In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Sunday 23 June 2013

Ame agaru (1999)

aka: When the Rain Lifts / After the Rain

A rōnin and his dutiful wife spend time at an Inn waiting for bad weather to change to favourable conditions. While they wait they interact with the other visitors and share in their life and their concerns for a time.
Ame agaru is based on the last screenplay ever written by Akira Kurosawa (adapted from a story by Shûgorô Yamamoto). It was directed by his long-time assistant, Takashi Koizumi, and stars Akira Terao and Shirô Mifune (the son of Toshirô). Those attachments may well give a viewer the wrong impression of what the film has to offer. The result is a quiet jidaigeki that’s more akin to the work of Yôji Yamada than Kurosawa. It's a reflective work that takes cautious steps toward an open-ended realisation.

4 benevolent lessons out of 5

No comments: