The Japanese film director and scriptwriter Akira Kurosawa is regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Many prominent film makers of today refer to Kurosawa as a major influencer of their work. He died in September 1998 at the age of 88 years.

Shortly before his death he completed a screenplay named Ame Agaru (After the Rain) based on a short story by Shugoro Yamamoto. As an homage to him soon after his death in 1999 this screenplay was made into a movie by his assistant director of 28 years Takashi Koizumi. Many of Kurosawa’s regular actors and crew members were involved in the shooting of the film, obviously with the intention of following as closely as possible the old master’s style.

After the Rain can be considered as the last message from the heart of Kurosawa, maybe his conclusion of five decades of filmmaking. It can be characterized with the words beauty, simplicity and harmony. If this is his last testimony, it is that the deepest essence and value of life is love and that its clearest expression is joy.

After the Rain is a story set in the first half of the 18th century. An unemployed samurai (a ‘ronin’) on search for a new master cannot cross the river because of incessant rain. He ends up at an inn whose guests are poor, goodhearted people who also got stuck because of the rains. He is accompanied by his wife who is a remarkably sweet and wise character. All his efforts are aimed at bringing redemption, peace and joy to this crowd. He uses his abilities to earn money by prize-fighting so that he can offer a good meal to the inn guests. His demonstrated abilities in swordfighting draw the attention of the local lord, who offers him work as a teacher of the sword to his warriors. Tensions arise as they oppose his position at the court.

In his prize-fighting the samurai uses his skills to avoid injuring those who attack him. His wife understands how hard it is for a man who is that skilled and at the same time so good-natured. The tender relationship between the samurai and his wife and how that plays out is one of the highlights of the film.

If you are not very familiar with the films of Akira Kurosawa I would recommend to see some of his most prominent, early ones like Rashomon, Ikiru, Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai and Heart of Blood. And then to finish it off with this special homage to his humanness After the Rain by his lifetime student Takashi Koizumi.

RB, Feb 2020

*image posted under fair use 
of copyright material in recommendation of the film

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