Black Rain [Blu-ray]

Other than the fact that the plot line, a N.Y. cop takes on the Yakuza in Japan and wins, is about as phantasmagorical as one could possibly imagine, it displays an interesting aspect of the culture. The Yakuza, for whatever else one may think of them, maintains a rabidly nationalistic stance when it comes to the Home Country. It is the modern day extension of Bushido and the Samurai, alluded to in the movie.

REVIEW: The year is 1989 and so far in that decade we had some pretty cheesy action films. However, Ridley Scott took his approach to this story that if handled by anyone else would have ended up probably like any other 80's action flick. The story follows a renegade cop played by Michael Douglas and his partner played by Andy Garcia as they travel to Japan to deliver a convicted Japanese murderer back to the Japanese police to be imprisoned. When they arrive they are met by the police and hand over the prisoner, but things aren't that easy. The seemingly legit police officers were actually in disguise, and now Nick and Charlie clash with the Japanese culture and with their assigned guide from the Japanese police played by Ken Takakura.The film follows the formula and if you put your head to it then of course this film will seem unoriginal, but that's not the point. I don't think anyone on the film thought they were creating a masterpiece. Ridley Scott is best known for creating worlds and really utilizing the setting of a film to shape the characters. Here he has Japan, a completely foreign land to most Americans, and he utilizes the setting perfectly. The film is very dark, color-wise. Most of the scenes take place at night and that's where we get the film's really vibrant lighting. Jan De Bont's cinematography really brings notice to the concrete jungle that is Japan and most of the scenes are lit by neon and florescent lights. This adds a harsh dark side to Michael Douglas' character, and that's appropriate since he is a flawed hero. Nick (Douglas) is not a likeable character at all, and that is why Charlie (Andy Garcia) is his partner. Charlie brings humor and charm to the film and the first half of the picture is actually carried on that character. Once we are focused on Douglas's character the film picks up speed and really opens more of his character as he builds a relationship with the Japanese policeman, Matsumoto (Takakura).Michael Douglas gives his character a rough edge and he closes him up for the first two acts, and not until the third act do we see him start to open up. Douglas does a great job at crafting this flawed character. Andy Garcia is perfect as Douglas's opposite and brings the movie much needed life. Ken Takakura who has not done any American films besides this is great as a supporting character. Our villain is played by Yusaka Matsuda, one of those typical 80's action bad guys who doesn't talk that much and is all about the stare. It's the acting and the characters that makes this film's plot stand out from the rest, because if it were not for the characters then this movie would be forgotten in a month. Yes, Ridley Scott did craft the film into his style, and that did wonders for it, but if he had flat characters then it would be wasted.VIDEO: The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. I was pretty bothered by the picture unfortunately. This transfer does not handle black well at all. In some scenes you can barely see the actors' faces, and I know that was not intentional from a creative standpoint. Jan De Bont's vivid lighting is brought to life and the neon shines sharply, but the picture overall is very soft. You will notice the blurriness of the picture mostly at the end of the film in the wine vineyard because it takes place during the day. Overall, not to impressed, especially since this is a double-dip.AUDIO: The sound on the other hand is top notch. The old disc had a Dolby 5.1 mix, but with this new release we have an incredibly dynamic Dolby Digital 5.1 EX mix. The picture is more about the atmosphere than it is about action, but it definitely enriched the viewing experience.SPECIAL FEATURES: The old release was barebones, and surprisingly I was impressed with what was put together for this release. The bonus features consist of a "making of" documentary broken into 4 parts. The first part is about the pre-production of the film and runs for about 28 minutes. They go into the script and how they cast the film, it's great stuff. The production of the film is broken into two sections, a 20 minute part and a 7 minute part. They talk about the problems they had filming in Japan and how it was completely different than filming in America. We hear from the costume designer, the producers, the actors, Jan De Bont and his goals for the look of the film, and of course Ridley. The post production section talks about editing the film, scoring the film, and then the release of the film and public response. Hans Zimmer gets significant screen time and talks about his first film with Ridley Scott which would later lead to an incredible partnership. Zimmer is my idol and it was great watching him discuss this early work of his that would later become the structure for his scores to Batman Begins and The Last Samurai. There is also lots of resemblance to his score to Rain Man, which is how Ridley discovered him.BOTTOM LINE: The film follows the formula, but Scott brings a new point of view to it and created a memorable, exciting, and entertaining picture. This is not the best film ever made and it's not Scott's best film, but it's a great action film that does everything it sets out to do.

Decades ago, my impressionable tween self was too awed by Michael Douglas' late 80s cool veneer to process the near-total boorishness of Black Rain's protagonist, Nick Conklin. But watching Black Rain today, I have to say that he is just about complete in his contemptibility.Just about. He is partially redeemed by one trait: An all-consuming sense of duty that drives him to re-apprehend Sato (Yusaku Matsuda), a Yakuza assassin cum ambitious clan boss who slips through Nick's fingers on a botched escort mission from New York to Osaka. But in someone like Nick, this sliver of decency only catalyzes misfortune: He unreasonably compels Joyce (Kate Capshaw), an American hostess bar worker, to risk her life for him; corrupts the stoic Osaka police inspector Masahiro (the always excellent Ken Takakura), and – taking the cake – drives a series of events that lead to the grisly murder of his partner, Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia).After witnessing all this carnage in the first half of the film, it dawns that Nick is as loathsome as Sato, and at least as dangerous.And it’s at that point that point the film magically starts to make sense: Nick and Sato are two sides of the same awful coin. Their destructive natures bring them into each other's orbits and together they embody the chaotic yin to the orderly yang of the respective societies and organizations they inhabit.This isn't to say that Nick and Sato are harbingers of society's sins (they aren't - Nick confides in Masahiro his guilt in the deplorable IA allegations against him and is there anything worthwhile in Sato's motivation to introduce a "new way" to the ancient Yakuza?). No, yin just is, as yang just is. Yang: Downtown New York and downtown Osaka, American police precinct and Japanese police precinct, and, obscured in it all, Yakuza underworld. Ridley Scott captures these in a way that each inhabits its own wordless character, revolving around Nick and Sato but indifferent to them as Nick and Sato seem indifferent to the devastation they wrought.Black Rain could have really been something if it had developed this theme to its own esoteric conclusion. But, in the end Nick and Masahiro are inexplicably feted as heroes and awarded medals (really).If there was a Ridley Scott movie that stood to gain the most from a director's cut/final cut/alternative cut/redux, Black Rain has to be it.

I brought this on blu ray as I remembered - vaguely the film. I wish that I had not bothered as michael douglas who can not act at the best of times really does not add anything to this film apart from a badly acted permanently moody ham impression of an american detective out for revenge. The ever brilliant Andy Garcia is as always very watchable as are the Japanese actors who are very convincing as yakuza baddies and police officers. Kate Capshaw tries desperately to make it look as if she can act and is worth the fee they paid her for all her attempts to act....think indiana jones and her perpetual screaming fest in that.All in all very dissappointing, aged badly and very cliched with michael douglas typical of his stereo - typed character who is both extremely rude and disrespectful to his Japanese hosts after Andy Garcia is killed by the yakuza. Cliched and out dated it is not worth watching and our copy went straight in the bin.

It's one of those handful of Ridley Scott films that has passed me by somehow, but I recently caught it and was pleasantly surprised.Despite a couple of flourishes which serve to date it (Greg Allman's rather overdone end ballad for example), this is an effective and enjoyable thriller featuring Micheal Douglas as a New York cop who ends up, with his partner (Andy Garcia), transporting a Japanese criminal back to Japan only to be tricked into letting him go. Remaining in Japan to help catch him, the two are drawn into the darker side of Yakuza gang, counterfeiting and cultural divides with an engaging local cop and an American woman living in the city.In some ways the plot doesn't entirely re-write the rulebook, but it's given a sophisticated edge by the supremely talented visualist Scott, who takes the story and drapes it in gorgeous set design and cinematography. It looks pretty good on Blu-ray (especially when you see the non HD trailer provided as an extra). As far as extras go, there's a solid commentary by Ridley Scott and about an hour's worth of interviews and 'making of' material. It all adds up to a solid package for a well made film.

It's been quite a few years since I watched this film and it was interesting to see it now.The films wears well and has a dark, brooding look about it.Michael Douglas fairs well as the New York cop having to deal with Internal Affairs and then having to deal with losing a prisoner upon landing in Japan as well as his partner being killed.Ridley Scott does a good job with the movie, punching plenty of action throughout.The premise of the story is interesting although not dealt with too deeply. Revenge on two counts is the order of the day.Considering the age of the film, I have to say its thoroughly entertaining.

Beware, many old film DVD covers are described as a widescreen disc, but actually they are under 4:3 screen format, so you will watch the movie on a small widescreen.

Watchable but not a very good quality dvd transfer , suggest blue ray would be a better option. Good seller , so so DVD.