Overview
A poignant exploration of love and survival in the shadow of devastation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- melancholic
- solemn
- compassionate
- serious film study
- historical cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s compassionate survivor perspective, richly textured black-and-white cinematography, and sincerity, while some found its solemn pacing ponderous.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The black-and-white photography emphasizes ruined Hiroshima, human suffering, and the physical traces of radiation with carefully observed detail.
Yasuko, Shigematsu, and Shigeko live with the continuing psychological and social consequences of the atomic bombing years later.
The story centers on marriage prospects, family care, village life, and radiation sickness among Hiroshima survivors.
The film’s Ozu-like stillness, warmth, sincerity, and solemn attention to survivors shape its emotional register.
Films like Black Rain, and why
Hiroshima mon amour
shared historical drama, wartime civilian trauma, restrained humanism, and reflective pacing
The Burmese Harp
shared japanese historical drama, postwar trauma, quiet realism, and compassionate treatment of survivors
Grave of the Fireflies
shared anti-war drama, civilian suffering, moral seriousness, and stark black-and-white imagery
Barefoot Gen
shared historical drama, national catastrophe, intimate family perspective, and devastating aftermath
Movie Details
- Director
- Shōhei Imamura
- Release Date
- 1989-05-13
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (137)
Cast
- Yoshiko Tanaka
- Kazuo Kitamura
- Etsuko Ichihara
- Masato Yamada
- Shoichi Ozawa
- Norihei Miki
- Hisako Hara
- Tamaki Sawa
- Akiji Kobayashi
- Kazuko Shirakawa
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black Rain about?
- A quietly devastating Hiroshima drama follows a young woman and her family as the delayed human cost of atomic destruction shadows everyday life.
- What is Black Rain like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Rain as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Black Rain violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Black Rain as graphic.
- What did critics think of Black Rain?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s compassionate survivor perspective, richly textured black-and-white cinematography, and sincerity, while some found its solemn pacing ponderous.
- Which films are like Black Rain?
- Films with a similar feel include Hiroshima mon amour, The Burmese Harp, Grave of the Fireflies, and Barefoot Gen.
- How long is Black Rain?
- Black Rain runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Rain?
- In United States, Black Rain streams on Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, ARROW.
