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The Morning After The Big Night

Big Night is the type of film that seems very simple on the surface, but once you look a little deeper, every single scene has unspoken messages that even the casual viewer can’t help but contemplate. As a film student, It’s part of my job to look for meaning and symbolism in films, but even my mom, a fan of cinema, but not a film scholar by any means, was fascinated by hidden messages and implications this film brings to the table.


 The film Big Night is a masterclass in using long, silent scenes that have incredible impact without the use of dialogue. The most notable example of this is the final scene of the film. Secundo walks into the kitchen after the titular big night. Cristano, the waiter, wakes up from where he has been sleeping on the kitchen counter. Secundo cooks simple eggs, and divides the eggs among three plates, and he and Cristano, and eventually Primo, eat their eggs with the leftover bread from the previous night.


The scene is silent, and mostly consists of one continuous shot. This is an emotional hangover from the night before, contrasting it in every way. The night before the food had been extravagant, including the iconic timpano. In the morning it’s eggs and bread. The scene composition during the night was erratic, with many different shots connected together, evoking the jubilance and energy of the guests. And unlike during the big night, the morning after has no music, and no dialogue. In a way, it feels like the main characters have come down from the high.


Of course, the most significant part of this scene is the very end. Cristano has left, leaving the two brothers alone. Despite their uncertain futures, and the heated fight they had mere hours ago, they put their arms around each other's shoulders, in a familial embrace. This is where the movie ends. The audience is left to guess at most things. We don’t know what happens to the restaurant, whether the brothers stay or go. What the movie makes clear is that in spite of everything that happened, the brothers love and care for eachother, no matter what comes next.


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