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Hard Rain (1998)
The Rain: The worst recorded rainstorm in the history of the Midwestern United States, that turns a small town into an American version of Venice.
Thematic Resonance: With the town flooded, armed robbers speed in by boat to get their loot on. It's the device by which the whole plot hangs, essentially. As the tag-line says, "A simple plan. An instant fortune. Just add water."
Se7en (1995)
The Rain: As Mills and Somerset chase the killer out into the street, they can hardly see where they're going, so heavy is the rain. Disorientated and taken by surprise, Mills is held at gunpoint by the killer, who then turns and disappears into the murk.
Thematic Resonance: It's a thoroughly wrong-footing scene, the rain playing a big part in creating an atmosphere of confusion and panic.
The Notebook (2004)
The Rain: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams set hearts aflutter and pulses racing with an outrageously passionate kiss is the midst of a thorough soaking. True love could care less about soggy clothes.
Thematic Resonance: Adding rain to a kiss automatically makes it 50% hotter. Coincidentally, adding Ryan Gosling has the same effect.
Road To Perdition (2002)
The Rain: The rain comes down in sheets as Michael Sullivan has his final showdown with John Rooney. "I'm glad it was you," says the old man, as Sullivan raises his tommy gun.
Thematic Resonance: As the rain washes Rooney's blood into the drains, it's almost as though Sullivan is washing his cares away with it. Little does he know, there was one last loose end to be tied up…
Chasing Amy (1997)
The Rain: Having just indulged in a blazing row, Alyssa storms out of the car into a torrential downpour, only to return for a climactic, waterlogged kiss. Awww.
Thematic Resonance: The tension has been building between Holden and Alyssa, and finally the floodgates burst open in spectacular style.
Singin' In The Rain (1952)
The Rain: A gloriously splashy shower that tempts Gene Kelly into breaking into song. An umbrella has never been used so inefficiently.
Thematic Resonance: Gene is so amped up after kissing his girl that he couldn't care less about getting wet. It's a device by which to reflect his happiness. And to let him splash about a bit.
The Perfect Storm (2000)
The Rain: The crew of the Andrea Gail brace themselves for the worst as the rain starts to come down in a big way. Even with that kind of pessimism in mind however, they aren't even remotely prepared for the ferocity of the storm that follows.
Thematic Resonance: The whole film has been building to this point. The clue is kind of in the title.
Blade Runner (1982)
The Rain: Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece is shrouded throughout by a continual curtain of rain, but the precipitation really comes into its own in the final battle between Deckard and Roy. A simply beautiful sequence.
Thematic Resonance: Roy's dying words are lent even more resonance by the apocalyptic downpour taking place around him. "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain," he says. "Time to die."
Spider-Man (2002)
The Rain: As the rain comes down in buckets, MJ grabs hold of Spider-Man, pulling up his mask to share the wettest upside-down kiss ever seen on the big screen.
Thematic Resonance: The rain enhances the climactic, to-hell-with-it passion of the kiss. It has nothing whatsoever to do with getting Kirsten Dunst's t-shirt wet.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Rain: As Andy emerges from his shit-coated escape pipe, he flops into the river and reaches his arms to the heavens, allowing the falling rain to wash him clean.
Thematic Resonance: The taste of that rainwater on his tongue? That's the sweet taste of freedom.
