A still from ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’ | Photo Credit: Custom arrangement
In October uncharacteristically rain has seen some parts of southern India swathed in heavy rain for several weeks, thanks to the northeast monsoon. Depending on how many power outages and building leaks you experience each year during this period, your idea of ​​romanticizing the shower may vary – but it goes without saying that filmmakers have long used the phenomenon as a fun motif.
Inexplicably, two anime features from Japanese filmmaker and novelist Makoto Shinkai (whose obsession with rain is evident in almost every creation from his studio) first came to mind when I thought of a film honoring torrential rain. Garden of Words portrays an almost-romance between a young boy and an old woman as they flee a thunderstorm together in Shinjuku Park, while Weathering With You’s the protagonist is an orphaned girl who can control the weather at will; two coming-of-age dramas feature an inordinate number of spectacular anime rain sequences that paint Tokyo as the most magical escape atmosphere.
A is still from the ‘Garden of Words’ | Photo Credit: Custom arrangement
Gloomy, bleak thrillers set against a rainy backdrop are a Hollywood staple, and none do better than David Fincher’s. Se7en. Storm is closed only when John Doe surrenders and his reign ends (no? but there it is…) Martin Scorsese Rana Island and Matt Reeves The Batman The reboot is a worthy addition to this list, along with some Denis Villeneuve-like shows Blade Runner 2049 (Ridley Scott’s original is also a good example), prisoner and Attend – fans wonder if there will be a sinister shot of Arrakis shrouded in mist at some point in the Sand dunes movie … but don’t worry, we still have it Messiah arrive. Perhaps, the fleeting mention of James Mangold’s divisive whodunit Identity also here, because all the mysteries take place in the never-ending flood.
Korean auteur Bong Joon-Ho is another director whose use of rain to set the context – and the subtext – is fascinating; at Memories of Murderit’s a harbinger of fear and doom as the police discover a serial killer who attacks his victims in the rain, when it’s there Chute, that the storm and the subsequent flood put bare the class difference between Kim and Park household, and brings the hidden truth to the surface. The host and mother are two other films that have fun with plot points influenced by rain.
Close to home, and to the south, Mani Ratnam Kannathil Muthamittal the greenery of a rain-soaked Sri Lanka, leading to a heart-wrenching climax with the family huddled under an umbrella is AR Rahman’s mesmerizing strain. Vellai Pokal take over. In addition, filmmakers Raavanan play out as a love letter to the waterfall and continuous rain in the jungles where the epic adventure is taken. Arivazhagan 2009 horror-thriller Eram is another contender, complete with lilting numbers Mazhaiye Mazhaiye.
A shot from ‘Maheshinte Prathikaram’ | Photo Credit: Custom arrangement
Vishal Bhardwaj KamineyMohit Suri Asaki 2 and Anurag Basu Live in the Metro all feature memorable scenes in the rain, while Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine is Light echoing the charm and chaos of Mumbai’s monsoons. Finally, two Malayalam dramas: Dileesh Pothan Maheshinte Prathikaram where the overcast sky and impending rain parallel the romantic situation in the lives of Mahesh (Fahadh Faasil), and Padmarajan. Thoovanathumbikal, where rain is the ultimate metaphor for love and passion; every time Jayakrishnan (Mohanlal) meets or even thinks about the woman he loves.
Which prompts a thought: who doesn’t love a good rain song? But that’s a discussion for another day.
From the Hindu cinema team, a bi-weekly column that recommends movies and shows related to a mood, theme, or pop culture event.
Published – 26 October 2024 14:32 IST