Après la pluie

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.

It's been raining for a while. No one can cross the river, the travelers at the inn are short-tempered and grouchy. Ronin Akira Terao comes back with a feast for everyone. He apologizes to his wife, Yoshiko Miyazaki. He fought some duels for money for the feast, and promises never to do it again. She forgives him with the loving, resigned air of the mother of a good child who gets into scrapes. When the rain stops, it will be some time before the river is passable. Terao goes for a walk and encounters half a dozen local samurai about to fight a duel. He chides them gently and disarms them. The local lord, Shiro Mifune rides up, calls them idiots, and thanks Terao. Then Mifune sends for Terao, to offer him the job of fencing master. This riles up the locals, who think the job should go to one of them.

Akira Kurosawa had written the script and finished pre-production just before he died. His heirs made the film under the direction of Takashi Koizumi, Kurosawa's regular assistant director since 1980. With its rough and kindly good humor and natural beauty, this doesn't look like any movie of Kurosawa's -- although his Capra-esque ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAY, more than half a century earlier, is cut from the same cloth. I think that after years of epics and fantasies, Kurosawa wanted to make a simple comedy about good people who smile and make jokes and laugh. I doubt it would have looked like this, but I think he would have been pleased with the result.

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.

I stumbled upon this film by accident and I'm glad I did. The plot is simple, a master-less samurai and his wife are staying at an inn during a rain storm. Everyone is waiting for the rain to end and the river to go down so they can cross. The samurai is a gentle man who tries to help everyone pass the time much to his wife's chagrin. This is a sweet gentle film where nothing much happens and yet we get to know a bunch of very good people and learn a lesson about the value of kindness and honesty. A winner from start to finish.

About Japanese director Koizumi Takashi, it can be said that his life has come to a complete standstill on two different occasions. Firstly, there was absolute shock for him in store when his mentor, Akira Kurosawa died after having written the screenplay of "After the Rain". It was therefore a tough challenge for Koizumi to direct the film exactly in the same manner as Kurosawa Sensei had wished. Secondly, the quiet manner in which his film flows makes all viewers wonder about the complete lack of movement in his film. It is as if stillness pervades the entire film even in those scenes where there is drama and violence. As a film, After the rain is a highly philosophical tale about a samurai who finds his true worth when he becomes a key witness to some of life's harshest hardships. Despite tackling a tough subject, it remains a highly accessible film due to its focus on entertainment and humor.As a minor theme, Koizumi Takashi deftly explores the importance of a woman who is absolutely dependent on her husband for her survival. There is no sign of weakness in the feminine gaze as the female protagonist has been shown as a worthy partner of a man in distress. If acting is something which might interest enthusiastic viewers then they must give due respect to brilliant acting performances by Japanese actors Terao Akira and Miyazaki Yoshiko who are impressive in their roles as Monsieur Le Samurai and Madame La Samurai.