Review of Black Rain (1989) by Shaun D — 23 May 2012

One of my favorite movies of all time. maybe it's because I'm a Japanophile, but the movie portrays a side of Japan not often seen in Western film. Scenes showing the city in the early morning or late evening impart a sense of doom and the apocalyptic.

I'm still planning my trip to Japan where I'll slurp ramen from a roadside stall, visit the fish market, hang out in a pachinko parlor, sing karaoke in a Japanese bar and hopefully catch a glimpse of a yakuza tattoo.

Japan is just so darned cool. Two atomic bombs, numerous earthquakes, the tsunami, one financial crisis after another, and they just keep on ticking. This movie is an homage to their spirit, but also, and especially, to their darker side.

Don't mess with the Japanese, because one way or the other, they'll get you.....