Black Rain

"We do not live only to die."

1989 2h 3m JA

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 137

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Shigematsu Shizuma, who lives with his family in a village near Fukuyama, was in Hiroshima with his wife and niece just after the devastating atomic bombing, a tragedy that cruelly took the lives of thousands of people and forever marked the harsh existence of the survivors.

“We do not live only to die.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

PhiloSubscription

Fandor Amazon ChannelSubscription

Midnight Pulp Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Yoshiko Tanaka
Yasuko
Kazuo Kitamura
Shigematsu Shizuma
Etsuko Ichihara
Shigeko Shizuma
Masato Yamada
Tatsu
Shoichi Ozawa
Shokichi
Norihei Miki
Kotaro
Hisako Hara
Kin
Tamaki Sawa
Woman in Ikemoto-ya

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shōhei Imamura
Writers: Toshirō Ishidō, Shōhei Imamura
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shōhei Imamura, shot by Takashi Kawamata. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tōru Takemitsu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hajime Okayasu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Yoshiko Tanaka and Kazuo Kitamura and Etsuko Ichihara carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "We do not live only to die.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0097694 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shōhei Imamura directs. Takashi Kawamata behind the camera. Tōru Takemitsu scores. Hajime Okayasu cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Shōhei Imamura, shot by Takashi Kawamata. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Tōru Takemitsu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Hajime Okayasu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Yoshiko Tanaka and Kazuo Kitamura and Etsuko Ichihara carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "We do not live only to die.".
7IMDB entry: tt0097694 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 11 themes, including "marriage proposal", "husband wife relationship", "based on novel or book", "atomic bomb".

The technical file

Cinematography: Takashi Kawamata
Original score: Tōru Takemitsu
Editing: Hajime Okayasu
Costume design: Hidefumi Sueyoshi
Makeup / hair: Isao Haruyama
Runtime: 123 min · 2h 3m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Black Rain (1989)

Also by

Shōhei Imamura

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

badelf2023-11-18
★ 10/10
Whether you're male, female, or trans, this movie grabs you by the balls and won't let go for 123 minutes. It's an incredible anti-nuke, anti-war statement, and Palme D'Or winner for all the right reasons. A super script, done without maudlin, and done so well technically and artistically that absolutely nothing pulls you out of the head space.

Production companies