(Credit: DVDtown.com)
Directed by
Ridley Scott
Cast:
Michael Douglas …. Det. Sgt. Nick Conklin
Andy Garcia …. Det. Charlie Vincent
Ken Takakura …. Asst. Insp. Masahiro Matsumoto
Kate Capshaw …. Joyce
Yusaku Matsuda …. Sato
Shigeru Kôyama …. Superintendent Ohashi
John Spencer …. Captain Oliver
Guts Ishimatsu …. Katayama
Yuya Uchida …. Nashida
Tomisaburo Wakayama …. Sugai
Miyuki Ono …. Miyuki
Its amazing to think that after Alien in 1979, Director Ridley Scott didn’t have another hit until Gladiator hit screens at the turn of the century. Scott is without a doubt one of the most gifted film makers living today and yet had such a run of bad luck, one wonders if the director would even still be making movies if it were not for his Roman epic. Thankfully, Scott is still at the top of his game, churning out successes such as Black Hawk Down and others, and doesn’t look to be in any type of jeopardy for the immediate future.
One of the films that seemingly should have brought Scott out of his slump upon its release was Black Rain, a film about two New York cops that have to take down a Yakuza thug on the streets of Osaka, Japan. The film is moody and the characters are far from thin, and yet the film was panned when it hit theater screens and audiences stayed away. Further examination of the picture reveals a rich movie going experience with a luscious visual tapestry and visceral action, especially for the period.
Detective Sergeant Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas) is a cop with a lot of problems. He’s a man keeping law and order on the streets, but is barely keeping up after expenses in his personal life. What this film establishes early is that even though he may be in turmoil with his family and even Internal Affairs, when a crime goes down on the streets, Nick is all business. With nothing to lose, the man is a crook’s worst nightmare.
After recklessly bringing in a Yakuza thug named Sato (Yusaku Matsuda), Nick and his partner, Charlie (Andy Garcia) have to take the man back to Osaka for questioning. Ridley Scott shoots modern Japan as if it were the forerunner to this future Los Angeles in Blade Runner. The results are stunning as these beautiful backdrops give us a grand setting for the top notch action that hits when Sato’s minions get him loose from custody. Partnered with a Japanese cop named Masahiro Matsumoto (Ken Takakura), Nick and Charlie must track down Sato in order to bring him to justice and for Nick to regain some of his honor.
Ridley Scott is a master storyteller and Black Rain is an excellent crime yarn. This “fish out of water” story is a fantastic way of showing modern Japan to an audience, a country full of its own life and culture. In supporting roles, Ken Takakura and Andy Garcia are both top flight, with Garcia pulling in one of his most charismatic performances to date. The tension between Matsumoto and Douglas’ Conklin is tense and realistic as their cultures and methods clash before having to come together to take down a common enemy.
Yusaku Matsuda is a menacing villain that Ridley Scott packs with cool. Cinematographer Jan De Bont always shoots Matsuda in just the right lighting for maximum effect, with the best example being in a steel factory, bathed in red light with huge fans that remind you of an atmospheric Film Noir. The scene is a marvel to behold visually and Yusaku Matsuda’s swagger just seethes with evil just before a huge gun fight breaks out with the film’s heroes.
One last piece of great casting has veteran Japanese action star Tomisaburo Wakayama from the Lone Wolf and Cub series as a Yakuza boss named Sugai. The man has a tremendous presence on screen, and is given a great monologue about the bombing at Hiroshima. For someone that had entertained audiences for decades, it was nice he was able to get into one big Hollywood production.
For Douglas this role came at the acto’s height of creativity, right after his Oscar winning performance in Wall Street. What’s amazing about this particular role is that you don’t necessarily like the man at the film’s beginning, but you get to really see how driven the man as he tries to bring Sato to justice. This is Douglas’ toughest character as Nick is a hard boiled cop always looking to pick a fight. By the end of the movie, you’re rooting for Nick to not only take down all of Japan’s Yakuza, but to get his respect back as well.
Time has been kind to Black Rain, as the film seems to have been really misjudged upon its release. This is a taut thriller with tremendous acting and a lively visual palette. Action junkies as well as lovers of character work will each be treated in kind, as all do top notch work. Just as Ridley Scott seems to have found his second wind; maybe some of his earlier works will now also find an audience.
Score: 8.5
The Video
The film looks great on this new disc as the colors of Osaka pop and the grit of New York City is as visceral as it should be. The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1
The Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is also outstanding, highlighting Hans Zimme’s thunderous score music.
SPECIAL FEATURES:Audio Commentary, Featurettes, Trailer
Audio Commentary with Director Ridley Scott – This is a tidbit packed commentary, with Director Ridley Scott hardly stopping to catch a breath. As always, Scott is his monotone self, which doesn’t exactly bring excitement to the track, but the man is full of insight.
Black Rain: The Script, The Cast – This goes about 20 minutes and covers the casting and origins of the movie. Many, many people involved in the movie’s production are interviewed, including Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia.
Black Rain: Making the Film Part 1 – Running over 28 minutes, this covers the productions in New York and Osaka. Ridley Scott talks about how The French Connection really influenced his action style, and also how he tried to bring that type of grittiness into the New York City portions of the movie. Everyone also goes into great detail about how difficult it was to shoot in Japan as the country apparently has strict regulations.
Black Rain: Making the Film Part 2 – This Featurette deals with a lot of the character work that went into the movie, as well as the climactic showdown of the movie which features a grove in Napa Valley that fills in for the Japanese countryside.
Black Rain: Post Production – The biggest thing that is discussed in this Featurette is that Black Rain is the first time that Ridley Scott worked with Hans Zimmer who would go on to work the director of films such as Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and Hannibal. This also discusses the movie’s cold reception, but also how it had a huge following in Japan and was even nominated for an award in that country.
Theatrical Trailer
Score: 8
The Inside Pulse
Black Rain finally gets some of the recognition it deserves with this Special Edition. The Disc looks great and you get a bevy of nice extras. Ridley Scott is a terrific director and its about time some of his earlier works are getting their time to shine
