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
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