“Black Rain” or “Kuroi Ame” in Japanese, is an adaptation of the 1965 book of the same name by author Masuji Ibuse. The film is shot in black and white by director Shohei Imamura and was released in the year 1989. The story focuses on the lives of a family as they deal with the immediate and long-term aftermath of the bombing in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Shigematsu Shizuma (Kitamura Kazuo) who is nearest to the hypocenter among his family when the bombing begins is directly affected by the blast. His wife, Shigeko (Ichihara Etsuko) who is some distant away from the hypocenter is also affected. Yazuko (Tanaka Yoshiko), Shizuma’s niece is not in the city at the time of the blast but is rained on by an unprecedented form of “black rain” on her way back. The three make it out of the ruins of Hiroshima while witnessing the destructive power of the atomic bomb and the suffering of its victims. After that, five years have passed and the Shigematsus and Yasuko are now living with Shizuma’s mother in the village with many other hibakushas (atomic bomb survivors) from Hiroshima. Many of the hibakushas including Shizuma and his wife show signs of radiation sickness and there are also some that suffer from psychological illusions such as Yuichi, a former soldier. Yasuko, who is rumored to have been affected by the radiation due to her contact with black rain is having difficulty finding a suitable husband. Shizuma tries to prove the rumor false by obtaining Yasuko’s health certificate and showing Yasuko’s diary as well as his in order to explain their experiences in Hiroshima. However, one by one the hibakushas in the village start to die from the radiation sickness including Yasuko’s aunt. Yasuko eventually realizes that she herself also has radiation sickness. The film ends with Yasuko being driven away into the distance in an ambulance leaving the audience wondering whether or not she will survive.
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