Watch movies & chill

The week gone by had witnessed relentless rains across the state which made travelling outdoors nothing short of a nightmare. With more rains in forecast, what could be a better place than staying in the cozy comfort of home and munching on spicy snacks while catching up with a few good flicks on Netflix or YouTube? To lend the whole exercise a different twist, here are movies that are worth their salt for their superb screen material. As a seasonal interweave, in all these movies, a relentless downpour plays a key role in delivering the critical moments for the flick’s overall success.

Singin’ in the Rain
When we talk about movies with ‘rain’ as a potent feature, what swiftly jumps to mind is ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. The movie is a cheerful, melodic spoofing of the movie business in the late ‘20s. Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, this film is lighthearted with beautiful numbers resonating with the audiences. While the title itself is self-communicative of the rain-inclined theme, Gene Kelly, stylishly hanging onto a lamp-post with one hand and holding an umbrella with the other, under a downpour, is an unforgettable image for many movie-goers even today. Owing to the lack of technology, then, this particular scene is believed to have been shot for three days, majorly focusing on ensuring visibility of the raindrops. Of course, rumours are rife that water was mixed with milk for a better rain visibility on the camera. The movie was one of MGM’s biggest box office grosser.

Saving Private Ryan
A movie not for the weak hearted as blood and gore seems to be a part of this well-scripted movie. The movie is set in the backdrop of the Normandy Invasion of World War II. A specific mission to search out Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have already been killed in the war, and to return Ryan to his mother, happens to be the central theme of the script. Tom Hanks, who stars as Captain John Miller, goes in search of Private James Ryan amidst war zone with bombs exploding and bullets whizzing past. He is intent on locating the Private Ryan come hell or high-water. In one particular scene, his soldiers keep falling to the ground as hidden snipers take them out; the incessant rain adds pain as well as character to the scene, while communicating the intense loss and side effects of a war. The movie is very intense, driven and with uncompromising graphic images.

Cast Away
A movie that leaves you soaked in emotions. Tom Hanks pours his soul into this almost lifeless role of a “castaway” with this superb acting. The travails of a man, thrown on a godforsaken island by a violent rainstorm while he is travelling on an airplane, will leave one appreciative of finer privileges the modern man has come to possess. Tom Hanks, the FedEx employee, goes through many an upheaval to keep himself alive on this island. While different emotions almost overtake his sanity during his four-year isolated stay on the island, it’s the volley ball, which Tom calls it “Wilson”, actually helps him keep his sanity. Whether it’s the storm that disrupts his smooth life or the crucial goodbye, he has to say to his girl, the incessant rain typically seems to enhance the emotional aspects of the critical moments. The goodbye under the pouring rain simply pulls the heart strings and further drives the last nail in his relationship with his former girlfriend, who he finds happily married on his return to civilisation.

Anacondas: The Hunt for Blood Orchid
Shot in Brunei amidst dense forests and perennial rivers that dot the incredible landscape, the flick is all about discovering the elixir of youth as a few young scientists charter into the forbidden lands of 30-feet giant anacondas. The movie begins with the rain incessantly falling on people, on the streets and on roofs, while these scientists go in search of a captain who could traverse them across the rumbling waters to their destiny. The rain adds beauty and strength to the already tightly drawn storyline, indicating impending danger and a tryst with a risky destiny.

Spider-Man
Nobody could do justice to Spider-Man’s role other than Tobey Maguire. This sticky-man knows how to pull strings and entice the lady of his love. Not initially, but definitely towards the conclusion. While this movie may not have much in relation to the seasonal downpours, it’s for sure that the romantic scene between Tobey and Kirsten Dunst has been featured across all magazines and shows for its unusual romantic scene, where the hero, Spiderman, hangs upside down while the heroine unmasks him partly and kisses him. What spices up the setting is an incessant downpour.

The Bridges of Madison County
The flick is an adaptation of the book with the same title written by Robert James Waller. The story never fails to touch hearts and draw tears. It’s about an Italian war bride, Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep), who, after getting married and having two children, suddenly falls in love with another person, Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood), a professional photographer, who is there to shoot “Covered Bridges in Madison County” for the National Geographic. Consequently, they get involved in a four-day affair. But, when the plans to runaway foster inside, Franscesca becomes indecisive and decides to stay back. She does this majorly because of her teenage children and her husband. As the rain incessantly batters the forlorn face of Robert (Clint Eastwood), Franscesca decides to say goodbye to him. The rain depicts the multitudinous emotions that run through Robert’s heart.

Renaissance Man
Danny DeVito stars as an English tutor to a bunch of underachieving Army soldiers. The Drill Sergeant Cass (Hines) is dead against Rago (DeVito) schooling these kids. But DeVito, a man with a mission, performs the impossible by sparking an interest among the soldiers. He even takes the students on a field trip to witness live performances of shows. The ultimate high comes, when on a dare from Sergeant Cass, one of DeVito’s students’ recites the St Crispin’s Day Speech by King Henry V in full combat gear, standing in a thick downpour.

The Shawshank Redemption
Adapted from Stephen King’s book ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’, the movie is about “Andy”, who is in jail for the murder of his wife and her lover, which he didn’t commit. The flick talks about loopholes in the judicial system and how they could be deftly exploited to advantage. Mostly, it is about Andy, who smartly hoodwinks jail officials, and escapes to freedom by creating new identities for himself and by depositing large sums of his higher official’s money into his own personal account, acquired with his new identity. The escape comes after he stealthily crawls through a sewer tunnel roughly around a football field in length. Emerging at the other end, he is greeted with a downpour, signifying the washing out of all filth and terrible years he had to endure in jail. The story is well-narrated by “Red” (Morgan Freeman) in the movie.

By: Daniel Indrupati