Après la pluie

A drama by Takashi Koizumi from a scenario written by "Akira Kurosawa" shortly before his death and made as a tribute to him, No where near as good as it would have been with Kurosawa behind it but fine nonetheless, especially the cinematography which was gorgeous. Any fan of Akira Kurosawa will want to see this. The mixture of calm cinematographic techniques and a few more dynamic elements is perfectly balanced. It was a roller-coaster of emotion, but still left me feeling happy despite some of the more dramatic events. It's the ultimate underdog story of tragedy, triumph, and even a few laughs and there are too many shots worth recalling, too many details worth recalling. If you want a peaceful and beautiful samurai film, do yourself and your immortal soul a favour; this movie is for you, would really recommend it, this one is a lesser known Japanese gem.

In this movie set on the rainy season in fudal Japan, A ronin and his wife reach a poor hotel and interact with the guests and the local lord. The character of the ronin is unique. He has fought for money and thus taints himself in the eyes of the local samurai but his heart and care for the people along with his mastery of budo, wins over the lord who is a unique character in his own right. This is not a masterpiece of filming but the characters stay with you and it is a needed diversion from the gruff men we usually meet with the elder Corosowa.

excellent Japanese period piece, co-written by Akira Kurosawa. an out-of-work samurai(a ronin) & his wife are stranded during a flood. as they are unable to cross a swollen river, they stay at an inn with many other stuck traveler's(mostly lower class). to earn some extra money(to to buy "comforts" for the other guests; namely food & wine), our protagonist gambles his fencing skills against the local instructors. they are no match for his superior skills and seek vengeance to restore their honor... not an action movie so much as a human drama, with many colorful & interesting characters. the fighting scenes are realistic & not prolonged & add a disturbing, violent balance to an otherwise slow paced, beautifully shot film. there's a great iai sequence shot in very serene surroundings(for those bu-do aficionados). a must see for those fans of Kurosawa's samurai flicks!!

A samurai and his wife search to find happiness with themselves, their relationship, and their station as they weather the disillusion of their past and current circumstances.

Written by Akira Kurosawa and directed by Takashi Koizumi after Kurosawa's death. This is a breathtaking reflection of Kurosawa's early and later storytelling sensabilities. But it is a very complex film, one that upon initial viewing may defy the viewers expectations of the samurai genre and seem simplistic, overly long, or as one reviewer described: unexciting.

This film reminds me very much of Red Beard, another Kurosawa story that while set in feudal Japan is not necessarily a samurai film.

Rating 9/10

Kurosawa was very interested in stories about older men facing their destiny. Most of his films from Kagemusha and on deal with this in some way. Ame Agaru is another story that deals with the topic.

Almost like a play at times, Ame Agaru takes it's time and is all the better for it. There are some excellent sword fights and formal duels in the film but they are not the focus of the film. There's a bit of time depicting the main character silently practicing his sword work in the woods that might bore a number of viewers.

Is this a Kurosawa film? Yes, in that I could easily see him directing this story. There are a number of similarities to his last film, Madadayo. No, in that the direction here is sort of mundane. Kurosawa's distinctive eye is missing. There's a TV movie quality that's sort of unusual for a film like this. However, the actors and the story really do carry this film over and while it's not a masterpiece, it's not a waste of time either if you know what you are getting into.