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(aka 'Kuroi ame' or 'Black Rain')
directed by Shohei Imamura
Japan 1989
Extremely powerful film by Imamura which exposes the effects of Hiroshima's bombing, but like the characters, does not dwell obsessively on the event. There is no shock value to this film. That would have been too easy. This is as subtle an expression as you will find, hence heightening the effectiveness.
It fatefully begins on August 6, 1945. A family in Hiroshima are leaving the city traveling to the island of Furué where other relatives reside. The first atomic bomb is then unleashed on human beings without blinding and unexpected power. As they are forced to cross the city by foot, we can see the effects of the devastation. As history will inform us, the immediate dead will soon be followed (in 6-8 weeks) by even more causalities of radiation sickness. Seemingly not to dwell on the event, Imamura shifts focus (based on the novel by Masuji Ibuse), to an Ozu-like social expression. The aunt and uncle of the family try to get their niece wed to a decent suitor... which means doctoring her 'diary' and medical records to hide her probable radiation poisoning. They too are succumbing with daily increasing illness.
By focusing on the effects of one small isolated group, the magnitude of the devastation is all that more reaching. This film is filled with images that will stay with me for years. Certainly the best film I have seen by Imamura and possibly the best film I have seen in months.  out of |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: May 13th, 1989 - Japan
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DVD Comparison:
Image Entertainment (OOP) - Region 0- NTSC vs. Animeigo - Region 1 - NTSC
Image Entertainment (OOP) - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. Animeigo - Region 1 - NTSC RIGHT
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| Distribution | Image Entertainment - Region 0- NTSC | Animeigo - Region 1- NTSC |
| Runtime | 2:02:24 | 2:02:20 |
| Video | 1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.12 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s | 1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.8 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. | ||
| Bitrate: Image Entertainment |
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| Bitrate: Animeigo |
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| Audio | Japanese (Dolby Digital 1.0) | Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
| Subtitles | English (burned) | English (yellow, white or captions only), none |
| Features | Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio: DVD Release Date: March 18th, 1998 | Release Information: Studio: Animeigo Aspect Ratio:
• Alternate color ending (18:59) • Program Notes/ Bios (slideshow text) • Image Gallery • Trailer DVD Release Date: October 20th, 2009 |
| Comments: | ON THE ANIMEIGO: It took almost 11.5 years but we finally have a decent DVD transfer in a package filled with extras - for this impacting film. The dual-layered, anamorphic image is miles ahead of its decade-old counterpart. Background details are much more readily visible but the Animeigo image has a significant border circumventing the entire frame - limiting the horizontal resolution. The image seems brownish but the boosted contrast of the Image Entertainment transfer left the image ridiculously altered - it is also riddled with noise artifacts. Anyway, the screen captures tell the story and the new visual presentation is significantly improved. Audio as well sounds cleaner to my ear and Animeigo have once again included color-yellow or black+white options for English subtitles (see sample below). There is also a 'captions only' choice and the yellow-or-white have the option of 'dialogue only' or 'all' with inclusion of captions translating signs etc. on the top of the screen. The supplements are great with 19-minutes of an alternate ending - in color! and we get a 6.5-minute interview with actress Yoshiko Tanaka and 8-minutes with assistant director Takashi Miike both sharing recollections of the production shooting. Interesting as an inclusion are 6 American short wartime information films (about 40-minutes worth, un-restored). Some use propaganda while others show another side to the conflict. Typical of Animeigo we get text Program Notes/ Bios, an image gallery and an optionally subtitled Japanese theatrical trailer running almost 2.5 minutes in 4:3 letterboxed.
It's a harrowing and unforgettable film experience and we
strongly recommend this Animeigo release for every DVD library. ON THE IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT DVD: This disc is way Out of Print... because of the film, not the DVD quality. Burned in subs and a very hazy image deny this films deserved respect on digital versatile disc. Non-anamorphic but widescreen, there are no extras. Subtitles are visible but intrusive. I suspect quite lacking in translation as well. Someone must put this film out on DVD soon - properly. It is essential viewing. |
Recommended Reading for Japanese Film Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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The Japan Journals : 1947-2004, by Donald Richie | The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp | Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs) by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario | Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 1) by James Quandt | Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema (Midland Book, Mb 469) by David Desser | The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie | by Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda, Donald Richie, Eric Klestadt | Ozu by Donald Ritchie | A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie |
Check out more in "The Library"
Image Entertainment DVD Menu
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Animeigo -
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Subtitle Sample
Image Entertainment (OOP) - Region 0 - NTSC TOP
Animeigo (yellow subs) - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE
Animeigo (white subs) - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM
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Screen Captures
Image Entertainment (OOP) - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Animeigo - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM
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Image Entertainment (OOP) - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Animeigo - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM
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Image Entertainment (OOP) - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Animeigo - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM
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| DVD Box Cover |
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| Distribution | Image Entertainment - Region 0- NTSC | Animeigo - Region 1- NTSC |
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