced a weird hurdle in the U.S., though. Despite its high-art pedigree, it was initially slapped with an NC-17 rating by the MPAA. Why? For a scene that featured two women in a laundry room. No violence. No drugs. Just intimacy. It was a classic case of 90s-era censorship where queer love was treated as inherently "more adult" than heterosexual violence. Eventually, it got the R rating it deserved, but the controversy only cemented its status as a cult classic.
That Laundry Room Scene and the Visual Language
You can't talk about this movie without talking about the colors. Camille's world is muted. It’s all wood panels and gray skies. Petra is a splash of primary colors. When they finally connect, the cinematography shifts. It’s tactile. You can almost feel the humidity in the air.
Most movies from that era haven't aged particularly well because they relied on tropes. When Night Is Falling 1995 avoids the "tragic lesbian" trope entirely. It treats the romance as a spiritual upgrade. Camille isn't losing her faith; she’s finding a version of it that actually fits her. That was a radical idea in 1995. It’s still a pretty radical idea today in many circles.
Why the Critics Were Split
Critics at the time didn't always know what to make of it. Some, like Roger Ebert, appreciated the visual flair but found the "circus vs. college" metaphor a bit heavy-handed. Others felt it was too dreamy. But for the audience it was intended for, the dreaminess was the point. We didn't want another documentary-style look at struggle. We wanted the circus. We wanted the snowy nights and the slow-burn tension.
The chemistry between Pascale Bussières and Rachael Crawford is what carries the whole thing. It’s not just about the physical stuff. It’s the way they look at each other. Bussières plays Camille with this incredible, repressed twitchiness that slowly unfurls. Crawford’s Petra is the opposite—open, fluid, and completely unbothered by what the neighbors think.
The Legacy of Patricia Rozema’s Vision
Rozema has always been an outlier in Canadian cinema. She doesn't follow the rules of "naturalism." In When Night Is Falling 1995, she uses magic realism in a way that feels grounded. The circus, "Sirkus Ganeesha," feels like a liminal space where the rules of the normal world don't apply. This allows the characters to explore their feelings without the immediate weight of societal judgment.
It’s also worth noting the soundtrack. It’s moody. It’s perfect. It captures that specific mid-90s longing. If you grew up in that era, you know the feeling of watching a movie like this on a grainy VHS tape you rented from the "Special Interest" section of the local video store, hoping your parents wouldn't look too closely at the cover.
Beyond the Romance: Faith and Identity
The religious aspect of the film is handled with surprising grace. Usually, in movies like this, the church is a flat-out villain. Here, it’s more about the stifling nature of tradition. Camille’s fiancé, Martin, isn't a monster. He’s just wrong for her. He represents a life that is "fine" but empty. The struggle isn't necessarily against a bad person; it’s against a mediocre life.
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When Camille loses her dog, it’s the catalyst. It’s such a small, human thing to have your world shattered by the death of a pet, but it’s the crack that lets the light in. Or, in this case, the night. The title itself suggests a transition. Night isn't something to fear; it’s where the magic happens. It’s where the circus performs.
Why You Should Revisit It Now
If you haven't seen it since the 90s, or if you've never seen it at all, it’s time. In an era of "prestige" TV and hyper-realistic cinema, there’s something refreshing about a movie that just wants to be a beautiful, romantic poem. It doesn't care about being "gritty." It cares about being true.
- Watch for the cinematography: Notice how the light changes as Camille spends more time with Petra.
- Context matters: Remember that this came out before Ellen, before Brokeback Mountain, and long before queer cinema was mainstream.
- The Canadian Factor: Appreciate the distinct Toronto vibe. It’s a city that rarely gets to look this romantic on film.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era of film or if When Night Is Falling 1995 sparked a new interest, here is how to engage with it today:
- Seek out the restored versions: Many older queer films have been grainily preserved, but there are better prints of Rozema’s work appearing on boutique streaming services like Criterion or MUBI. The visual detail is half the experience.
- Compare with Rozema's other work: Watch I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing immediately after. You’ll see the evolution of her "outsider" protagonist and how she uses humor to balance the drama.
- Look for the influence: You can see echoes of this film’s visual style in modern works like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The focus on the "gaze" and the elemental nature of the setting (fire, ice, wind) started here.
- Support Physical Media: This is the kind of film that disappears from streaming services due to licensing. If you find a DVD or Blu-ray, grab it.
When Night Is Falling 1995 remains a landmark. It’s a reminder that queer stories don't always have to end in a funeral or a breakup. Sometimes, they can end with the circus leaving town and a new life beginning under the cover of dark. It's a film about the courage it takes to be happy, which is often much harder than the courage it takes to suffer.