Henry Moores, played by Linus Roache is a man of many facets. In the opening scenes, we see him side - by - side with his Indian partner T. K., played by Rahul Bose,as they plan and dream of expanding the spice plantation. He seems to be a progressive man who values his native friend both as a man and as a co-worker. This is no small gesture in southern India in 1938. The British are barely hanging on to their colony and anti-British sentiment is sucking all of the oxygen out of the air. T. K. believes in progress and feels that by working with Moores, he can better his community and therefore his country. He comes to see those who seek rebellion as people who can not move on to the modern world, but are stuck in the past. Moores and T. K. are going to build a road into the mountains so they can harvest more spices and expand their business. The road must be done "Before the Rains".
When Moores returns to his house after his days work, we quickly realize that he is having a love affair with his Indian house maid Sajani (Nandita Das ). Their affair is so far been hidden, even from T.K., but a romp in the forest is interupted by two small village children. Moores dismisses the incident.
The deception deepens as we find out that Moores is married and his wife and child are returning from holiday in England. Laura Moores, played by Jennifer Ehle brings her love and devotion and the warning that her father thinks her a fool for trusting her life to a man such as Moores. Moores takes all of this with good humor, but it is clear the pressure is building. His wife has no reason to suspect that Moores is anything but commited to her and their future. In fact , she befriends Sanjani and compliments her for taking such good care of her husband and house in her abcense.
Sanjani is also married to a crude and hostile man who is jealous an violent. Her brother, a good friend of T. K.'s is also very protective of her and is supicious of the situation at the Moores house.
The tension is drawn tighter as Moores takes out a loan for the construction of the road. The conditions are that it mus tbe completed before the Monsoon season and it must not wash away when the rains come. T. K. has assured Moores that his design will prevent the errosion of the road.
Aside from the monsoon destroying his road, the element that can destroy Moores and shatter his dream is his relationship with Sanjani. And like every love affair that is to be kept private, this one proves impossible to hide and leads to Moores downfall.
But this story is not just a story of misplaced passion. Moores believes he is the future for this area and it's people. He is like a lot of people who champion the downtrodden only to find out the people he wants to help may not want his help. The changes he brings maybe frightening and destabilizing. Throwing over tradition always means displacing power and those with power do not merely step aside. Yes, there is little doubt that Moores deserves his fate in this story, but the undercurrent is clarly true also. By destroying Moores other purposes were served. Moores weakness for Sanjani was a convenient tool for his enemies to destroy him.
The style of this film is typical Merchant Ivory. Filmed with rich and colorful scenes where the camera lingers just long enough to pass on the flavor of the setting without making it anything more than the spice in the stew. Roache and company do a superb job of making these people come to life and compel us to know them and what they are all about. In the vin of "Painted Veil", this cautionary tale about the clash of civilizations is most note worthy for its respect for the cultures involved and an evenhanded judgement of the times.
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