Schnabel makes a daring choice of shifting between English and Spanish with no seeming fixed pattern, but the shifts seem very natural. Schnabel's pacing is excellent and the film never ceases to move in its natural arc. The many cinematic textures and lighting treatments of Before Night Falls are transferred to DVD with an fine understanding of the raw material. In grainy compositions, the result is totally natural. If the light should be slightly blown out, so it is.
Color is accurate and well saturated.
Night scenes are deep and highlight lighting perfect. Shadow detail is reveals what's supposed to be in the shot and nothing more. Overall excellent contrast range. Every aspect of the filmmaking process is covered by the rich audio commentary in Before Night Falls . Schnabel explains his use of English and Spanish while cinematographer Grobet comments that he feels he captured the essence of Schnabel's painting style in the film's look.