Black Rain
Based on the novel of the same name by Masuji Ibuse, Shohei Imamura's (The Ballad of Narayama, Zegen) heart-rending revisiting of the tragedy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki through the eyes of an ordinary household of hibakusha survivors is seen as among the least characteristic of the director's works and has drawn comparisons with the home dramas of Yasujiro Ozu, the legendary filmmaker under whom he began his career.
In 1950, middle-age couple Shigematsu (Kazuo Kitamura, Tora! Tora! Tora!) and Shigeko (Etsuko Ichihara, The Eel) lead a tranquil village existence with Yasuko (Yoshiko Tanaka, Ringu 0), the 25-year-old niece they have taken in as their own daughter. While Shigematsu seeks solace whiling away the long summer days with his companions and fellow bomb survivors at the local carp fishing pond, the dark oppressive clouds of the devastation of five years before loom ever present, as the couple find their repeated attempts to find a suitable marriage match for Yasuko fall through due to the suspicion that her blood is tainted by the blast.
The striking black-and-white imagery of Black Rain harkens back to the Golden Age of Japanese cinema of the period in which the film is set, and resulted in a Best Cinematography Award for Takashi Kawamata (Cruel Story of Youth, Zero Focus) at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards, where the film swept the board with prizes for Best Actress, Best Director, Best Music Score, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress, while Black Rain was recognized by the Ecumenical Jury at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
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Supplements
- Brand new audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp
- Brand new, in-depth appreciation of the film by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns
- Alternate color ending, shot by Imamura but removed from the film shortly before its release
- Archival interview with actress Yoshiko Tanaka
- Archival interview with assistant director Takashi Miike
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Original Japanese press kit (BD-ROM content)