Black Rain (film)

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Black Rain

Directed by	Ridley Scott
Produced by	Stanley R Jaffee, Sherry Lansing
Written by	Craig Bolotin, Warren Lewis
Starring	Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	September 22, 1989
Budget	$14,000,000
IMDb profile

For the Shohei Imamura film of the same name, see Black Rain (Japanese film).

Black Rain is a 1989 American movie 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 Japanese 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.

1 Synopsis
2 Cast
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Nick Conklin is a tough, veteran New York City police officer facing possible criminal charges; Internal Affairs believes Nick was one of several cops involved in a corruption scandal. Nick is also divorced from his wife, who has custody of their two children.

While having a drink at a local Italian bar Nick and his partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) observe a group of Japanese and Italian gangsters having lunch together. Nick is increasingly suspicious of the group until another Japanese man enters the restaurant with several henchmen and seizes a small package from the leader of the Japanese group. As the man turns to leave, one of the Japanese men says something he finds insulting and slashes the man's throat, stabs another in the chest, and 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. 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 in the United States but agrees to fly him to Japan. Nick’s captain also has a more ulterior motive for sending Nick overseas, thinking it will keep Nick from causing more trouble and exacerbating the Internal Affairs investigation of him.

On the flight Sato notices Nick cheating at solitaire and smirks, prompting Nick to cruelly hit the man in the face. When they arrive in Osaka the police immediately meet them on the place and take Sato into their custody. As Nick leaves the plane he is met by yet another local police officer, indicating that the other cops were imposters.

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 strong signs of xenophobia towards the Japanese), he and Charlie are allowed to “observe” the hunt for Sato. They are assigned to Masahiro Matsumoto, a mild-mannered officer, who will be their guide.

During the investigation, in which Nick breeches protocol several times and makes contact with an American nightclub owner, Joyce, he discovers that Sato is fighting a gang war with a notorious crime boss, Sugai. Sato himself used to be an enforcer for Sugai and now wants his own territory to rule. Sato had traveled to New York to disrupt a counterfeiting scheme run by Sugai.

One night, as Nick and Charlie head back to their hotel unescorted, despite warnings from Matsumoto, they are harassed by a young punk riding a motorcycle. The rider steals Charlie’s raincoat and forces Charlie to chase him into an underground parking garage. Nick follows, but is separated from his partner when Sato’s gang seal off the garage. Nick then watches in horror as the gang briefly tortures Charlie, who is then beheaded by Sato himself.

Distraught, Nick is comforted by Joyce at her apartment. Matsumoto arrives with Nick’s belongings, including his NYPD badge, which he gives to Matsumoto, and Charlie’s service pistol, which he keeps for himself.

Matsumoto and Nick trail one of Sato’s operatives, a young Japanese woman, who retrieves the same package that Nick had seen Sato steal in New York. The woman, in turn, passes the package to another of Sato’s men. Nick and Matsumoto tail the man to a steel foundry where Sato meets with Sugai. Nick intervenes when Sato leaves the meeting and a gunfight ensues. Sato escapes again and Nick is arrested by the police and told he will be sent back to New York. Matsumoto is put on suspension by his captain.

Nick boards the plane for New York but sneaks off to pursue Sato on his own. He meets with Sugai and discovers that the package that Sato had stolen in New York contains printing plates 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 works out a deal to kill Sato for Sugai.

Sugai takes Nick to 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 the two find out that Sato’s men are planning a massacre once the meeting is over. At the meeting table, Sato demands recognition and his own territory, however, Sugai demands that Sato pay tribute in the traditional way first: he is ordered to cut off one of his fingers. As he presents it to his former boss and takes a subordinate position next to him, he stabs Sugai in the hand, prompting a gunfight between Sugai’s and Sato’s men. Sato escapes 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 and must decide whether or not to kill him.

The film ends with Matsumoto and Nick remanding Sato to the police and receiving commendations. Nick acknowledges Matsumoto’s friendship and gives him a gift box containing a shirt. Underneath the shirt are the two printing plates.

[edit] Cast

Michael Douglas as Det. Nick Conklin
Andy Garcia as Det. Charlie Vincent
Ken Takakura as Asst. Insp. Masahiro Matsumoto
Kate Capshaw as Joyce
Yusaku Matsuda as Sato
John Spencer as Captain Oliver
Tomisaburo Wakayama as Sugai
Shigeru Koyama as Superintendent Ohashi

[edit] Trivia

Chinese actor Jackie Chan was first approached to play Sato but decided the role did not match his values / image.
Japanese actor Yusaku Matsuda was suffering from cancer during filming and died shortly after the film's completion. The manic intensity he brings to the role is a characteristic present in all his films.^{[citation needed]}
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.