@Rishi Eastwood It's much more than that. A large part is the style of lighting, and the heavy hot tungsten lights themselves, as well as a tendency to use atmospheric fog/mist in practically every shot and scenario haha... it really helps bounce the light around and gives a lot of depth and haze to the shots, nowadays it's all just shallow depth of fields to try to attain depth.
@Rishi Eastwood I forgot the other classic trick that really helps create the look of those films. Soaking the ground in water so that the light reflects all over it.
And also, RIP to all the people in this movie, including Mas himself, Ken Takakura, and also Yusaku Matsuda, who played the main villain Sato, to name a few. He sadly passed literally right after the film's release. It's so sad knowing that so many associated with this film are gone.
Definitely an underrated 1980's classic for both Ridley Scott and Michael Douglas. The movie also bears some eerie similarities to the gritty 1970's classic THE YAKUZA.
1989 is such a important year for me , I was in year 8 and fully entering my Teenage years , it was the year of SO many Classic movies , it was the year I found Metallica my favourite band, it was the year I started to learn Guitar and it was the year I felt my first Boob ! 1989 is maybe the year I would pick if Doc Brown turned up to relive again. It was a Magical time to be alive.
"You watch your tail, cowboy." Black Rain is one of my favourite movies. It is a very underrated Ridley Scott movie and an all time great performance by Michael Douglas. It has a great score by Hans Zimmer, which has been used in most film trailers since the films release. The film has a great neo noir look at osaka Japan. A superb 5 star movie.
Coffee is for closers Not to forget the extraordinary „I‘ll be holding on“ by Gregg Allman and the second to none performances by Ken Takakura, Yusaku Matsuda and Andy Garcia. Everything about this movie is perfect. WAY underrated.
@@fwostyshrakes1870 A Time to Kill is one that uses part of Black Rains music in its trailer. Even Oliver mentions that his score has also been reused in some later Hans Zimmer scored movies.
I've seen this movie many times. Here in The Netherlands it was aired on tv almost every two years or so. It's funny that many people thought of it being offensive, but got the Academy Prize for Best Foreign Film in Japan.
Thank you so much for doing this! black rain is one of my favourite movies! i was lucky enough to have seen it in the theatres back in 1989 when i was 16. it made me obsessed with japan and i went there in 1994. definitely an underrated movie. a true classic.
Black Rain is definitely underrated. Was big when it came out but has been forgotten since. Besides being a great action flick there's some deeper themes to it, including the film's title.
Seamus O'Dork Gladiator is a historical epic and Blade Runner is sci-fi. Ridley has directed in many genres, and Black Rain is my fav action movie of his.
@@sugreev2001 Ridley Scott is such a master of the craft, he has arguably the best Roman period piece (Gladiator) best Crusader piece (Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut)), one of the best modern war films (Black Hawk Down), one of the best sci-fi/dystopian films (Blade Runner) one of the best sci-fi horror films (Alien), one of the best Napoleonic war era films (The Duelists).... the list goes on.
YES! I absolutely adore this movie! One of the most underrated 80s movies ever and definitely Ridley Scott's more underappreciated pieces of work. I also love how aesthetically similar this movie feels to Blade Runner, another Ridley Scott project, and the cyberpunk visuals seen in the Japan scenes.
BRO! You hit the nail on the head when you said “a movie your dad was watching on cable when going to bed” That is Exactly my reference point to this movie. My dad definitely watched this and other Douglas movies of the 80s on HBO when I was about to go to bed. great video! I’ll definitely have to check it out. Thanks for the memberberries 🤓
I read the original script. It was dramatically different than what we got in a good way. Much changed due to Japan's disagreement of how the Japanese police officer was portrayed. Literally did a 180 on everything about the character from a Japanese man who was short, heavy, messy, and lover of USA stuff (Hawaiian shirts etc) to what we see now as the tall, honorable, strong, square, Japanese police officer Masahiro. The finale showdown was different as well, but still on motorcycles. FUN FACT: Ken Takahura who played as Masahiro is also in an incredible 1974 movie "The Yakuza" and in that movie you see actor James Shigeta as a businessman who was former Yakuza. He literally was playing as Takagi the head CEO of Nakatomi Plaza. I had a wild theory its the same character in both movies. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. How Takagi died. No one dies for a company llike that unless they know they are dead either way. Hans and his goons did not know they would be robbing from the Yakuza's State side business front. Takagi knew if he gave the code he was a dead man either way so he decided to give them their won death sentence knowing the Yakuza would have gotten them. Turns out they died anyways, but I digress. I did a lot of exploring in this movie some time last year and it stuck with me. Also Yusaku Matsuda in Black Rain is the inspiration for Cowboy Bebop anime from a show he did in Japan called "The Detective Story". He passed away from cancer at a young age. Black Rain is his best work arguably as he was a highly praised actor in Japan.
Glad I'm not the only one who read the original script. The one thing I did like about it was that Sato's character got much more screentime and had many more lines, even speaking fluent english to Nick multiple times. But I like the final version as well, showing a "less is more" approach.
Omg!! I was WAITING for someone to mention Rising Sun!!! One of my all time favorites!! Love the dynamic between Snipes and Connery!! You are my movie soulmate my dear! Lol
I thought the outro was an upbeat version of Michael J Lewis' Lion and the witch. Can't find the outro one on the soundtrack. czcams.com/video/coGBbgcc_98/video.html
I've spent so much time in Osaka, especially Dotonbori, that this film gives me chills every time. Also amazing to hear that "Ridley Scott had a couple of flops, like Blade Runner"... :D
Yusaku Matsuda is fantastic! If you enjoyed his performance here, i recommend "The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf", "The Beast To Die" and "The Most Dangerous Game"
This is such a good movie I saw it many time over the years and when I think of cop films this one always comes to mind. Going to watch it again this weekend.
thank god.. i thought i was one of the few who really remembers and appreciates this movie. This and Falling down, my 2 fave Michael Douglas movies. it reminds me of this 90s movie "The Hunted" with Christopher Lambert.
Black Rain is both my personal favourite Ridley Scott and Michael Douglas film. I think the movie does do something other cop thrillers don’t and that is add depth to character dynamics, there is a lot of depth to Douglas and Takakura’s onscreen relationship, in some ways the movie is about Michael Douglas’ character overcoming his xenophobia and learning to respect the Japanese. All the other characters are also very likeable and well defined, my only complaint with the film is the action scenes are a little too short, especially at the end, I wish they were just a little longer. Other than that 10/10 for me
My brother's friend saw this and Tango & Cash in January 1990. He preferred this movie more. Don't blame him as it's an intelligently written, philosophical action thriller.
I actually love Black Rain mostly due to its storytelling, characters, direction, visuals, and music. The music by Hans Zimmer is so good mostly and I can listen to it almost every time whenever I think about this movie. The story is interesting of America meets Japan in that sense.
If oliver Harper reads this comment there is one movie I'd love him to, fright night 1985. I recently watched it last September and loved it. I'm 19 and have only gotten into 80s and love them. Fright night would make for a great video
It had an amazing cast of Japanese actors. Ken Takakura was the model for Golgo 13, and even played the character once. Yusaku Matsuda died young, so he's attained a movie icon status to this day. Tomisaburo Wakayama played Itto Ogami of Lone Wolf and Cub, enough said!
I have been expecting this review, for a while now, and it was well worth the wait... I guess I never really thought about how much Oliver likes this movie's score. I mean, HELLO... his outro music makes that pretty obvious. This is one of my favorite movies, from the late 80's! Thanks, Oliver!
Nice one, cheers for this long-overdue acknowledgment of a genuine late 80's cop classic. I saw this about four times at the flicks (it was streets ahead of Someone To Watch Over Me, stylistically speaking), and one of the film's many hooks was Hans Zimmer's exotic, percussion driven-score. I've lost count of how many other film trailers used it for a good few years afterward. Really chuffed to hear about the remastered version and the extra tracks. There was so much good material in the film itself, and we only got a few snippets of it on the soundtrack's initial release. I was into Laserdiscs, too, and the film was one of one of my frenzied first purchases,(as Nick would say, "Fuck patience."), right after Blue Velvet! Once again, cheers for posting. :)
Thank you for remembering this movie. I bought it on VHS because it reminded me so much of Blade Runner and, to me at least, that was a good thing. I'm very sorry to hear about the passing of many of the cast. As I get older it seems to happen more and more. If the Los Angeles of 2019 looked used up and falling apart, Osaka of 1989 looked a shiny, sexy place you would want to be.
My auntie had a VHS copy of the film back when the VHS market was big here in Egypt, still my favorite Michael Douglas film. Ken Takakura was referred by some as the Clint Eastwood of Japan because of his tough guy image, whether it was as the Yakuza with the heart of gold or the heroic hardboiled cop or detective types. Yasaku Matsuda most famous role to Japanese audiences was as a detective in the tv series Detective Story, Spike Spiegal the main character of the anime series Cowboy Bebop was modeled after Matsuda's detective character right down to the big bushy hair.
Holy crap! That's a two year turn around from spec script to release! That's amazing! I recall being very affected by Garcia's scene with the bikers, though it did remind me of a similar scene in Black Moon Rising. Still, I don't think anybody could get a spec script produced and released in two year's time anymore.
Saw Black Rain at the cinema in 89 and loved it. One of the better movies I saw that year. Was really surprised at how good Kate Capshaw was in the movie as the only other thing I saw her in was Temple of Doom.
Great movie closing wonderfully the unique era of 80's thrillers, that sky view of Osaka when the plane arrives is a visual masterpiece echoing the one introducing Blade Runner.
I was in the service at the time after having just returned from a six month deployment to Japan. I almost passed on this movie. After having been stuck in Japan for all that time, all I wanted was a burger and fries and not have to pay $4 for an "import" Bud. I'm glad I didn't. This has become one of my top 10 favorite cop movies.
Awesome. Thanks Oliver. I do love your retrospectives, there are quite a few movies that your cover that I have never seen. I am a film lover and it's always a surprise when I haven't seen one that you are covering. This is one of them. I know of "Black Rain" but have never seen it. I aim to rectify that. Thanks again for the retrospective.
Thanks for this review, Oliver. I grew up with this film when it first came into theaters and always felt this was my favorite Michael Douglas film of all his films. It's a film I highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of Ridley Scott as this is very underrated.
What a great review... For me, the only thing missing is a few lines about that memorable Andy/Ken karaoke from Ray Charles... It's such an iconic scene, so many people talk about it.... But nevertheless, such a good video, congrats 😉👍🏾
So glad I brought this DVD (literally DVD not Blu ray lol) just watched it for the 1st time,1 of the best films I ever seen.This is a keep sake DVD.I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!! These the type of films I miss!!
Another stellar Retrospective/Review, Oliver. Well done. Liked this film ever since I took a chance on it by buying the DVD must be almost 20 years ago, liked the movie ever since.
the candid shots od matsuda vs those in character as sato reveal how brilliant he was at facial acting. in fact the japanese in general are very good at this.
I Thought The Head Yakuza Boss, was From Shogun Assassin (2 Films Edited Together)!!! Classic Film & Tommish Wakayama!? IS A Great Actor!!! Black Rain IS A Quality 80's Film & one of Ridley's Most Underrated!!! Brilliant Content Again Ollie!!
I have my Dad to thank for introducing me to this flick as well. Thank you for pointing out the re-using of some of Han's score for the Dark Knight trilogy. His score for "Backdraft" has some cues that would be used in TDK trilogy as well. Yes folks, these 2 movies are what you have to thank for both the music to that Batman trilogy, and every movie score that's copied it ever since, lol.
I was 10 when the B-29 came. My family lived underground for three days. When we came up the city was gone. Then the heat brought rain. Black rain. You made the rain black, and shoved your values down our throat. We forgot who we were. You created Sato and the thousands like him. I'm paying you back.
I just rewatched this movie again after many years. A nearly perfectly executed movie with excellent pacing and visuals. Douglas is fantastic, Garcia is a great sidekick. Masa-san offers superb counter balance to Douglas's character. All the cast are top notch. Even the yakuza henchmen are memorable. Why is it 50% on RT? It's miles better than the garbage churned out today IMO. THe greatest part is: for an eighties movie it hasn't aged one bit.
Thanks for reviewing this movie. I watch it at least once a month, I think it's a truly wonderful and underrated film. Classic 80's film making. Keep up the great reviews on these older movies, and a new generation of people will discover what great films were truly like 👍
This is one of my favorite movies hands down it's such a underrated classic I wish it would get mentioned with the top classic action movies of the 80s
The visuals, pure 80’s ness and lead performances are what make this picture. I too rediscovered it on Laserdisc and it is in dire need of a new transfer for Blu-ray. In most ways it is style over substance like Tony Scott had to do on Beverly Hills Cop 2. Or it could be compared very slightly to an empty but gorgeous film trying to be like Year of the Dragon. But my biggest gripe is that it at its core the story feels like a highly stylized but VERY VERY watered down commercialized remake of the 1975 masterpiece THE YAKUZA which is my favorite Sydney Pollack picture.
Thank you for this retrospective! Just saw Black Rain on your recommendation and loved it! I never heard of the movie before your video. Amazing how these gems stay hidden.
Love this movie & I liked how it didn't kill the bad guy but he arrested him & Nick's redemption. Also how they mourned Charlie's death & highlighting Nick's imperfections. The movie avoided the traditional paths movies like this take
Ok so today I was watching Dark5 on CZcams and there was a video were 'black rain' was mentioned in reference to nuclear bombs. Being bored I googled it and this film popped up. After realizing it had Michael Douglas and was set in Japan I immediately watched it online. Then I wondered if my favourite reviewer Mr Harper had reviewed it? So now I'm back on CZcams and the circle is complete.
This is my second favourite Ridley Scott film after ALIEN. Visually stunning, killer score and superbly acted. I can’t agree with your views on the film being repetitive of his prior works. Conklin is a deeply flawed human whose immaturity is not confronted until his best friend is killed. His realisation that his hot headedness has rubbed off on his younger colleague and ultimately brought him undone is no longer deniable. He actually feels responsible rather than just be driven by revenge. It is Masa’s love and respect for Charlie which essentially leads to him seeking revenge and aiding Nick. It allows Nick’s vulnerability to open up Masa’s stoic Japanese values which often involve hiding your emotions for the greater good. The scene where he hands Charlie’s belongings to Nick in the apartment is very moving. It transcends the buddy cop genre and reinvents it as now Masa. and Nick have the same goal. It is personal with Sato. The clash of Western and Eastern culture is well rendered. The racism is dealt with head on and actually is critiqued throughout. It is by design. Sato is pure corruption. The Americanisation of Eastern culture brought about by Post WW2 history after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombs. The Yakuza are all essentially Ronins post WW2. Samurais without masters. Samurai culture permeates the Yakuza. Sepaku blades for disembowelment, finger removals etc. are all signs of shame and lost pride. Your work is stellar Oliver. It is just my view. Great work.
Nothing beats the look, the sound and the atmosphere of movies from this era of movie making.
Very true, i miss those films! Have to check this again now, seen it when i was a teen.
So true. I love how movies from that era make you feel, the emotions that you experience from the atmosphere of movies made back then were amazing.
Nothing beats the look, sound, and atmosphere of a Ridley Scott film either!
@Rishi Eastwood It's much more than that. A large part is the style of lighting, and the heavy hot tungsten lights themselves, as well as a tendency to use atmospheric fog/mist in practically every shot and scenario haha... it really helps bounce the light around and gives a lot of depth and haze to the shots, nowadays it's all just shallow depth of fields to try to attain depth.
@Rishi Eastwood I forgot the other classic trick that really helps create the look of those films. Soaking the ground in water so that the light reflects all over it.
And also, RIP to all the people in this movie, including Mas himself, Ken Takakura, and also Yusaku Matsuda, who played the main villain Sato, to name a few. He sadly passed literally right after the film's release. It's so sad knowing that so many associated with this film are gone.
Sato was one person that I feel took over a scene whenever he appears...good acting
as well as everything else.
Indeed. Especially Mr Sugai, he really steals the show in any scene he's in.
@@TheMocholoco I agree.Actually he was a comedian in Japan and was dying of bladder cancer while shooting.He died shortly after the film's premier.
Even Gregg Allman, who sang the main song in the movie, I'll be Holding On, passed away as well. So sad.
Definitely an underrated 1980's classic for both Ridley Scott and Michael Douglas. The movie also bears some eerie similarities to the gritty 1970's classic THE YAKUZA.
@Captain Brandon Horror Lover imho, Basic Instinct gets all the attention largely because of Sharon Stone and the character she portrays.
I came to this movie after rewatching The Yakuza and think the two would make a great double feature
You should also check out Michael Mann's new TV series 'Tokyo Vice'. A lot of parallels there too.
This movie SCREAMS 1989, I love it and it is totally underrated! 👍🏼
1989 is such a important year for me , I was in year 8 and fully entering my Teenage years , it was the year of SO many Classic movies , it was the year I found Metallica my favourite band, it was the year I started to learn Guitar and it was the year I felt my first Boob !
1989 is maybe the year I would pick if Doc Brown turned up to relive again.
It was a Magical time to be alive.
Never seen it probably got missed by people because batman
I feel that this is one of Ridley Scott's more underrated films.
It definitely is.
I agree.
Agreed!
Also "Someone To Watch Over Me".
Someone to Watch Over Me and Matchstick Men. I'd take both over that snore fest called Blade Runner.
"You watch your tail, cowboy."
Black Rain is one of my favourite movies. It is a very underrated Ridley Scott movie and an all time great performance by Michael Douglas. It has a great score by Hans Zimmer, which has been used in most film trailers since the films release. The film has a great neo noir look at osaka Japan. A superb 5 star movie.
Coffee is for closers Not to forget the extraordinary „I‘ll be holding on“ by Gregg Allman and the second to none performances by Ken Takakura, Yusaku Matsuda and Andy Garcia. Everything about this movie is perfect. WAY underrated.
Can you name any of the trailers that use parts of this movie's score?
@@fwostyshrakes1870 A Time to Kill is one that uses part of Black Rains music in its trailer. Even Oliver mentions that his score has also been reused in some later Hans Zimmer scored movies.
@@asifkhan4822 See i didn't take that literally, I thought he meant the composer recycled themes, motifs & ideas he had already explored
@@heartwork7977 Well said.
Finally people realize that this movie is a fu**ing gem
Only Idiots dont know the stature of this movie.
Watched it on TV when I was seven in 1992. Great films and great times
😎👌I watch it once about every three years, and it's just getting better.
One of my favorites. The residue of Blade Runner is all over this thing.
Absolutely!
I love the "ciberpunk" touch in this film.
Yep, and its a great thing!!!
After watching this I started binge-watching Ken Takakura's filmography, He truly was a very talented actor.
Agreed.
Mr. Baseball
I've seen this movie many times. Here in The Netherlands it was aired on tv almost every two years or so. It's funny that many people thought of it being offensive, but got the Academy Prize for Best Foreign Film in Japan.
This has always been a great film. An underrated film that really needs to be seen by those who haven't. 😊🖒
the photography is just amazing.
Thank you so much for doing this! black rain is one of my favourite movies! i was lucky enough to have seen it in the theatres back in 1989 when i was 16. it made me obsessed with japan and i went there in 1994. definitely an underrated movie. a true classic.
@yortzandat how dare you. I wouldn't know unfortunately.
yortzandat Nice You sir are a pervert. 😂And nice James Bond reference too 👍
Black Rain is definitely underrated. Was big when it came out but has been forgotten since. Besides being a great action flick there's some deeper themes to it, including the film's title.
One of my favorite films of the 80’s, and my personal favorite Ridley Scott action movie.
@Seamus O'Dork Blade Runner is neo noir and it ain't a very good one.
@@ricardocantoral7672 Can't wait to see your film that is considered one of the best science-fiction films of all time.
Seamus O'Dork Gladiator is a historical epic and Blade Runner is sci-fi. Ridley has directed in many genres, and Black Rain is my fav action movie of his.
@@sugreev2001 Ridley Scott is such a master of the craft, he has arguably the best Roman period piece (Gladiator) best Crusader piece (Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut)), one of the best modern war films (Black Hawk Down), one of the best sci-fi/dystopian films (Blade Runner) one of the best sci-fi horror films (Alien), one of the best Napoleonic war era films (The Duelists).... the list goes on.
@@sugreev2001
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YES! I absolutely adore this movie!
One of the most underrated 80s movies ever and definitely Ridley Scott's more underappreciated pieces of work. I also love how aesthetically similar this movie feels to Blade Runner, another Ridley Scott project, and the cyberpunk visuals seen in the Japan scenes.
Just in terms of photography, Black Rain is definitely the sequel to Blade Runner
BRO! You hit the nail on the head when you said “a movie your dad was watching on cable when going to bed” That is Exactly my reference point to this movie. My dad definitely watched this and other Douglas movies of the 80s on HBO when I was about to go to bed. great video! I’ll definitely have to check it out. Thanks for the memberberries 🤓
I read the original script. It was dramatically different than what we got in a good way. Much changed due to Japan's disagreement of how the Japanese police officer was portrayed. Literally did a 180 on everything about the character from a Japanese man who was short, heavy, messy, and lover of USA stuff (Hawaiian shirts etc) to what we see now as the tall, honorable, strong, square, Japanese police officer Masahiro. The finale showdown was different as well, but still on motorcycles.
FUN FACT: Ken Takahura who played as Masahiro is also in an incredible 1974 movie "The Yakuza" and in that movie you see actor James Shigeta as a businessman who was former Yakuza. He literally was playing as Takagi the head CEO of Nakatomi Plaza. I had a wild theory its the same character in both movies. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. How Takagi died. No one dies for a company llike that unless they know they are dead either way. Hans and his goons did not know they would be robbing from the Yakuza's State side business front. Takagi knew if he gave the code he was a dead man either way so he decided to give them their won death sentence knowing the Yakuza would have gotten them. Turns out they died anyways, but I digress. I did a lot of exploring in this movie some time last year and it stuck with me. Also Yusaku Matsuda in Black Rain is the inspiration for Cowboy Bebop anime from a show he did in Japan called "The Detective Story". He passed away from cancer at a young age. Black Rain is his best work arguably as he was a highly praised actor in Japan.
Glad I'm not the only one who read the original script.
The one thing I did like about it was that Sato's character got much more screentime and had many more lines, even speaking fluent english to Nick multiple times. But I like the final version as well, showing a "less is more" approach.
@@JuddKramer Interesting observation. I agree.
This and 'Rising Sun' were awesome!
The daylight scenes have an almost Micheal Mann type feel.
Omg!! I was WAITING for someone to mention Rising Sun!!! One of my all time favorites!! Love the dynamic between Snipes and Connery!! You are my movie soulmate my dear! Lol
It's that Tony Scott daylight/ Dusk vibe I love that I think Michael Mann stole from Tony and Jerry Bruckheimer.
13:05 - So THAT’S where Ollie got his old outro music from.....
I thought the outro was an upbeat version of Michael J Lewis' Lion and the witch. Can't find the outro one on the soundtrack.
czcams.com/video/coGBbgcc_98/video.html
It took me quite a while to track that music down. Now he uploads a retrospective!
That's what I was about to say! You read my mind...😉😂
@@bobs4684 what's the name of the track?
@@gtviper1158 About 3:17 on this video: czcams.com/video/hlWV6DlsouQ/video.html
"Sato only respects one thing...Money"
"So what are you into it for...Love?"
I've spent so much time in Osaka, especially Dotonbori, that this film gives me chills every time. Also amazing to hear that "Ridley Scott had a couple of flops, like Blade Runner"... :D
I saw this with my dad when it premiered on HBO and I loved it. Definitely underrated, even though it has Scott's amazing visual style on it.
Loved this movie. The music, the bikes, the style. Captured the 80s. Well done.
That bell melody is also used by Zimmer in Broken Arrow! Another great film with memorable OST.
Black Rain, To Live and Die in L. A. and Year of the Dragon are the holy trinity of 80s cop movies.
Ms. Capshaw ( Spielberg ), you are a stunner in this movie....
The Last_Saint She looked fantastic in that gold dress.
I think Michael Douglas just won the award for “most 80’s mullet ever”
Nah, MacGyver still holds that title.
Mel Gibson's mullet from Lethal Weapon would like to have a word with you.
Curly hair mullets aren't true mullets
Nothing tops *Gibson* and *Stamos*
Roddy Piper enters the chat
I'd like to see something closer to Ridley's original 2hr40m cut.
Yusaku Matsuda is fantastic! If you enjoyed his performance here, i recommend "The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf", "The Beast To Die" and "The Most Dangerous Game"
Hollywood: The film is racist.
Japanese: F-You, we love it!
HA. DAMN RIGHT
The woke brigade of the 80s😆😆.
This is such a good movie I saw it many time over the years and when I think of cop films this one always comes to mind. Going to watch it again this weekend.
thank god.. i thought i was one of the few who really remembers and appreciates this movie. This and Falling down, my 2 fave Michael Douglas movies.
it reminds me of this 90s movie "The Hunted" with Christopher Lambert.
The Ghost and the Darkness? The Game? Douglas had quite a few good films.
@@tylerskiss no doubt he has quite an impressive filmography, jus sayin those 2 in particular i enjoy the most
early 80's to mid 90's movies where the best!
Black Rain is both my personal favourite Ridley Scott and Michael Douglas film. I think the movie does do something other cop thrillers don’t and that is add depth to character dynamics, there is a lot of depth to Douglas and Takakura’s onscreen relationship, in some ways the movie is about Michael Douglas’ character overcoming his xenophobia and learning to respect the Japanese. All the other characters are also very likeable and well defined, my only complaint with the film is the action scenes are a little too short, especially at the end, I wish they were just a little longer. Other than that 10/10 for me
My brother's friend saw this and Tango & Cash in January 1990. He preferred this movie more. Don't blame him as it's an intelligently written, philosophical action thriller.
I actually love Black Rain mostly due to its storytelling, characters, direction, visuals, and music. The music by Hans Zimmer is so good mostly and I can listen to it almost every time whenever I think about this movie. The story is interesting of America meets Japan in that sense.
Nick's apartment in New York is my dream apartment for that view alone
If oliver Harper reads this comment there is one movie I'd love him to, fright night 1985. I recently watched it last September and loved it. I'm 19 and have only gotten into 80s and love them. Fright night would make for a great video
Fantastic overview of a late 80s classic, sir! This is probably Scott's most criminally underrated films.
Thank you so so much for this Oliver. Been on the fence about getting this for months.
Hans Zimmer 🎵🎶 Perfection
It had an amazing cast of Japanese actors. Ken Takakura was the model for Golgo 13, and even played the character once. Yusaku Matsuda died young, so he's attained a movie icon status to this day. Tomisaburo Wakayama played Itto Ogami of Lone Wolf and Cub, enough said!
wow i didnt know that about Golgo 13..
I have been expecting this review, for a while now, and it was well worth the wait... I guess I never really thought about how much Oliver likes this movie's score. I mean, HELLO... his outro music makes that pretty obvious.
This is one of my favorite movies, from the late 80's! Thanks, Oliver!
Saw it three times at the cinema and you could really sense how the score was sweeping the audience along for the ride. Top stuff.
This has me interested. Never heard or seen of it before. I'm gunna have to watch this one. Thank you Oliver👌👍
Mr. Bullion Naire movie is incredible always watch it when it is on.
@@kidistight ya I'm gunna have to. I love 80s flix.
Go for it, as much as I love these retrospectives, Oliver does heavily spoiler them so I hope this hasn't detracted from your viewing.
@@davekp6773 not at all man. This looks like a good old action flick.
Ohhhh bro do yourself a favour and check this one out with some sake and a sushi it's a dope picture.
Nice one, cheers for this long-overdue acknowledgment of a genuine late 80's cop classic. I saw this about four times at the flicks (it was streets ahead of Someone To Watch Over Me, stylistically speaking), and one of the film's many hooks was Hans Zimmer's exotic, percussion driven-score. I've lost count of how many other film trailers used it for a good few years afterward. Really chuffed to hear about the remastered version and the extra tracks. There was so much good material in the film itself, and we only got a few snippets of it on the soundtrack's initial release. I was into Laserdiscs, too, and the film was one of one of my frenzied first purchases,(as Nick would say, "Fuck patience."), right after Blue Velvet!
Once again, cheers for posting. :)
One of the best movies of the 90's and one of my all time favorites! I'm a Japanese and loved how Ridley Scott and Michael Dougles did this movie!
I remember watching this when it was on TV in the 90s but I actually forgot the title! Thanks for persuading me to watch it again!
I remember watching Black Rain and No Mercy with my dad on the weekends at age 12, loved both movies that I own them on Bluray. 👍
This and Rising Sun are two of the best America/Japan culture clash films I have seen.
Ever watch "The Hunted" with Christopher Lambert? you might enjoy that one also.
@@BalorShield Indeed.
One of my favorite Paramount films of 1989. I have it on DVD.
Ur reviews are legendary already
very Good detail & narrative keep up the great work very unbiased reviews 🙏🏾🔥
Black Rain totally underrated movie. One of my favorites.
Thank you for remembering this movie. I bought it on VHS because it reminded me so much of Blade Runner and, to me at least, that was a good thing. I'm very sorry to hear about the passing of many of the cast. As I get older it seems to happen more and more. If the Los Angeles of 2019 looked used up and falling apart, Osaka of 1989 looked a shiny, sexy place you would want to be.
One of those great 80's movie's.
The prime example of an underrated, hidden gem.
My auntie had a VHS copy of the film back when the VHS market was big here in Egypt, still my favorite Michael Douglas film.
Ken Takakura was referred by some as the Clint Eastwood of Japan because of his tough guy image, whether it was as the Yakuza with the heart of gold or the heroic hardboiled cop or detective types. Yasaku Matsuda most famous role to Japanese audiences was as a detective in the tv series Detective Story, Spike Spiegal the main character of the anime series Cowboy Bebop was modeled after Matsuda's detective character right down to the big bushy hair.
Holy crap! That's a two year turn around from spec script to release! That's amazing! I recall being very affected by Garcia's scene with the bikers, though it did remind me of a similar scene in Black Moon Rising. Still, I don't think anybody could get a spec script produced and released in two year's time anymore.
Sometimes the simplicity of the story and its characters can pay off. Brilliant movie.
Saw Black Rain at the cinema in 89 and loved it. One of the better movies I saw that year. Was really surprised at how good Kate Capshaw was in the movie as the only other thing I saw her in was Temple of Doom.
Great movie closing wonderfully the unique era of 80's thrillers, that sky view of Osaka when the plane arrives is a visual masterpiece echoing the one introducing Blade Runner.
I remember watching this on Netflix for the first time. Outstanding film to go in with no history or expectations! Loved it!
I was in the service at the time after having just returned from a six month deployment to Japan. I almost passed on this movie. After having been stuck in Japan for all that time, all I wanted was a burger and fries and not have to pay $4 for an "import" Bud. I'm glad I didn't. This has become one of my top 10 favorite cop movies.
Awesome. Thanks Oliver. I do love your retrospectives, there are quite a few movies that your cover that I have never seen. I am a film lover and it's always a surprise when I haven't seen one that you are covering. This is one of them. I know of "Black Rain" but have never seen it. I aim to rectify that. Thanks again for the retrospective.
Thanks for this review, Oliver. I grew up with this film when it first came into theaters and always felt this was my favorite Michael Douglas film of all his films. It's a film I highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of Ridley Scott as this is very underrated.
What a great review... For me, the only thing missing is a few lines about that memorable Andy/Ken karaoke from Ray Charles... It's such an iconic scene, so many people talk about it.... But nevertheless, such a good video, congrats 😉👍🏾
So glad I brought this DVD (literally DVD not Blu ray lol) just watched it for the 1st time,1 of the best films I ever seen.This is a keep sake DVD.I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!! These the type of films I miss!!
Thanks Oliver I must have missed it, was looking forward to this one of my old favourites 👍
Another stellar Retrospective/Review, Oliver. Well done. Liked this film ever since I took a chance on it by buying the DVD must be almost 20 years ago, liked the movie ever since.
the candid shots od matsuda vs those in character as sato reveal how brilliant he was at facial acting. in fact the japanese in general are very good at this.
Quality stuff again Oliver. I actually save these retrospectives for when I’m in the bath or in bed so I can chill out and take it all in.
I Thought The Head Yakuza Boss, was From Shogun Assassin (2 Films Edited Together)!!! Classic Film & Tommish Wakayama!? IS A Great Actor!!! Black Rain IS A Quality 80's Film & one of Ridley's Most Underrated!!! Brilliant Content Again Ollie!!
Enjoyed the "false endings" to this Retrospective with the music kicking in a couple of times before the actual end of the video!
Easily one of the most underrated films I’ve ever seen. One of my personal favorite Ridley Scott films.
I have my Dad to thank for introducing me to this flick as well. Thank you for pointing out the re-using of some of Han's score for the Dark Knight trilogy. His score for "Backdraft" has some cues that would be used in TDK trilogy as well. Yes folks, these 2 movies are what you have to thank for both the music to that Batman trilogy, and every movie score that's copied it ever since, lol.
I am so glad your channel exists
I was 10 when the B-29 came. My family lived underground for three days. When we came up the city was gone. Then the heat brought rain. Black rain. You made the rain black, and shoved your values down our throat. We forgot who we were. You created Sato and the thousands like him. I'm paying you back.
I just rewatched this movie again after many years. A nearly perfectly executed movie with excellent pacing and visuals. Douglas is fantastic, Garcia is a great sidekick. Masa-san offers superb counter balance to Douglas's character. All the cast are top notch. Even the yakuza henchmen are memorable. Why is it 50% on RT? It's miles better than the garbage churned out today IMO. THe greatest part is: for an eighties movie it hasn't aged one bit.
I watched it today and give it a 6.5. Primarily bc I don’t think M Douglass is all that talented and it shows here. Everything else was good
Thanks for reviewing this movie. I watch it at least once a month, I think it's a truly wonderful and underrated film. Classic 80's film making. Keep up the great reviews on these older movies, and a new generation of people will discover what great films were truly like 👍
This is one of my favorite movies hands down it's such a underrated classic I wish it would get mentioned with the top classic action movies of the 80s
The visuals, pure 80’s ness and lead performances are what make this picture. I too rediscovered it on Laserdisc and it is in dire need of a new transfer for Blu-ray. In most ways it is style over substance like Tony Scott had to do on Beverly Hills Cop 2. Or it could be compared very slightly to an empty but gorgeous film trying to be like Year of the Dragon. But my biggest gripe is that it at its core the story feels like a highly stylized but VERY VERY watered down commercialized remake of the 1975 masterpiece THE YAKUZA which is my favorite Sydney Pollack picture.
The Yakuza not in the same league.
Ollie needs 500k subs, been watching his content a long time.
Seen this on the big screen when they filmed this in the ending of the 80's this was a huge hit. Not been to Japan since 1977!
Awesome film , one of my top 10 . Another great review from Mr Harper.
I studied this film when i was a teen. Its brilliant structured.
Thank you for this retrospective! Just saw Black Rain on your recommendation and loved it! I never heard of the movie before your video. Amazing how these gems stay hidden.
Love this movie & I liked how it didn't kill the bad guy but he arrested him & Nick's redemption. Also how they mourned Charlie's death & highlighting Nick's imperfections. The movie avoided the traditional paths movies like this take
Loved this movie as a kid, still love it now. Great Retrospective as always!
Ok so today I was watching Dark5 on CZcams and there was a video were 'black rain' was mentioned in reference to nuclear bombs. Being bored I googled it and this film popped up. After realizing it had Michael Douglas and was set in Japan I immediately watched it online. Then I wondered if my favourite reviewer Mr Harper had reviewed it? So now I'm back on CZcams and the circle is complete.
digging that sunsoft superman song at the end!
Great to see you do a review of this. Black Rain's one of my favourite films, an incredibly underrated gem in Ridley Scott's filmography.
Recently rewatched it and what a fun movie. Definitely up there as one of my favorites.
Dude, I've never heard of this movie in my entire life, and that's why I love your channel. Now I can go and watch the movie.
I love this film and soundtrack! My favorite Ridley Scott film.
Do Basic Instinct!
Since you did this Michael Douglas film any chance you do The Game.
Possibly David Fincher's most underrated and overlooked movie. Along with Alien 3
Both are my 2 favorite Douglas movies among many.
This is my second favourite Ridley Scott film after ALIEN. Visually stunning, killer score and superbly acted. I can’t agree with your views on the film being repetitive of his prior works.
Conklin is a deeply flawed human whose immaturity is not confronted until his best friend is killed. His realisation that his hot headedness has rubbed off on his younger colleague and ultimately brought him undone is no longer deniable. He actually feels responsible rather than just be driven by revenge. It is Masa’s love and respect for Charlie which essentially leads to him seeking revenge and aiding Nick. It allows Nick’s vulnerability to open up Masa’s stoic Japanese values which often involve hiding your emotions for the greater good. The scene where he hands Charlie’s belongings to Nick in the apartment is very moving. It transcends the buddy cop genre and reinvents it as now Masa.
and Nick have the same goal. It is personal with Sato.
The clash of Western and Eastern culture is well rendered. The racism is dealt with head on and actually is critiqued throughout. It is by design. Sato is pure corruption. The Americanisation of Eastern culture brought about by Post WW2 history after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombs.
The Yakuza are all essentially Ronins post WW2. Samurais without masters. Samurai culture permeates the Yakuza. Sepaku blades for disembowelment, finger removals etc. are all signs of shame and lost pride.
Your work is stellar Oliver. It is just my view. Great work.
I have seen this movie since 1989 for over 100 times. See how good this movie is.
Underrated gem from 80's.