Black Rain

Sunday October 2nd 2011 | 13:00 uur
De Balie | Grote zaal
English subtitles

Japan  - 123 min  - 1989

A historic film about the aftermath of Hiroshima, based on the novel Black Rain. In Japanese literature, there are a number of trends on bomb-related themes, such as the open protests against the American bombs. But this movie puts the events in Hiroshima in a wider, more spiritual perspective. The core of the film revolves around the suffering, impermanence and uncertainty about the moment of death.



The damage inflicted by nuclear weapons goes far beyond the physical effects, how terrible those might be. In Black Rain you see how nuclear weapons can rip a society apart. The story moves between the notes of Shizuma Shigematsu in 1945, after the dropping of the atomic bomb, and the year 1950. The film explores in detail the nuclear effects on the life of a woman, her family, and the people in her village being poisoned by the heavy rain. Filmed in black and white, director Imamura forces his audience to focus on the suffering, leaving sensation behind.

Director: Shôhei Imamura
Novel Black Rain by: Masuji Ibuse
Script: Shôhei Imamura, Toshirô Ishidô
With: Yoshiko Tanaka, Kazuo Kitamura, Etsuko Ichihara, Shoichi Ozawa a.o.
Producer: Hisao Iino - executive producer: Shôhei Umamura
Music: Tôru Takemitsu - cinematography: Takashi Kawamata
Editor: Hajime Okayasu
Camera: Masachi Chikamori
Special effects: Masatoshi Saito
©Hayashibara Group, Imamura Productions, Tohokashinsha Film Company Ltd.