"Time never dies. The circle is not round." As well as being a repeated line
in Before the Rain, this statement clarifies director Milcho Manchevski's
perspective. The film is an exploration of the vicious circle that is violence
in the Balkans, and the way tribal and ethnic bloodshed in that part of the
world can spill over into more "civilized" countries.
Before the Rain opens and closes in Macedonia. The middle section --
an interlude of sorts -- takes place in England. The structure of the movie is
non-chronological with the conclusion actually occurring about forty minutes
into the film. The flow of the narrative follows the "imperfect circle" pattern.
Beginning and end meet and merge, but the closure is broken by one very
disconcerting (and not so obvious) flash-forward.
What at first appears to be several disparate stories resolves itself into a
cohesive single entity, and the characters who start out as Before the
Rain's central figures (including a monk played by Olivier
Olivier's Gregoire Colin) are ultimately reduced to supporting roles.
Most of the film is about -- in one way or another -- Pulitzer Prize-winning
photographer Aleksandar (Rade Serbedzija), who became involved in the war in
Bosnia by taking sides. Now, back from that war-torn place and wracked with
guilt for having caused a man's death, he intends to leave England (and his
English lover, played by Katrin Cartlidge, late of Naked)
for Macedonia in hopes of making a positive difference in the violently unstable
country of his birth.
Manchevski, directing his first major feature following a string of music
videos, presents his message with a sublime intensity that eludes the film
world's Oliver Stones. During the course of Before the Rain, he
meticulously dissects the male-dominated Macedonian mindset, then illustrates
how modern technology and altruism are impotent when faced with the madness of
an ingrained tradition of violence. In a land where men would rather kill their
own than give up the fight, what hope is there for peace? Before the Rain
isn't explicitly about Bosnia, but it goes a long way towards explaining the
"whys" of what's happening there.
The film is as rich in symbols as in narrative. Circles are everywhere, and
water takes on its age-old meaning of purification. The titles of Before the
Rain's three chapters -- "Words", "Faces", and "Pictures" -- reveal aspects
of the thirty-five-odd minutes they each represent.
If there's one weakness in Before the Rain, it's that despite an
ambitious story, beautiful cinematography, convincing acting, and a powerful
message, character development is surprisingly feeble. Part of the problem is
undoubtedly the odd structure of the plot, but even Aleksandar, who has more
screen time than anyone else, seems a little hollow. There are instances when
he's more the mouthpiece of a philosophy than a unique individual. This is
indicative of Before the Rain's most apparent flaw: that Manchevski
occasionally lets the "art" of his production obscure its emotional impact.
The visceral effectiveness of Before the Rain is undeniable -- it
brings home the global reality of violence without ever glorifying or
glamorizing it. The film is loaded with chilling little touches of how this
particular circle has trapped humanity. Before the Rain doesn't offer
hope. As "Words" reminds us, communications problems are often more fundamental
than language differences. In Manchevski's world, when peace exists, it's an
exception, and redemption is perhaps a futile gesture.
From movie-reviews.colossus.net
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