BLACK RAIN
US, 1989, 126 minutes, Colour.
Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Black Rain refers to the colour of the rain after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. One of the Japanese gangsters in this film refers to it as his motivation for wanting to forge American money and get revenge on the United States. (A Japanese docu-drama with the same title was released at the same time as this thriller - highlighting the effect of Hiroshima on Japanese society.)
This thriller is a police crime drama, a police buddies thriller. Michael Douglas is successful as the burnt-out cop with his problems (and beginning to go on the take) but who has integrity. Andy Garcia is good as his partner. They have to go to Japan to return a criminal they have arrested; they are tricked by fake Japanese officials; they become involved in the pursuit of the criminal amongst the gangsters and Japanese Mafia complexities of Osaka.
The film is directed by Ridley Scott, has an eye to the darkness and colours of its environment, and so is a poetic background for the action. Many of the sequences are quite striking - and one remembers that Scott's films include the atmospheric Blade Runner as well as Aliens.
Derivative, reminiscent of many of its kind, but enjoyable and striking.
1.Entertaining police drama? Crime? Buddies? The Japanese Mafia, Japanese crime, Japanese traditions and the meeting with the U.S?
2.The New York locations, the grey city? Osaka and its environment? Panavision photography? Editing and pace, stunt work, effects? The musical score with American and Japanese influences?
3.Ridley Scott and his eye for colour and design? Darkness and light, night, grime? New York as a grey area? Japan and its darkness, lights and glitz, local colour? Night and day? The locations: markets, the irony foundry, the Japanese fields, the nightclubs? The environment commenting on the action?
4.The title, the reference to Hiroshima and the black rain - and the motivation for Japanese relationships with Americans?
5.Michael Douglas as Nick: the American cop, his age, taking the drug money, marriage problems, his children, bike-riding, his skill at his work, cynical attitudes? The inquiry and his reaction against corruption at City Hall? A justification for his own taking of money? The bond with Charlie and their working together? The setting for the film, ordinary American cops, at the diner together, the crime and their reaction? Macho, attitude to justice and the law?
6.The meal, the visitors, the situation, the criminal, the Japanese deaths? Their decisions, the guns, the chase? The locations for the chase in New York? The capture of the criminal, the embassy wanting him, their going to Japan? The plane ride? Sato and his smirk? Nick jabbing him? The arrival, giving him over to the authorities - and the irony of the impersonation?
7.Nick and Charlie and their situation, strangers, the language, different protocols? Inquiries? The phone calls to America? Trying to identify the criminals? The Japanese police chief and his attitude, clashes and Nick's impatience, language difficulties? The introduction to Mas? His translating? Giving up their guns, Mas accompanying them? Walking through the city at night, the bikies? Going to the club? The meeting with Joyce, her background? The murder of the criminal in the club? Leads?
8.Mas and his character, the upright Japanese policeman? Disdain for the job? Discussions with Nick and Charlie? Going to the headquarters, seeing the money being taken? Reporting it to his superior? The code of talking with the partner first in America? His apologies? Going to the nightclub, singing with Charlie? The bond between them? Skill at their work, raids and arrests?
9.Joyce, her decision to go to Japan, Chicago background, contacts, leads, the danger for her, helping Nick, supporting him in his grief? The final information? Present at the award? Praised for taking sides?
10.Charlie and his liveliness, youthfulness, skill at work, the innocent abroad, tempering Nick's passion, walking through the city, the bikies, seeing the bikie again, the taking of the coat, his execution? The effect on Nick and the others? Grief? His personal effects and Mas with the badge?
11.Japanese criminals, the forging of the money, the Mafia style, the gang wars in the city, executions? The board meetings? Sato and his personality, wanting to get in with the older criminals? The deals? The meeting out of town, the demand that Sato cut off his finger, his doing it, stabbing the older criminal?
12.Nick, his investigations, grief about Charlie, going to Joyce, the bonds with Mas? Getting off the plane, going back to Mas, making the decisions? Challenging him? Mas and his dismissal? The one-man style, following the criminals to the foundry, the chase and the shoot-out, the police? The arrests? Going to the criminal, bargaining with him? The siege, the clash with Sato, the possibility of killing him?
13.The decision to arrest him, Mas and Nick bringing him to the authorities? The toning down of gung-ho justice?
14.American-Japanese relationships? The similarity of Nick to the frontier cowboy, the single gunfighter? The relationship of the police dramas to American westerns? The interaction with the Japanese, American imperialist attitudes? Japanese prejudice? Working with one another and a meeting of minds and hearts? Sentiment? The appropriate ending to the cop show - and the returning of the plates to Mas?
