The circularity of violence seen in a story that circles on itself. In Macedonia, during the war in Bosnia, Christians hunt an ethnic Albanian girl who may have murdered one of their own. A young monk who's taken a vow of silence offers her protection. In London, a photographic editor who's pregnant needs to talk it out with her estranged husband and chooses a toney restaurant.
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Reviews
A recent trend in films is to present plots non-sequentially. This isn't done all the time, of course, but this radical way of constructing a plot have simply been overused in recent years. For me, the novelty has definitely worn off. Because of that, I wasn't as impressed with "Before the Rain" and many other reviewers.This film consists of three stories--all which relate to Macedonia and ethnic violence. However, while at first the three stories only seem to have this as the common thread, some of the characters also appear in multiple stories--making one larger story about hatred and ethnic violence. Story 1 is about an Albanian woman who is being sought by Christian Macedonians--and she's being sheltered by a monk who has taken a vow of silence.Story 2 is about a pregnant Brit whose lover is Macedonian. He has been living abroad for many years but leaves to go back--and leaves her behind pregnant. When she meets her husband to ask for a divorce, BAD things happen somewhat out of the blue.Story 3 shows the man in 2 in Macedonia and his return isn't as happy as he'd hoped.Each story is well done and interesting. The acting and direction are also quite nice. But as I indicated above, I am personally tiring of non-sequential films and the novelty has worn off for me. Well done but I am not in love with the film.
But this film's construction is, like the cycle of war. Brilliant, as of course is the film. Gotta do ten lines.This is one of the best anti-war films ever made, on par with Bardov's Prisoner of the Mountains, which I recommend to you, along side Susan Beir's Brothers.Should be required viewing for all politicians...The art in this film is immense, from the film stock, to the lighting, acting, story, in essence, a perfect film. Have to wonder about people who don't appreciate it, much less enjoy it on some level. Brutally honest film about the consequences of war.
It's one of the best films that I've ever seen. I saw it many times, including the theatre sessions, when it was on screens. Photography, scriptwriting, direction, characters are in such a harmony that makes difficult to tell what is best in this films. The perfection of the text is so that the connections between characters and the film chronology can close in a circle without really closing it. The main sentence "The circle is not round" is both touching and intelligent, revealing the spiral of mankind's stubbornness violence - that never gets to an end - as the essence of the story. So up to date that unreasonable violence still keeps its turn, nowadays: like it happened in London, in the film, and today(10/08), at the airports. The soundtrack by "Anastácia" is also fantastic; and fits well with the atmosphere of the film.
two different stages in europe with one common ground, violence are connected in this movie. but also love don't get missed out in milcho manchevskis "wonderfull" masterpiece. love will be found in sundry figures or implementations always in contrast to hatred, terror and war. one of those movies, whose pictures you will never forget in your live. pictures that melt opposites into one. one example: after years Aleksander comes back to macedonia and finds his parents house destroyed by war. an image full of demolition, chaos, love and boundless romantic, that seek after equal quality in different categories. A MUST!!!
