Themes: Haunted By the Past, Political Unrest, Home From the War
Main Cast: Katrin Cartlidge, Rade Serbedzija, Grégoire Colin, Labina Mitevska, Silvija Stojanovska
Release Year: 1994
Country: MK/UK/FR
Run Time: 115 minutes
Plot
Milcho Manchevski's first feature film is a three-part story of the violence and political chaos tearing apart the newly independent nation of Macedonia (former Yugoslavia). In part one, Kiril (Grégoire Colin), an Orthodox monk, encounters Zamira (Labina Mitevska), a Muslim from Albania. Zamira is frightened and has nowhere to go, so Kiril lets her stay in his cell, knowing that if the authorities find her, his peaceful life will be shattered. The second segment, set in London, concerns Anne (Katrin Cartlidge), married to stable but boring Nick (Jay Villiers) but enjoying an affair with Macedonian photographer Aleksander (Rade Serbedzija); Anne is trying to decide if she should stay with Nick or leave with Aleksander, before unexpected events make the decision for her. The conclusion follows Aleksander back to Macedonia; while he's tired of photographing war, he finds no sanctuary in his home town, as Christians and Muslims wage war and he accidentally causes the death of innocent bystanders. Before the Rain received an 1995 Academy Award nomination as Best Foreign Language Film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
The winner of a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film, Before the Rain represents an impressive feature debut for its talented director, Milcho Manchevski. Essentially a political film, but told with a subtlety and attention to nuance that is often foreign to such films, Rain is sometimes challenging (especially in its not-always-obvious bending of chronology) but always rewarding. Rich in its use of symbols (especially circles representing repetition and closure and water representing purification), it is also a visually stunning film, with frequently gorgeous cinematography capturing the Macedonian landscape and bringing it to full bodied life. There's a special texture to Rain, a mystical feeling that is practically tangible. Manchevski elicits impressive performances from his international cast. Rade Serbedzija holds the screen with great power and presence, exhibiting the weariness of the character without giving in to ennui. Katrin Cartlidge is excellent as his lover, speaking volumes with a flicker of her eyes, and Gregoire Colin portrays the conflicted monk with admirable skill. Rain is not without flaws -- it is sometimes more concerned with technique, style and theme at the expense of deep character development -- but such flaws are minor. Seven years would elapse before the release of Manchevski's next film, Dust. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Phyllida Law - Anne's Mother; Peter Needham - Maire d'; Rod Woodruff - Waiter in Fight; Joe Gould - Redhead Waiter; Meto Jovanovski - Dr Saso; Abdurahan Salja - Zekir; Milica Stojanova - Aunt Cveta; Jay Villiers - Nick
Credit
Sheila Fraser Milne - Associate Producer, David Redman - Associate Producer, Liora Reich - Casting, Moni Damevski - Casting, Marc Baschet - Co-producer, Frederique Dumas-Zajdela - Co-producer, Gorjan Tizija - Co-producer, Gorjan Tozija - Co-producer, Sue Yelland - Costume Designer, Caroline Harris - Costume Designer, Mary Soan - First Assistant Director, Milcho Manchevski - Director, Nicolas Gaster - Editor, Chris Thompson - Line Producer, Anastasia - Composer (Music Score), Joan Hills - Makeup, Morag Ross - Makeup, David Munns - Production Designer, Sharon Lomofsky - Production Designer, Darius Khondji - Cinematographer, Manuel Teran - Cinematographer, Judy Counihan - Producer, Cedomir Kolar - Producer, Cat Villers - Producer, Sam Taylor - Producer, Paul Sarony - Producer, Milcho Manchevski - Screenwriter
The film is divided into three stories, all of which focus on tragic and ill-fated love affairs. In the first episode, Words, we meet Kiril, a young monk who has taken a vow of silence, who stands up for Zamira, a young Albanian girl who stands accused of murder and is on the run from a mob. For her sake, Kiril leaves the monastery and the two of them make their way through the beautiful Macedonian landscape. Unfortunately their romance is heading towards a sudden and brutal end.
Faces is set in bustling and trendy London. Anne, a beautiful picture editor, is torn between the love of her husband Nick and the attraction she feels for Aleksandar, a disillusioned war photographer. She is pulled into a series of tragic events by a shoot-out at a nearby restaurant.
The third and final story, Pictures, brings the two previous stories together. It focuses on Aleksandar's return to Macedonia to settle. He learns that the war has divided his home village and that his Albanian neighbours are now seen as enemies. Hana, an Albanian woman he was, and apparently still is, in love with, asks him to take care of her daughter Zamira. While Aleksandar sets out to find the girl, a storm is building on the horizon, and the film returns us to its beginning.
Reception and box office
The film grossed $763,847 in the US which is generally much higher than box office performances of other Macedonian films. It has been praised by critics internationally, earning an 82% "Fresh" rating based on 11 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes[1]. Film criticRoger Ebert called Before the Rain an "extraordinary film. Work like this is what keeps me going, month after month and film after film ... This is a reminder of the nobility that film can attain."[1]
