Even the Rain

A Review

By Ivan Favelevic

On March 11, 2011

Pin It

Period pieces can be hit or miss in film. Sometimes retelling a historical event can lead some filmmakers to take certain dramatic freedom with true occurrences. However, "Even the Rain" is able to eschew these issues by placing a fictional drama inside an actual historical occurrence. The result is a brilliantly made film that brings powerful metaphors and a very strong message about race relations in South America.

Iciar Bollain ("Take My Eyes") directs the story centering on a Spanish film director named Sebatian (Gael Garcia Bernal) and his producer Costa (Luis Tosar), who are trying to make a film about Christopher Columbus' voyages to the New World and the subsequent treatment of the natives. However, as they delve deeper into the history behind the colonization of the native tribes, they discovered that not much has changed. While shooting the film in Cochibamba, Bolivia, the "Water Riots" of the year 2000 break out around them. The city houses people of very low income and the increase in water prices is leaving them without steady supply. When some of the members of the cast get involved in the uprising, Sebastian and Costa are faced with uncertainty on where to stand.

The story and dialogue are undoubtedly this movie's strongest points. It presents itself in a way that creates some very interesting moral choices. The way the filming of Columbus' interactions with the native tribes contrasts with the modern day exploitation of the poor villagers forms some of the more impacting scenes. Even the film crew themselves, in their bourgeois demeanor, encounter certain distance from the simple lives of the villagers. Needless to say, this is a finely crafted script with some interesting characters and some very strong acting to bring them to life. Despite one strange twist of roles later in the film, the story definitely comes full circle.

Visually the film is stunning, with some amazing backdrops of the Bolivian jungle juxtaposed with violent rioting. Seeing some of the extras still dressed in their aboriginal attire take to the streets with pots and pans, creates some striking images that one will not soon forget. The editing is tight and keeps the pace of the film flowing despite there not being many plot points to speak off. The film is a visual treat, and the expertly tuned soundtrack helps benefit the already stellar cinematography.

"Even The Rain" is one of those sobering films that comes with a strong message and makes sure you leave the theatre having understood it. There is little conventional entertainment to be found here, only the harsh reality behind the corruption in our world. Although this is one beautiful film that should not be missed, the dedication to Howard Zinn at the beginning says enough about how one will feel when it all ends.