Black Rain (1989/I)

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers (WGA):

Craig Bolotin (written by) &
Warren Lewis (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

An American Cop in Japan. Their country. Their laws. Their game. His rules.

Plot:

Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. They...

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Japan | Yakuza | New York | Shootout

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Douglas	...	Nick Conklin
Andy Garcia	...	Charlie Vincent
Ken Takakura	...	Masahiro
Kate Capshaw	...	Joyce
Yusaku Matsuda	...	Sato
Shigeru Kôyama	...	Ohashi (as Shigeru Koyama)
John Spencer	...	Oliver
Guts Ishimatsu	...	Katayama
Yûya Uchida	...	Nashida
Tomisaburo Wakayama	...	Sugai
Miyuki Ono	...	Miyuki
Luis Guzmán	...	Frankie (as Luis Guzman)
John Costelloe	...	The Kid (as John A. Costelloe)
Stephen Root	...	Berg
Richard Riehle	...	Crown

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Brazil:14 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

1000 N. Crescent Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The winery where the final battle takes place is not in Japan, but in Napa County, California. The filmmaker's visa had run out, so final filming was shifted to the United States.

Goofs:

Continuity: During Sato's meeting with the Yakuza bosses, he slams his fist down on the box containing the counterfeiting plate. In the next shot, his hand is palm-downward and flat against the box.

Quotes:

Sugai: I was 10 when the B-29 came. My family lived underground for three days. We when came up the city was gone. Then the heat brought rain. Black rain. You made the rain black, and shoved your values down our throats. We forgot who we were. You created Sato and thousands like him. I'm paying you back.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Black Rain: Making the Film - Part 1 (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE NIGHT

An awesome flick that no one ever talks about

This is a very overlooked character driven action film by Ridley Scott. His visuals have been discussed at great length for films like Alien, and Blade Runner. However Black Rain almost matches his prior films in terms of visual beauty. The film is given a surrealistic look, that strengthens the exotic back drop. Michael Douglas is superb at playing cops and loners, and here he demonstrates why hes a star. His character is a complete bad ass, and I'd like to see him take on a few more of these roles before he gets too old. The writing isn't masterful but its very effective for the genre. I've always loved the theme of American cops going over to a foreign land and experiencing all the culture shock, and sense of alienation.

Great movie 9/10