Black Rain is a 1989 American action-thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw and Yusaku Matsuda. The film was directed by Ridley Scott.
The story is centered on two New York City police officers who arrest a member of the Yakuza and must escort him back to Japan. Once there, he escapes, and the two police officers find themselves dragged deeper and deeper into the Japanese underworld. This film illustrates the stereotypes of American and Japanese cops and gangsters. The film was nominated for Oscars in Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing.
Plot
Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas) is a skilled motorcyclist and a tough veteran New York City police officer facing possible criminal charges; Internal Affairs believes Nick might have been involved with his partner who was caught in a corruption scandal. Nick is divorced from his wife, who has custody of their two children. Nick also has financial difficulties due to alimony and child support as well as other concerns.
While having a drink at a local Italian restaurant/bar, Nick and his partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) observe two Japanese men having what appears to be a friendly lunch with some Italian gangsters. Nick is increasingly suspicious of the group until another Japanese man enters the restaurant with several armed henchmen and seizes a small package at gunpoint from the leader of the Japanese group. As the man turns to leave, one of the Japanese men at the table says, in Japanese, "The Oyabun [Godfather] will not stand for this." The leader of the Japanese group chimes in, "As always, such a troublesome child." The Japanese man finds these remarks insulting and he slashes the man's throat, stabs another in the chest, and then walks out. Nick and Charlie follow immediately and, after a short chase, arrest the suspect after he nearly kills Nick.
The suspect turns out to be a Yakuza gangster by the name of Sato (Yusaku Matsuda). The situation is further complicated when Nick’s superior officer, Captain Oliver (John Spencer), tells him that Sato is to be extradited to Osaka and given to the police there. Nick is angry that Sato will not be tried for murder in the United States, but agrees to escort him to Japan. Nick’s captain also has an ulterior motive for sending Nick overseas, thinking it will keep Nick from causing more trouble and exacerbating the already biased Internal Affairs investigation of him.
When they arrive in Osaka, men identifying themselves as Japanese police immediately meet them on the plane, display a "transfer document" written in Japanese which turns out to be an insurance policy, and take Sato into their custody, leaving the plane by the rear exit. As Nick and Charlie are about to get off the plane themselves, another group of police enter from the front and identify themselves in English, indicating that the first "cops" were impostors.
Nick and Charlie are taken to the headquarters of the Osaka Prefecture of Police and questioned. They are also blamed for Sato’s escape. After much haranguing by Nick (who shows signs of xenophobia) towards the Japanese, who mostly refuse to acknowledge that they can speak English, he and Charlie are allowed to “observe” the hunt for Sato. However, the senior police officer emphasizes that they have no authority in Japan and are forbidden to carry their guns. They are assigned to Masahiro Matsumoto (Takakura), a mild-mannered and experienced officer, who will be their guide.
During the investigation Nick breaches protocol several times, offending Matsumoto. He also makes contact with an American blond nightclub hostess, Joyce (Kate Capshaw), who explains that the Japanese public, including the giggling hostesses in the club, all believe that Nick and Charlie are not to be taken seriously because they allowed Sato to easily escape from custody, and represent American inefficiency and stupidity. Through her, Nick discovers that Sato is fighting a gang war with a notorious crime boss, Sugai (Tomisaburo Wakayama). Sato used to be an enforcer for Sugai and now wants his own territory to rule. Sato had traveled to New York to disrupt a meeting with American Italian gangsters about a counterfeiting scheme being set up by Sugai.
Late one night, Nick and Charlie walk back to their hotel slightly drunk and unescorted, despite several previous warnings about their safety from Matsumoto. They are harassed by a young punk on a motorcycle, and it seems to be a joke until the motorcyclist steals Charlie’s raincoat and leads Charlie into an underground parking garage. Nick follows, shouting for Charlie to come back, but is separated from his partner by a security gate. The unarmed Nick then watches in horror as Sato and several of his Bōsōzoku gang members briefly torture Charlie using swords and knives, and then Sato beheads him. Distraught, Nick is comforted by Joyce at her apartment. Matsumoto arrives with Nick’s belongings, including his NYPD badge, which Nick gives to Matsumoto, and Charlie’s service pistol, which Nick keeps for himself.
Matsumoto and Nick trail one of Sato’s operatives, a young Japanese woman, who retrieves a sample counterfeit note (printed only on one side) from a bank strongbox. The woman passes the note to another of Sato’s men. Nick and Matsumoto tail the man to a steel foundry where they find that Sato is meeting with Sugai. Nick intervenes when Sato leaves the meeting and a gunfight ensues. Sato escapes again when Nick is arrested by the swarming police for waving a gun in public, and told he will be sent back to New York in disgrace. Matsumoto is put on suspension by his captain.
Nick boards the plane for New York but is able to sneak off to pursue Sato on his own. He meets with Sugai and discovers that the package that Sato had stolen in New York contains a printing plate for the American $100 bill. Sugai explains that making counterfeit U.S. currency is his revenge for the bombing of Hiroshima and the loss of dignity he and his family faced in the aftermath of World War II. Nick suggests a deal where Sugai can use Nick as an insignificant American who can assassinate Sato, leaving Sugai's reputation and hands clean.
Sugai drops Nick at the outskirts of a remote farm where a meeting of the oyabun, the other crime bosses of the region, is to take place. Nick is supplied with a shotgun. Sato arrives a short time later, as does Matsumoto, and Matsumoto and Nick deduce that Sato’s men are planning a massacre once the meeting is over. At the meeting table, Sato surrenders his single plate and requests recognition and his own territory. However, Sugai demands that Sato first pay tribute for his offenses in the traditional Yakuza way: he is ordered to cut off one of his fingers. As he does and takes a subordinate position next to Sugai, he stabs the elder gangster in the hand and escapes with both the plates, prompting a gunfight between Sugai’s and Sato’s men. Sato escapes the fight on a dirt bike with Nick close behind. Nick is able to spill Sato off his bike and the two fight briefly, until Nick gains the advantage. The scene ends with Nick having to decide whether or not to kill Sato for Charlie and for all the humiliation he has suffered.
The film ends with Matsumoto and Nick walking a handcuffed Sato into police HQ to the amazement of everyone and later receiving commendations. Nick thanks Matsumoto for his assistance and his friendship, and gives him a gift box as he boards the plane, a box containing a dress shirt. Underneath the shirt, Masumoto finds the two counterfeit printing plates.
Production notes
Chinese actor Jackie Chan was first approached to play Sato but decided the role did not match his values / image. During the pre-production, Sylvester Stallone and Al Pacino were considered for the leading role.[1]
Japanese actor Yusaku Matsuda, who played Sato, was suffering from cancer during filming and died shortly after the film's completion. The director Scott has dedicated the film to his memory. Matsuda's face was also used as the model for the lead character in Onimusha 2.
The high cost and red tape involved in filming in Japan prompted director Scott to declare that he would never film in that country again (according to the commentary on the Criterion DVD of Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters). Scott was eventually forced to leave the country and complete the final climactic scene in Napa Valley, California.
The Internal Affairs officers who interrogate Nick Conklin at the beginning of the film are played by actors Stephen Root and Richard Riehle. Both actors would appear together again in the 1999 comedy movie Office Space playing Milton Waddams (Root) and Tom Smykoski (Riehle).
This movie marked the first collaboration between Hans Zimmer and Ridley Scott. Zimmer would go on to score several more movies for Scott, including Gladiator, Thelma and Louise, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down and Matchstick Men.
Box office performance
In its opening weekend, Black Rain grossed $9.6 million in 1,610 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #1 at the box office. It stayed at the #1 spot for 2 more weeks.[2] The film grossed a total of $46.2 million in the United States and Canada and $88 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $134.2 million.[3]
References
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