Watch The Rains of Ranchipur

The Rains of Ranchipur is a 1955 British-American film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Richard Burton, Lana Turner, and Fred MacMurray. This is a romantic drama, where the story takes place in a fictional Indian region called Ranchipur. The movie starts with Lady Edwina Esketh (Lana Turner) arriving at Ranchipur via train. She is with a group that includes her friend Tom Ransome (Fred MacMurray) and the Maharani (Eugene Deckers), who is Edwina's friend as well. The Maharani invites Edwina to her palace where she will spend her vacation. On their way, they get stuck in a bridge that collapses, and they are fortunate to survive the fall. They are helped by a noble doctor, Major Rama Safti (Richard Burton), who eventually falls in love with Lady Edwina.

As the story unfolds, we see the tension between Lady Edwina and Tom Ransome. Tom has pursued Lady Edwina for years unsuccessfully, and he does not want to lose her to Major Rama Safti. However, Lady Edwina is more interested in the Major than Tom. Meanwhile, Major Rama Safti knows that he can't have a relationship with Lady Edwina because of their different cultural backgrounds. This creates a love triangle which develops further in the movie.

While all this happens, there is another underlying story about a severe monsoon that affects the city, where water levels keep rising and disaster seems imminent. Major Rama Safti, who is also the administrative head of the city, takes charge to save people stranded in the city. He brings people to the Maharani's palace, the only dry land available. The people include locals and British officers/ dignitaries. This creates further drama as people from different cultures and backgrounds are forced to occupy the same space.

The Rains of Ranchipur is an epic film with stunning visuals; the film was shot in CinemaScope, which was rare for the time. The visuals effectively portray the monsoon and the destruction it causes. The movie also features excellent performances, especially from Richard Burton in his role as Major Rama Safti. He brings out the essence of his character's restraint, duty, and stoicism which is alluring in the eyes of Lady Edwina.

Lana Turner does justice to her role as Lady Edwina, who is trying to search for what she wants in life. She is torn between her attraction to Major Rama Safti and her long-standing friendship with Tom Ransome. Despite the technical and cultural differences, she struggles to find a balance.

Fred MacMurray plays the role of Tom Ransome, a charming and handsome man who chases after Lady Edwina's affection. He adds a certain level of charm and humor to the story, which is refreshing.

The film's score stands out as well, with the Academy Award-nominated theme song 'The Rains of Ranchipur' by Hugo Friedhofer, which adds to the overall ambiance of the movie.

The Rains of Ranchipur is an old Hollywood piece that still rings true, with its timeless story of love, duty, and sacrifice. The romance emphasizes the complexity of human emotions and cultural differences, and how they can affect relationships. The groundbreaking visuals and Richard Burton's powerful performance make this movie a must-watch for classic film enthusiasts.

The Rains of Ranchipur is a 1955 adventure movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8.