Before the Rain [Criterion Collection]

Director: Milcho Manchevski Milcho Manchevski

Overview

This haunting anti-war film offers insight into the reasons for the long history of ethnic wars within the Balkan states. It was filmed in Macedonia, a mountainous country bordering Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. The film is divided into three very different, yet related stories: "Words," which is set in the past, tells the story of an Orthodox monk who shelters a Muslim girl from Albania in an ancient monastery. The girl, Zamira, has been accused of killing the brother of a gang of armed trouble-makers. "Faces," with its contemporary British setting, presents a love triangle between Anne, a Britain, her Macedonian lover Aleksandar, a Pullitzer Prize winning war photographer, and Nick, her dull husband. Before she can choose between the two men, Aleksandar returns to Macedonia, and Nick is killed in a restaurant shoot out. "Pictures" follows Aleksandar's return to his home village as he tries to forget the horrors he witnessed as a war correspondent. He seeks peace, but finds instead that his Christian village is at war with a nearby Muslim village.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/24/2008
UPC:	0715515029421
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:53:00

Special Features

New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Milcho Manchevski; Audio commentary featuring film scholar Annette Insdorf and Manchevski; New video inteview with actor Rade Šerbedžija; Behind the scenes in Macedonia, a short 1993 documentary about the making of Before the Rain; Soundtrack selections, featuring the music of Macedonian band Anastasia; On-set footage, theatrical trailers, and stills galleries of production photos, storyboards, and letters; A selection of Manchevski's photography collection street; Manchevski's award-winning "Tennessee" music video; New and improved English subtitle translation; Plus: a new essay by film scholar Ian Christie

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Katrin Cartlidge	Anne
Rade Serbedzija	Aleksander
Gregoire Colin	Kiril
Labina Mitevska	Zamira
Jay Villers	Nick
Silvija Stojanovska	Hana
Phyllida Law	Anne's Mother
Josif Josifovski	Father Marko
Boris Delcevski	Petre
Dejan Velkov	Mate
Kiril Ristoski	Father Damian
Mladen Krstevski	Trifun
Dzemail Maksut	Kuzman
Milica Stojanova	Aunt Cveta
Petar Mircevski	Zdrave
Ljupco Bresliski	Mitre
Igor Madzirov	Stojan
Metodi Psaltirov	Tome
Ilko Stefanovski	Bojan
Mile Jovanovski	Priest Singing at Funeral,Dr. Saso
Blagoja Spirkovski-Dzumerko	Gang Leader
Sando Monev	Blagoj
Suzana Kirandziska	Neda
Katerina Kocevska	Kate
Vladimir Endrovski	Trajce
Abdurrahman Shala	Zekir
Vladimir Jacev	Alija
Arben Kastrati	Ramiz
Danny Newman	Ian
Gabrielle Hamilton	Woman in Cab
Moni Damevski	George
Ljupco Todorovski	Kizo
Peter Needham	Maitre d'
Melissa Wilkes	Retarded Child
Joe Gould	Redhead Waiter
Rod Woodruff	Waiter in Fight
Aleksandar Mikic	Atanas
Cvetko Mareski	Boy with Gun
Goran	Goran
Nino Levi	Mailman
Lence Delova	Bossy Clerk
Jordan Vitanov	Policeman
Jay Villiers	Nick
Anastasia	Composer

Technical Credits

Milcho Manchevski

Milcho Manchevski	Director,Screenwriter
Judy Counihan	Producer
Moni Damevski	Casting
Vasil Dikov	Special Effects
John Fontana	Special Effects
Cedomir Kolar	Producer
Valentin Lozey	Special Effects
Parvan Parvnov	Stunts
Liora Reich	Casting
Sam Taylor	Producer
Cat Villiers	Producer
Rob Woodruff	Stunts
Cat Villers	Producer
Paul Sarony	Producer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Before the Rain
1. Logos/Opening Credits [4:10]
2. "Words" [7:11]
3. Funeral [6:20]
4. "Eye for An Eye" [5:53]
5. Escape [6:01]
6. Grandpa and Brother [6:39]
7. "Faces" [5:03]
8. Anne and Aleksandar [8:38]
9. Restaurant [1:30]
10. "Pictures" [9:16]
11. Homecoming [5:29]
12. Family [5:42]
13. Albanians [6:08]
14. The Doctor [7:30]
15. "I Took Sides" [5:22]
16. Hana's Visit [6:24]
17. "Shoot, Cousin, Shoot" [5:21]
18. Rain [5:10]
19. Color Bars [5:18]
1. Great First Feature [4:10]
2. Idea and Script [7:11]
3. Double Feature [6:20]
4. Style [5:53]
5. Internal Rhyming [6:01]
6. Anastasia [6:39]
7. A New Mystery [5:03]
8. Phyllida and Katrin [8:38]
9. Violent Tension [1:30]
10. Contemporary Macedonia [9:16]
11. Loss of Innocene [5:29]
12. The Two Corpses [5:42]
13. Filmmaking Experience [6:08]
15. The Photographs [5:22]
14. Bordering Conflicts [7:30]
16. Ghostly Women [6:24]
17. Creative Geography [5:21]
18. Tragic Vision [5:10]
19. Color Bars [5:18]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Before the Rain
   Play
   Chapters
   Commentary
      Director's Statement: Off
      Director's Statement: Onn
      Index
   Supplements
      Rade ŠerbedŽija Interview
         Play
      Behind the Scenes in Macedonia
         Play
      On-Set Footage
      Soundtrack Selections
         Play
         Index
            "Time Never Dies"
            "Funeral Theme"
            "In a London Cab"
            "Pass Over"
            "Death of Aleksandar"
            "The Cirlce Is Not Found"
      Trailers
         International Theatrical Trailer
         U.S. Theatrical Trailer
         Manchevski Recut Trailer
      Stills Galleries
         Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
         Storyboards, Drawings, Letters
      Street Photography
         Director's Statement
         1-20
         21-40
         41-60
         61-79
      "Tennessee" Music Video
         Play
   Subtitles
      On/Off

Editorial Reviews

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.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler