Black Rain (1989)

5 April 2014

Directed by Ridley Scott

Starring Michael Douglas, Andy García, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw, and Yūsaku Matsuda

I just finished up watching Black Rain, an extremely weird film, to say the least. Some of it works well enough. But a lot of it seems to be a mishmash of the 80s.

The production of Black Rain is something to behold. Think of all the stylistic excesses in Ridley Scott's films, put in a blender, and you've got an idea of what Black Rain looks like. I have to wonder if Ridley went berserk after seeing Japan was ready-made to reproduce the look of Blade Runner's L.A. All he needed to do was film, add some color in post-production, and voila! Blade Runner II. Jeez, even some of the steady, sweeping camera work looks like it was lifted right out of Blade Runner.

Black Rain's story and script are ... pretty terrible, honestly. Besides the fact Nick, played by Michael Douglas, has pretty atrocious dialogue, he really comes off as either clueless or insane, since it would be obvious to anyone else that if he'd just dial it down a little bit! And of course, how convenient that Joyce, Kate Capshaw's character, is around to give Nick intel when he needs it. The film would be over pretty quick if she wasn't. Plus, Joyce is a potential love interest, though she and Nick don't have sex. And the denouement, when Nick and Mas, played by Ken Takakura, receive official honors for the big shootout. Jeez, talk about a Hollywood happy ending!

Alright, let's see if the acting is a ray of light in this mess. Andy Garcia is a joy as Charlie, Nick's younger partner, an all-around nice guy and a voice of reason in the film. But he gets his head chopped off and has to be avenged. I like Ken Takakura, who plays Masahiro, the Japanese policeman assigned to keep an eye on the American cops. He's pretty genuine as he goes between honorable man, tough cop, and mellowed-out Japanese guy. I also like Kate Capshaw. She's attractive, a little mysterious, and has just the right amount of jadedness.

And then there is Michael Douglas, as loose cannon cop Nick Conklin. Yeah, probably the most overused character concept in the 80s with the most overused character name of the 80s. And that is just the start. Michael Douglas fans can watch this film and pick out specific bits and pieces of past performances going back to The Star Chamber. It's not that he's phoning it. But he doesn't break new ground either. I will say that Michael does nail his character. He's never looked more badass. ^_^

Black Rain is a mess. But it's a mess with style, atmosphere, and heart.