Dir: Santosh Sivan US/India. 2007. 98mins
A bittersweet journey from blinkered loyalty to rueful independence, Before The Rains captures the crumbling of British rule in 1930s India through a doomed love affair and its tragic consequences. In its more obvious moments it strays perilously close to the conventions of romantic fiction and feels as if it might be more suited to the small screen. Overly familiar material is handled with enough skill and conviction by Indian director Santosh Sivan to create a quietly compelling drama.

The striking beauty of the cinematography and old-fashioned nature of the project could be the very virtues that attract an audience drawn to literate evocations of Empire's end and the moral dilemmas of those torn between two cultures. Committed distributors should be able to create a slender theatrical presence for the first English-language venture from the director of Asoka and The Terrorist.

Before The Rains has the feel of a careful literary adaptation. There are echoes of Somerset Maugham and Joseph Conrad in its evocation of British colonialism and the arrogance of men who thought themselves masters of the universe. The true inspiration is one episode from Dany Verete's Israeli film The Desert Trilogy: Yellow Asphalt.

The story has been relocated to the Kerala of 1937 where Henry Moores (Roache) is building a future for himself and his family. He treats servant T.K. Neelan (Bose) as an equal, promising him that they will be partners in the construction of a road to exploit the country's abundance of spices. Blinded by his acts of friendship, T.K. believes Moores claim that they are 'men of the future'.

T. K.'s slow realisation of Moores self-serving nature becomes a reflection of his growing attraction to the movement for Indian independence and the untenable position of the country's British rulers. Moores is engaged in a passionate affair with housekeeper Sajani (Das) despite the fact that both of them are married. When his wife and son return to their plantation, a distraught Sajani is obliged to resume her role of humble servant and T.K. is increasingly compromised as he covers up Moores acts of betrayal.

Gorgeous imagery underlines why Sivan has won such acclaim for his work as a cinematographer. He pulls off the old cliche of making his location another character in the drama, catching the eye with scenes of misty mornings, lush hillsides and rituals of blessings, funeral services and tribal courts. They are enough of an asset to keep the film on track until the plot deepens, exerting a grip that justifies its status as a viable theatrical feature.

Underplaying the questioning of British rule, Before The Rains makes its point through the story of T.K. and the performance of Rahul Bose who conveys his character's idealism and respect for a man who has extended him the hand of friendship and the wounded shame when that friendship is revealed as worthless.

Linus Roache astutely conveys the blithe charm and moral weakness of his character whilst an underemployed Jennifer Ehle is allowed a few precious moments to assert the decency and concerns of a woman who might otherwise be confined to the roles of loyal wife and mother.

Production companies
Adirondack Pictures (US)
Echo Lake Entertainment (US)
Excalibur Pictures (US)
Santosh Productions (IND)

International sales
Maximum Films International (CAN)
(416) 960-0300

Producers
Mark Burton
Paul Hardart
Tom Hardart
Doug Mankoff
Andrew Spaulding
Executive producer
Ashok Rao

Screenplay
Cathy Rabin
based on the film Red Roofs by Dany Verete

Cinematography
Santosh Sivan

Production design
Sunil Babu

Editors
Steve Cohen
A Sreekar Prasad

Music
Mark Kilian

Main cast
Rahul Bose
Linus Roache
Nandita Das
Jennifer Ehle
John Standing
Leopold Benedict

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