Film Screening—“Black Rain” (1989)—Wednesday, August 29, Noon

We will show our next film on Wednesday, August 29, from noon to 4 in the Tateuchi Community Room. Free and open to Japanese Garden volunteers and their friends (anyone can come and make friends).

Dear friends,


“Black Rain” (running time 125 minutes) is a 1989 American action thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, starring American actors Michael Douglas (Nick), Kate Capshaw (Joyce), Andy García (Charlie), and Japanese actors Ken Takakura (Masahiro Matsumoto), Yusaku Matsuda (Koji Sato), and Tomisaburo Wakayama (Sugai).

The film’s locations are Osaka (Dotonbori, Hankyu Umeda Mall, other Osaka locations); Napa Valley and various Los Angeles locations.

The move’s story is a vehicle for a cops and robbers story with a Japanese setting, which provides cross–cultural disconnections to the fray. Though thin on plot, Ridley Scott overwhelms the screen with a dystopian Osaka, which complements the morally questionable actions of the bad guys and the good guys.

Suspension of belief is mandatory, but our goal is not to carp about implausible situations, but to consider how this American movie presented Japan to American audiences (visually, socially, personally) in the late 1980s…and how that vision has worked out almost three decades later.

The movie was not well received by critics or audiences. See:
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/black-rain-1989

But over time there has been some reconsideration.  See:
https://3brothersfilm.com/blog/2014/07/thursday-rethink-ridley-scotts-black-rain-forgotten-film-worth-remembering

Notes by Dewey Webster, August 06, 2018

We hope to see you for an interesting viewing experience and terrific discussion.

Your Unit 86 Continuing Education Committee

Trailer below, see you at the film!