X
  • 2008
  • PG-13
  • Roadside Attractions
  • 1 h 38 m
  • 2008
  • PG-13
  • Roadside Attractions
  • 1 h 38 m

Summary Set in 1930s southern India against the backdrop of a growing nationalist movement, Before the Rains is about an idealistic young Indian man who finds himself torn between his ambitions for the future and his loyalty to the past when people in his village learn of an affair between his British boss and a village woman. (Roadside Attracti...

Directed By: Santosh Sivan

Written By: Cathy Rabin, Dan Verete

  • 2008
  • PG-13
  • Roadside Attractions
  • 1 h 38 m
  • 2008
  • PG-13
  • Roadside Attractions
  • 1 h 38 m

Before the Rains

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 19 Critic Reviews
47
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary Set in 1930s southern India against the backdrop of a growing nationalist movement, Before the Rains is about an idealistic young Indian man who finds himself torn between his ambitions for the future and his loyalty to the past when people in his village learn of an affair between his British boss and a village woman. (Roadside Attracti...

Directed By: Santosh Sivan

Written By: Cathy Rabin, Dan Verete

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 19 Critic Reviews
47
21% Positive
4 Reviews
74% Mixed
14 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 19 Critic Reviews
47
21% Positive
4 Reviews
74% Mixed
14 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
70
Fatal culture clash, imperialist entitlement, forbidden passion between master and servant: the ingredients of the Indian director Santosh Sivan’s period piece Before the Rains may be awfully familiar, but the film lends them the force of tragedy.
By Stephen Holden FULL REVIEW
63
Tells the kind of story that would feel right at home in a silent film, and I suppose I mean that as a compliment.
By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW
50
Yes, the Empire may be crumbling, and the natives getting restless, but it's all happening with such lyrical loveliness - even the corpses look good. Consequently, when the rains in Before the Rains finally arrive, there's nothing to cleanse, no real dirt to wash away - not with history already so neatly packaged and polished to a dull shine.
By Rick Groen FULL REVIEW
50
A hodgepodge in the raj -- a predictable patchwork of forbidden romance, English arrogance, a gun given as a gift, suicide, corruption, deception, rising Indian nationalism and a short-lived chase through the jungle.
FULL REVIEW
50
The film's chief asset is its superbly atmospheric evocation of its period milieu.
By Frank Scheck FULL REVIEW
50
Producer Ismail Merchant died in 2005, but Merchant Ivory's stuffy tradition of quality lives on.
By J.R. Jones FULL REVIEW
30
The story sounds great, on paper: It''s got interracial romance and betrayal, political and ethnic violence, and a faint feminist undercurrent. But the resulting movie is so pretty and so utterly lifeless you can almost smell the embalming fluid coming off the screen.
By Andrew O'Hehir FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company Merchant Ivory Productions, Adirondack Pictures, Excalibur Pictures, Santosh Sivan Productions, Echo Lake Entertainment
Release Date May 9, 2008
Duration 1 h 38 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
Tagline Passion has its price.
Website http://www.beforetherains.net/
View All Details

Awards

WorldFest Houston
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
World Soundtrack Awards
• 1 Nomination

Related Movies

Dekalog (1988)

100
Universal Acclaim

Citizen Kane

100
Universal Acclaim

Tokyo Story

100
Universal Acclaim

Casablanca

100
Universal Acclaim

The Leopard (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Three Colors: Red

100
Universal Acclaim

The Conformist

100
Universal Acclaim

Boyhood

100
Universal Acclaim

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

Notorious

100
Universal Acclaim

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Army of Shadows

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

Moonlight

99
Universal Acclaim

Intolerance

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Seven Samurai

98
Universal Acclaim

The Wild Bunch

98
Universal Acclaim

Au hasard Balthazar

98
Universal Acclaim

Pépé le Moko (re-release)

98
Universal Acclaim

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

With the arrival of Zack Snyder's latest Rebel Moon chapter on Netflix, we rank every one of the director's films—from bad to, well, less bad—by Metascore.

  • movie
Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie