American Cinematographer - July 2008 - (Page 18)

Production Slate Colonial Drama and Futuristic Comedy In a scene from Before the Rains, Moores (Linus Roache, left) and T.K. (Rahul Bose), his right-hand man, chart the path of a new mountain road in India that will bring Moores great wealth. Tragedy in India by Jean Oppenheimer An adulterous affair between an English spice exporter, Moores (Linus Roache), and his Indian housemaid, Sajani (Nandita Das), sets the stage for tragedy in Before the Rains, a drama set in India in 1937. Equally in jeopardy is the plantation owner’s right-hand man, T.K. (Rahul Bose), whose knowledge of the illicit relationship makes him an accomplice in the eyes of his fellow villagers. Torn between loyalty to the tradition of his culture and allegiance to Moores and the opportunities he offers, T.K. serves as a thinly veiled metaphor for the promise and perils of British Colonialism. Before the Rains was directed and shot by Santosh Sivan, ISC (The Terrorist, AC April ’99) amid the lush 18 July 2008 forest and majestic mountains of Kerala, a state in southern India. Sivan was born and raised in Kerala and brought with him a special feel for the surroundings. “The landscape hasn’t changed much since the 1930s,” he says. “People have worked hard to maintain the ecological balance in the area, so nature hasn’t been tampered with. “Before the Rains is very much about the land,” he continues. “Rather than use telephoto lenses, I wanted to go with a wide kind of feel, where you have people, frogs and insects in sharp focus in the foreground while the background is slightly blurred.” He favored 16mm and 18mm lenses for these shots. Sivan, who attended the Film and Television Institute of India, points to the late Subrata Mitra, the great Indian cinematographer who worked with Satyajit Ray, as perhaps his greatest influence, especially in terms of framing. “In Ray’s films, people are almost always seen in relation to the landscape and the sky; they are either dominating the landscape or being eaten up by it. I wanted to achieve something similar in Before the Rains.” The story’s themes were a major influence on the visual design. To help underscore the clash of cultures, Sivan tried to incorporate contrasting images and/or colors within the shots. Some occurred naturally, such as the contrast in skin tones between the pale Moores and his Indian mistress. At other times, production design and wardrobe were crucial, as in the contrast between Moores’ neutral-colored attire and Sajani’s bright saris and sparkling jewelry. ¢ Before the Rains photos by Alphonse Roy, courtesy of MIP/Roadside Attractions.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - July 2008

American Cinematographer - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Global Village: Torn from the Flag Short Takes: On a Tuesday Production Slate: Before the Rains WALL-E Batman Looms Larger A Not-So-Super Hero Spy vs. Spy Laugh Factory Post Focus: CineSynce Streamlines Dark Knight Effects New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index In Memoriam: Burton "Bud" Stone, Honorary ASC Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Bill Taylor

American Cinematographer - July 2008

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