| Bring On the Night | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Michael Apted |
| Written by | Michael Apted |
| Produced by | David Manson |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ralf D. Bode |
| Edited by | Robert K. Lambert Melvin Shapiro |
| Music by | Sting,Sergei Prokofiev forRussians, Alex Atkins,J. B. Lenoir forBeen Down So Long. |
| Distributed by | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom United States |
| Languages | English, French |
| Budget | $2.5 million[1] |
| Box office | $1.9 million[2] |
Bring On the Night is a 1985documentary film directed byMichael Apted, focusing on thejazz-inspired project and band led by the British musicianSting during the early stages of his solo career and first solo tour. Some of the songs in the film appeared on his debut solo albumThe Dream of the Blue Turtles. The film won theGrammy Award for"Best Music Video, Long Form" at the1987 Grammy Awards.
Much of the film takes place inside the FrenchChâteau de Courson outside ofParis, where the band met, lived and rehearsed for nine days. Near the end of the film the band plays their first concert atThéâtre Mogador in Paris. The final scene shows Sting attending his wifeTrudie Styler as she gives birth to Jake, their second child and Sting's fourth.[3] Sting said he "resisted" Apted's suggestion of filming the birth, but then he "realized there's a tenuous link between the band being born and the baby, so it fit."[4]
The film was named afterthe Police song "Bring On the Night" (1979),[3] it is also the title of Sting's 1986 live album featuring music recorded during the 1985 tour chronicled in the film.
Apted is heard in the film, asking interview questions, but he is not visible or credited.[5] Seen on screen:
Unusually for a documentary, Apted shot the film in35 mm, focusing primarily on band rehearsals, musician interactions, and interviews with every musician in the band.
The Samuel Goldwyn Company acquired the film in September 1985.[1]
The film opened on November 8, 1985 on 409 screens in the United States and Canada and grossed a disappointing $1,132,112 in its opening week.[1] It grossed a total of $1.9 million in the United States and Canada.[2]
The film was released on DVD in 2005.
The New York Times noted that Sting appeared "aloof" and "elitist" at the beginning of the film, but loosened up with his new black bandmates through a series of rehearsals. Sting's "pushy" managerMiles Copeland III is seen frequently in the film, complaining about the band's on-stage wardrobe, and venting his displeasure toColleen Atwood, the costume designer.[5]
