Black Rain (DVD)

Black Rain is a 1989 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Craig Bolotin and Warren Lewis. It stars Michael Douglas, Andy García, Ken Takakura, and Kate Capshaw and features Yūsaku Matsuda (in his final film role before his death that year) and Shigeru Kōyama. The film focuses on two NYPD officers who arrest a member of the Yakuza and must escort him back to Japan. Once there, he escapes, and the two officers find themselves dragged deeper and deeper into the Japanese underworld.

Black Rain was released by Paramount Pictures on September 22, 1989. It received much publicity beforehand as it was Douglas s first film in two years and the first since his Oscar winning role in the film Wall Street. Upon release, the film received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics, which praised the performances, action sequences, Hans Zimmer s musical score, direction and editing but criticized the screenwriting, clichéd story and lack of character development. In the years since, the film has become a major cult film and has been widely praised.

Black Rain was also a huge box office hit with grossing over $134 million worldwide in front of a production budget of $30 million, and was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Sound and Best Sound Editing.

Plot

Nick Conklin is a New York City police officer facing possible criminal charges; Internal Affairs believes Nick was involved with his former partner, who was caught taking criminal money in a corruption scandal. Nick, who has financial difficulties, is divorced from his wife, who has custody of their two children.

At a restaurant, Nick and his current partner Charlie Vincent observe two Japanese men meeting with Mafia gangsters. Nick s suspicions are validated when another Japanese man enters the restaurant, seizes a small package at gunpoint, kills two people, and leaves. Nick and Charlie chase and arrest the suspect after he nearly kills Nick. Sato is to be extradited to Osaka and given to the police there. Though angered that Sato will not be prosecuted in the US, Nick agrees to escort him. Nick s captain believes it will keep Nick from causing more trouble and exacerbating the already biased Internal Affairs investigation.

During the flight to Japan on board a Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-100 and when they arrive in Osaka, they surrender Sato to the Japanese police, only to discover that they were duped by impostors. Nick convinces the Osaka police to allow them to observe the investigation, though their weapons are confiscated. They are assigned to Masahiro Matsumoto. Nick behaves rudely and offends Matsumoto, while Charlie attempts to be more polite. Nick also makes contact with an American nightclub hostess, Joyce, who explains that Nick and Charlie represent American inefficiency and stupidity to the Japanese. Through her, Nick discovers Sato is fighting a gang war with a notorious crime boss, Sugai, and traveled to New York to disrupt Sugai s counterfeiting scheme.

Nick joins a police raid without permission and takes a few $100 bills from the crime scene. The next day, Matsumoto explains they have dishonored themselves, him, and the police force by his theft, which has been reported in America; Nick calls him a snitch and demonstrates the money is counterfeit by burning one of the bills. At night, Nick and Charlie walk back to their hotel drunk and unescorted, despite warnings about their safety. In an apparent prank, a young motorcyclist steals Charlie s coat and leads him to an underground parking garage. The motorcyclist turns out to be one of Sato s henchman and has lured Charlie into a trap. Separated from Charlie, Nick watches in horror as Sato and several others briefly torture Charlie before Sato beheads him. Joyce comforts the distraught Nick at her apartment. Later, Matsumoto hands him Charlie s service revolver.

As Matsumoto and Nick trail one of Sato s operatives, Nick admits he stole money in New York. The operative retrieves a sample counterfeit note, which she passes to a gangster. Nick and Matsumoto tail him to a steel foundry, where they find Sato is meeting Sugai, and the package from New York is a printing plate for American $100 bills. Nick confronts Sato, who escapes when swarming police arrest Nick for waving a gun in public. Though deported, Nick sneaks off the plane to pursue Sato on his own, as Matsumoto has been suspended and demoted. Joyce helps him meet Sugai, who explains that making counterfeit US currency is his revenge for the black rain , or nuclear fallout, after the bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. Nick suggests a deal where Sugai can use Nick to retrieve the stolen plate from Sato, leaving Sugai s reputation and hands clean.

Sugai drops Nick at a remote farm with a shotgun. Matsumoto arrives, and they deduce Sato plans a massacre. During a meeting with Sugai, Sato cuts off one of his fingers in atonement, stabs Sugai, and escapes with the plates, prompting a gunfight between Sugai s and Sato s men. Sato escapes the fight on a dirt bike, Nick pursues, and the two fight briefly. Nick gains the advantage and, having Sato at his mercy, has the choice of whether or not to kill Sato for Charlie and all the humiliation he has suffered. Matsumoto and Nick walk a handcuffed Sato into police headquarters to the amazement of everyone and later receive commendations, which Nick accepts gratefully.

Before boarding his flight home, Nick thanks Matsumoto for his assistance and friendship, and gives him a dress shirt in a gift box. Underneath it, Matsumoto finds the counterfeit printing plates.

Cast

• Michael Douglas as Detective Nick Conklin
• Andy García as Detective Charlie Vincent
• Ken Takakura as Assistant Inspector Masahiro Mas Matsumoto
• Kate Capshaw as Joyce
• Yūsaku Matsuda as Sato Koji
• Shigeru Kōyama as Chief Inspector Ohashi
• John Spencer as Captain Oliver
• Guts Ishimatsu as Katayama
• Yuya Uchida as Nashida
• Tomisaburo Wakayama as Sugai Kunio
• Miyuki Ono as Miyuki
• Luis Guzman as Frankie
• Stephen Root as IA Detective Berg
• Richard Riehle as IA Detective Crown
• Clem Caserta as Abolofia
• Vondie Curtis-Hall as Detective
• Professor Toru Tanaka as Sugai s Bodyguard
• Mak Takano as Tattooed Yakuza (uncredited)
• Nathan Jung as Sato s Enforcer (uncredited)
• Al Leong as Sato s Assassin (uncredited)
• Bruce Locke as Sato s Bodyguard (uncredited)

Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan was originally approached to play the role of Sato, but instead turned it down as he felt audiences did not want to see him play a bad character. Harrison Ford and Kurt Russell were strongly considered for the role of Nick Conklin, before Michael Douglas was cast due to his favorable relationship with producers Sherry Lansing and Stanley R. Jaffe.

Production

Director Paul Verhoeven was originally attached to direct, but, after a slow development process, left to helm Total Recall (1990). He would later collaborate with Douglas on Basic Instinct (1992).

The film began shooting in November 1988 and ended in March 1989. Japanese actor Yūsaku Matsuda, who played Sato, died of bladder cancer shortly after the film s completion. Director Ridley Scott dedicated the film to his memory.

The high cost and red tape involved in filming in Japan prompted director Scott to declare that he would never film in that country again. Scott was eventually forced to leave the country and complete the final climactic scene (which included American character actor Al Leong) in Napa Valley, California.

This film marks the first collaboration between Hans Zimmer and Ridley Scott. He would go on to score several more films for Scott, including Thelma and Louise, Hannibal, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and Matchstick Men.

Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto contributed the song Laser Man to the film s soundtrack.

Locations

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Large parts of Black Rain were filmed in Osaka, although some of the locations have changed somewhat since the late 1980s when production took place. The original intention of Ridley Scott was to film in the Kabukicho nightlife district of Shinjuku, Tokyo. However, the Osaka authorities were more receptive towards film permits so the similarly futuristic neon-infused Dōtonbori in Namba was chosen as the principal filming location in Japan.

An aerial shot of Osaka bay at sunset with the estuaries of the Yodogawa, Kanzakigawa and Ajigawa rivers frames the opening sequence of the arrival into Japan.

The main filming location in Osaka is by the Ebisubashi bridge. The futurist Kirin Plaza building (architect Shin Takamatsu, built 1987), the Ebisubashi and the famous neon wall overlooking the Dōtonbori canal creates the Blade Runner-esque mise-en-scène.

Umeda, Osaka s northern centre, is represented by the first floor shopping mall concourse of Hankyu Umeda station Terminal Building. Resembling a futuristic neo-gothic nave from a cathedral, this is where Charlie Vincent s (Andy Garcia) jacket is stolen by a bosozoku biker. Because the production could not finish the segment in Japan, Charlie s demise, the subsequent escalator chase and car park scenes, replete with appropriate Japanese signs, were shot in downtown Los Angeles.

The now removed Shinsaibashi bridge (dismantled in 1995), Osaka Municipal Central Wholesale Market, Nippon Steel Works in Sakai City (south Osaka), Kyobashi, the elevated Hanshin Expressway, Osaka Castle and Nanko Port Town also feature briefly, as well as the Motomachi shopping district of neighbouring Kobe.

In New York City, the 1964 World Expo s Unisphere opens the film, followed by Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas) riding over the Queensboro Bridge. The illegal bike race between Nick and an anonymous challenger took place from underneath the west underside of the Brooklyn Bridge north to the Manhattan Bridge.

Music

The soundtrack had various artists with the score composed by Hans Zimmer. The soundtrack was originally released as a 7-track album in 1989 by Virgin Movie Music on cassette, vinyl and compact disc. However, it was re-released in 2012 by La-La Land Records in limited edition as a two-disc package.

Black Rain (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	Livin on the Edge of the Night (Iggy Pop)	Eric Rackin, Jay Rifkin	3:40
2.	The Way You Do the Things You Do (UB40)	Robert Rogers, William Robinson	3:15
3.	Back to Life (Jam On The Groove Mix) (Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler)	Beresford Romeo, Paul Hooper, Simon Law	5:09
4.	Laserman (Ryuichi Sakamoto)	Sakamoto	4:49
5.	Singing in the Shower (Les Rita Mitsouko and Sparks)	Ron Mael, Russell Mael	4:24
6.	I ll Be Holding On (Gregg Allman)	Hans Zimmer, Will Jennings	5:40
7.	Black Rain Suite - Sato, Charlie Loses his Head, Sugai, Nick & Masa	Hans Zimmer	4:45, 7:03, 6:55, 2:52
Total length:			48:26

Release

Black Rain was released in the United States on September 22, 1989, and in the Philippines on February 1, 1990. It was screened as the opening film at the 3rd Tokyo International Film Festival in October 1989 and shown as the Special Invitational Screening film. Ken Takakura attended the event. It was later screened at the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei.

Home Media

Black Rain was first released in the U.S. on Blu-ray Special Collector s Edition in 2007 by Paramount Pictures with six extra features including audio commentary by director Ridley Scott, a two-part Making of Black Rain documentary, a 20-minute featurette about the script and cast and a 12-minute segment looking at the post-production. It was first released in the UK in 2008. The same edition was re-released by Warner Bros. in 2013.

Reception

Box office

In its opening weekend, Black Rain grossed $9.6 million in 1,610 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #1 at the box office. It stayed at the #1 spot for two more weeks. At the Japanese box office, Black Rain was the fifth top-grossing foreign film of 1989, earning ¥1.35 billion in distributor rentals. The film grossed a total of $46.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $88 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $134.2 million.

Critical response

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that the film plays as if it had been written in the course of production. There seems to have been more desperation off the screen than ever gets into the movie. As bad movies go, however. the American Black Rain is easy to sit through, mostly because of the way Mr. Scott and his production associates capture the singular look of contemporary urban Japan. Roger Ebert gave the film two stars out of four and stated, Even given all of its inconsistencies, implausibilities and recycled cliches, Black Rain might have been entertaining if the filmmakers had found the right note for the material. But this is a designer movie, all look and no heart, and the Douglas character is curiously unsympathetic. Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune awarded the same two-star grade and wrote, The crosscultural action picture might have worked if the filmmakers had come up with a script in which Douglas character had been rendered weak and confused by being a fish trying to swim in strange waters. But instead he is presented as a traditional action hero dominating everyone in sight. The cultural imperialism of that decision makes for a routine and frequently offensive story full of Asian stereotypes.

A review in Variety stated, Since this is a Ridley Scott film, Black Rain is about 90% atmosphere and 10% story. But what atmosphere! This gripping crime thriller about hardboiled N.Y. cop Michael Douglas tracking a yakuza hood in Osaka, Japan, boasts magnificent lensing by Jan DeBont and powerfully baroque production design by Norris Spencer. Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times described the plot as standard 80s schtick but called the visuals hellaciously gorgeous and concluded that action movies are one genre where clichés can be transcended and execution can triumph over content. That s what happens here. Rita Kempley of The Washington Post wrote that Scott approaches this prickly action thriller with the gusto of a sushi chef in a fish storm. Unfortunately and typically, he loses sight of his story in this artistic barrage of blood and guts. It s a gorgeous, erratic movie most definitely not for those with an aversion to cutlery.

The film holds a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews. On Metacritic it has a score of 56% based on reviews from 18 critics.

In retrospect, Michael Douglas said: It was hard to know who to root for. And people here were uncomfortable with race stuff and talking about the bomb. There was a critic, who ll remain nameless, who called it a racist film. I called him up and asked, Have you ever been to Japan? . He said, No , and I said, Then what the hell are you talking about? . The Japanese loved it. I loved it—I thought it rocked from top to bottom.

During an interview on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron in November 2021, Scott called the film f*cking great .

Black Rain was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Sound (Donald O. Mitchell, Kevin O Connell, Greg P. Russell and Keith A. Wester) and Best Sound Effects Editing. (Milton Burrow and William Manger)

Condition

New

Actor

Alan Poul, Craig Bolotin, Julie Kirkham, Sherry Lansing, Stanley R. Jaffe, Warren Lewis

Publisher

Paramount

Published Date

2009-02-03

Rating MPA

R

Recording Length

125

Recording Studio

Paramount

Format

DVD

Brand

Paramount

Age Group

Adult

Amazon ASIN

B001LL9YQS

UPC / EAN

097361406947

Year

1989

ReleaseDate

1989-09-22

RuntimeMins

125

RuntimeStr

2h 5min

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars, 1 win & 4 nominations total

Directors

Ridley Scott

Writers

Craig Bolotin, Warren Lewis

Stars

Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura

Produced by

Craig Bolotin, Stanley R. Jaffe, Julie Kirkham, Sherry Lansing, Yosuke Mizuno, Alan Poul

Music by

Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by

Jan de Bont

Film Editing by

Tom Rolf

Casting By

Dianne Crittenden

Production Design by

Norris Spencer

Art Direction by

John Jay Moore, Herman F. Zimmerman

Set Decoration by

Leslie Bloom, John M. Dwyer, Richard C. Goddard, Alan Hicks

Costume Design by

Ellen Mirojnick

Makeup Department

Richard Alonzo, Allan A. Apone, Fred C. Blau Jr., Kathryn Blondell, Richard Dean, Arnold Gargiulo, Michael Hancock, Yasue Ishikawa, Susan V. Kalinowski, Mark Maitre, Neal Martz, Angela Plasschaert, Lyndell Quiyou, Christina Smith, Yukio Ueda, Ken Walker, Monty Westmore, Akemi Yoshikado

Production Management

Mel Dellar, Yuki Otsuka, David Salven, Michael Tadross, William Watkins

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Bobby Bass, Jodi Ehrlich, Bettiann Fishman, Tetsuo Funabashi, Katy Garretson, Bob Lewis, Dennis Maguire, Kenneth Payton, Aldric La auli Porter, Benjamin Rosenberg, Akiko Sakagame, Masayuki Taniguchi, Eric Wall, Cellin Gluck

Art Department

Richard T. Allen, Rubin Andreatta, Richard J. Bayard, James R. Bayliss, James Betts, Gary Clark, Yasushi Daikoji, Glen R. Feldman, James V. Gartland, Michael W. Hirabayashi, Michael P. Hunter, Roger M. Janson, Alan S. Kaye, Sherman Labby, Loren Levy, Robert Maddy, John Matheson, Dave Newhouse, Douglas W. Randall, Thomas Saccio, Kyoji Sasaki, John Schacht, Charles Sertin, Barton M. Susman, Kazuo Takenaka, Robert Van Dyke, Kenneth Weinberg, Dean Wilson, Robert A. Woolfe, Max E. Brehme, Teresa Carriker-Thayer, Andrew Neskoromny, Michael Saccio, Robert Topol, M. Tony Trotta

Sound Department

Richard Adams, Milton C. Burrow, Neil Burrow, Scott Burrow, Greg Curda, Gordon Davidson, Stephen Dewey, Ken Dufva, Dan Engstrom, David Lee Fein, Mark C. Grech, Douglas Greenfield, John G. Hill, Kelly L. Manger, Robyn A. Manger, William L. Manger, Larry Mann, Donald O. Mitchell, Kevin O Connell, Wendy Oates, Richard Oswald, Kay Rose, Greg P. Russell, James Sabat, Louis Sabat, Timothy P. Salmon, Chester Slomka, Bill Voigtlander, Keith A. Wester, Bill Wylie, Jim Yant, Dale Bartlett, Jack Keller

Special Effects by

Al Griswold, Todd Jensen, Stan Parks, Ken Pepiot, Kevin Quibell, John Chapot, Andy Clement, Michael Meier

Visual Effects by

Wayne Baker

Stunts

Jay Amor, Gregory J. Barnett, Bobby Bass, Peter Bucossi, Phil Chong, Clarke Coleman, Gary Davis, Andy Duppin, Kenny Endoso, Frank Ferrara, Al Goto, John Hateley, Peter Hock, Daishi Ichizawa, Brian Imada, Steven Ito, John Kayton, Daniel Lee, Geoff Lee, Leo Lee, Al Leong, Jim Lovelett, Harry Madsen, John Patrick McLaughlin, Garry Pastore, Sandy Richman, Michael Runyard, Bill M. Ryusaki, Alex Stevens, Mak Takano, Hiroshi Tom Tanaka, David Webster, Danny Wong, Thomas J. Larsen, James Lew, Bill Saito

Camera and Electrical Department

Howard Atherton, Larry J. Aube, David Augsburger, Ed Ayer, Robert L. Blatman, Buz Brown, David Canestro, Michael J. Coo, Jerry DeBlau, John W. DeBlau, Frank Detone Jr., James Packy Dolan, Richie Ford, Steven W. Gage, Bill Gerardo, Vinnie Gerardo, Craig Haagensen, Howard J. Hand, David James, Michael Kelem, Ted J. Kredo, Bobby Mancuso, Nicholas J. Musuraca, Mitsuki Nakamura, David B. Nowell, Takeshi Ohkubo, Billy Patsos, George Patsos, Richard Randall, Calmar Roberts, Robin Roberts, David Roth, Alan B. Samuels, Andrew D. Schwartz, Lance Shepherd, Phillip Silver, Bruce W. Talamon, Sharon L. Wilson, Alexander Witt, Moose Enright, Craig Haagensen, Tom Hopkins, Ron Kunecke, Robert Shepherd

Casting Department

Joy Dickson, Steve Dobbins, Debi Manwiller, Nobuaki Murooka, Melissa Skoff, Joy Todd

Costume and Wardrobe Department

William A. Campbell, Lisa Grace Erndt, Joseph L. Gruca, Elaine Maser, Jennifer L. Parsons, Kazuko Shimada, Melissa Stanton, Richard von Ernst

Editorial Department

Jacqueline Cambas, Nancy Frazen, Garet Gluck, William D. Gordean, Aubrey Head, Deborah Peretz, Robert P. Walzer, William Webb

Location Management

Robert Doyle, Susumu Ejima, Kazuaki Enomoto, Ken Haber, Kenichi Horii, Eric Klosterman, Steven Shkolnik, Atsushi Takayama

Music Department

James Flamberg, Norman Ludwin, Jay Rifkin, Richard Rudolph, Shirley Walker, John Beal, Bob Bornstein, Dan Goldwasser, David Paich, Laura Perlman

Script and Continuity Department

Luca Kouimelis

Transportation Department

Bill Curry Jr., Lee Garibaldi, Masahiro Hirose, Dennis Salomone Sr., Tommy Tancharoen

Additional Crew

Mary Ellen Brennan, Alan Brown, Gary Burns, Kevin Richard Buxbaum, Laura Carriker, Al Cerullo, Jeff Chamberlain, Maggie Constantinidis, Peter DePalma, Kim Festa, Dan Furst, Mimi Polk Gitlin, Cellin Gluck, Anthony Goldschmidt, Michiyo Hayashi, Claudio Jacobellis, Debra D. Jeffreys, Tom Jones, Keiko Kanzaki, Carol Keith, Terry Ladin, David R. Lawson, Yuriko Mameshiro, Carol Mann, Patt McCurdy, Kim McLaren, Alison Meyer, Justin Morrit, Eric Myers, Koichi Nakajima, Trisha O Brien, Mitsuko Oki, Jennifer Pinkerton, Bob Roddy, Wendi Rose, Debbie Schwab, Jake Scott, Frank Serrano, Robert Thorson, Roni Wheeler, Robert Bobby Z Zajonc, William M. DeLuca, Seiji Okamura, Aaron Sadovsky

Thanks

Yûsaku Matsuda

Genres

Action, Crime, Thriller

Companies

Paramount Pictures, Jaffe-Lansing, Pegasus Film Partners

Countries

USA

Languages

English, Japanese

ContentRating

R

ImDbRating

6.6

ImDb Rating Votes

55151

Metacritic Rating

56

Short Description

Black Rain is a 1989 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Craig Bolotin and Warren Lewis. It stars Michael Douglas, Andy García, Ken Takakura, and Kate Capshaw and features Yūsaku Matsuda (in his final film role before his death that year) and Shigeru Kōyama. The film focuses on two NYPD officers who arrest a member of the Yakuza and must escort him back to Japan. Once there, he escapes, and the two officers find themselves dragged deeper and deeper into the Japanese underworld.

Black Rain was released by Paramount Pictures on September 22, 1989. It received much publicity beforehand as it was Douglas s first film in two years and the first since his Oscar winning role in the film Wall Street. Upon release, the film received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics, which praised the performances, action sequences, Hans Zimmer s musical score, direction and editing but criticized the screenwriting, clichéd story and lack of character development. In the years since, the film has become a major cult film and has been widely praised.

Black Rain was also a huge box office hit with grossing over $134 million worldwide in front of a production budget of $30 million, and was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Sound and Best Sound Editing.

Box Office Budget

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Box Office Opening Weekend USA

$9,677,102

Box Office Gross USA

$46,212,055

Box Office Cumulative Worldwide Gross

$134,212,055

Keywords

Yakuza,new york city,american in japan,murder of a police officer,language barrier