gvg@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com (Greg Goebel) (09/29/89)
BLACK RAIN
A Film by Ridley Scott
Starring Michael Douglas
Reviewed by Greg Goebel
Copyright 1989 Greg Goebel
* I've always had ambivalent feelings about Ridley Scott's movies -- they
always seem to be more style than substance, but, then again, they usually have
a LOT of style. (As another critic said of BLADE RUNNER: "The package is so
pretty that you don't really care there's nothing inside.")
And so it is with his latest effort, BLACK RAIN. In this film, Michael
Douglas is Nick Conklin, a tough and abrasive NYC cop who is under suspicion of
having skimmed off some of the loot confiscated in drug busts. By chance he
happens two witness a pair of murders; he captures the murderer, who turns out
to be a Japanese Yakuza gangster who is wanted in Japan. The Japanese request
extradition, and Conklin and his partner take the gangster back to Japan, where
they are immediately bamboozled by fake Japanese police who spirit the
gangster away. Humiliated, Conklin sets out to recapture the gangster.
Okay, except for the Japanese element, this sounds pretty much like a
standard cop flick, and that's precisely what it is. The story line has an
indifferent predictability, and the dialogue in places is so hackneyed that
it's embarrassing -- particularly as the movie evolves into the classic "buddy
cop" scenario, as the bad-mannered Conklin develops a rapport with a
tight-assed Japanese cop.
The movie tries to draw strength from culture clash, but unfortunately,
while I have little doubt that technically its depiction of Japan is correct,
the Japanese seem not to be humans that you can understand, like, or hate, but
simply latter-day oriental stereotypes that may not be as offensive as those of
WWII propaganda films but aren't any more interesting. (I have to admit,
however, that it might prove difficult to give any depth to characters in the
short time of a movie when the cultural barriers are so high. Then again, all
the American characters hardly seem to have much more dimension.)
If all this nitpicking makes BLACK RAIN sound like a terrible film,
forgive me, since it would be a gross exaggeration to say it was. In some
scenes, Scott demonstrates that sharp sense of cinematic style that is the
saving grace of his pictures -- his depiction of Japan at night are BLADE
RUNNER for real, showing off his ability to turn reality into science fiction.
I would say that your expectations should be set properly: BLACK RAIN is
nothing extraordinary, but it is reasonable light entertainment if you are in
need of such.
Greg Goebel
Hewlett-Packard CWO / 1000 NE Circle Boulevard / Corvallis OR 97330
(503) 750-3969srmiller@dasys1.UUCP (Steve Miller) (10/10/89)
BLACK RAIN
A film review by Steve Miller
(this review is in the public domain)
Capsule: A streetwise superman from the NYPD loses a prisoner upon delivery in
Japan. While tracking the prisoner down, he finds time to point out some basic
flaws in Japanese society, break a number of laws, witness the death of his
partner and reaffirm the fundamental superiority of western man.
Michael Douglas is a great actor, capable of range and depth.
Unfortunately, he exhibits neither in Ridley Scott's deeply bigoted film,
BLACK RAIN. Douglas and his detective partner from New York witness a killing
of and by a Japanese man. They capture the killer, but are not allowed the
"collar" for themselves. Instead, they are ordered to return him to Japan,
where he is a wanted man.
Nick (Douglas) resents his orders, but complies, partly to avoid the
scrutiny of the "suits," who are investigating him for theft. Upon arrival in
Japan, Nick loses his prisoner to members of Japan's organized crime, disguised
as local police. Understandably upset, he offers to help in the prisoner's
recapture. The local police are cool, but courteous, and drag Nick and partner
around as "observers." Unhappy with that limiting role, Nick bends, breaks and
otherwise nullifies the rules under which his hosts expect him to behave.
A local detective, whom Nick calls "Mass," since he apparently cannot say
(any more than I can spell) his real polysyllabic name, follows Nick, trying to
keep him out of trouble, while the Japanese police attempt to do their jobs.
Further summation of the story would be spoiling, so I won't go on. The
point, of course, is that Nick is a stranger in a strange land. As such he is
naturally open to some culture shock. Being a headstrong cop, Nick responds by
clinging to his own culture, his own ways and by refusing to consider local
customs as options. The film thereby sets Nick up for a catharsis; some point
must come when he confronts the inappropriateness of his New York bred methods
when they are transplanted to another country. When Nick is forced to watch
the murder of his New York partner, that moment has clearly come. Surely, he
must search his soul, finally to take the advice Mass has given him, that he is
"part of a group," and should "consider the Japanese way." Surely. Surely....
Nah... .
The Japanese way never gets a chance, even though this is Japan. Nick
finally solves his problems (and some of those he creates for Mass) in a Rambo
fashion; very American. When the climax came, and Nick refused to admit his
errors, the film changed from interesting to maddening. He is never made to
confront his own biases, or his own shortcomings. Instead, fate plays along
with him, granting either victory or good excuses for failure (i.e. the local
police let the bad guys get away).
Now, as anti-Japanese as this film is, it is nonetheless a stunning piece.
Scott's vision of Japan is a mirror of his future city in BLADERUNNER. It is
atmospheric, high-tech and pays its bills by the megawatt. Visually, this is
great stuff. And, if one is fond of the street-smart-cop vs. The Great Big
Machine kind of story, one might like BLACK RAIN. Not this one. If once, just
*once*, it had seemed that Nick gained something of value by trying the
Japanese way, I might feel different. But it didn't, so I don't.
BLACK RAIN is a brilliantly directed, visually gripping film, with a good
story and some terrific action. Sad to say, those features will probably
make it one of the highest grossing works of self indulgence and bigotry
of the year. 4 out of 4 for execution, 2 out of 4 for artistic honesty.
--
Steve Miller, New York Law School '92 (NO! '91! I go during the Summer now.)
Big Electric Cat Public UNIX
..!cmcl2!hombre!dasys1!srmillerleeper@mtgzx.att.com (Mark R. Leeper) (10/25/89)
BLACK RAIN
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1989 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: Engrossing and moody travelogue of the
dark side of Osaka. As an excuse for the atmospheric
photography there is a police chase plot you have seen *many*
times before. The plot is punctuated by a lot of mindless
violence and action, but the atmosphere is really the film's
main virtue. Rating: low +1.
A store near me sells a watch that comes with five watchbands of
different colors and five watch faces to match. The ad says it is five
different watches in one. The works, of course, remain the same. You just
change some superficial outer trappings and the ad would have you believe
that you really have a different watch. At times I think that the American
film industry thinks that same way.
The story of BLACK RAIN was a good one at one time. A cop is trying to
bring a mean and violent criminal to justice. The cop screws up and his
prisoner escapes. Now he has got to go out into the hostile environment to
bring the creep to justice again. Fortunately, he gets someone to work with
him. Unfortunately, he and his new partner can't stand each other. But
working together for a common goal, against all odds, they learn to respect
each other and finally get the creep. But they have also learned an
important lesson in human understanding. Yes, Hollywood has once again
remade RED SUN, RED HEAT, 48 HOURS, BEVERLY HILLS COP, and by now probably a
dozen other films that have that same plot, give or take a detail. I will
give whoever first wrote that plot some credit, it would have been a good
plot if it had been used once. Too bad it has become such a popular
standard that good filmmakers like Ridley Scott feel they can get away
filming it again and calling it a new story.
Now let's get down to a few of the specific details for BLACK RAIL.
In this case, the hostile environment is Osaka. The main cop is really two
American cops. One is Nick a dishonest but basically good cop sleazily
played by Michael Douglas. Nick's close shaves are many but always
figurative--he seems to be able to go for what must be an entire week with
the same two-day growth of beard. And if the Japanese think Americans are
barbarians, Douglas's character more than justifies the viewpoint. The
other cop is played much neater by Andy Garcia. They stumble onto a Yakuza
execution in New York City and nab a major Japanese hood. However,
escorting him to Osaka turns out harder than they expected. So they find
themselves in a strange city in which they do not speak the language,
escorted by a dour-faced Japanese detective, Masahiro (played in a nicely
understated manner by Ken Takakura of THE YAKUZA). The story is really
about how Nick and Masahiro learn to respect each other and how with
motorcycle chases and gunfights Nick regains his self-respect and becomes
honest again.
If such a hackneyed plot is to be turned into a watchable film by
anyone, it would probably be a Ridley Scott. Scott has directed some good
films, though generally their weakness has been plot problems. His ALIEN is
a very good film but almost entirely because of mood and great visuals, not
because it has a stellar plot. Similarly, the visual sense of BLADE RUNNER
outdistances the plot by miles. Scott's plots are acceptable (usually
better than for BLACK RAIN's) but it is the misty atmospheric feel of the
film that makes his work worth seeing. Watching a Scott film is the health
equivalent of smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes. Virtually every
scene seems to have smoke or smog in it somewhere. He has smoggy scenes of
New York, smoggy scenes of Osaka, smoky steel refineries, smoky police
departments. But even if he is starting to do the smoky bit a little too
much he has a fresh eye, particularly for accenting the alien in an alien
culture. His Osaka is a Japan we have rarely seen before, from neon buses
to smoky (of course) pachinko palaces.
I will give BLACK RAIN a low +1 on the -4 to +4 scale as an atmospheric
travelogue. It was worth the $3 I paid just to see a different view of
Japan. I figure the plot comes along free, and that was just a bit more
than what it is worth.
Mark R. Leeper
att!mtgzx!leeper
leeper@mtgzx.att.com