Year of Release: 1989
Composer: Hans Zimmer (with songs from UB40, Iggy Pop, Greg Allman and others)
Genre of Film: Action/Thriller
TRACK LISTING:
1. Livin' On The Edge Of The Night - Iggy Pop
2. The Way You Do The Things You Do - UB40
3. Back To Life (Jam On The Groove Mix) - Soul II Soul
4. Laserman - Ryuichi Sakamoto
5. Singing In The Shower - Les Rita Mitsouko/Sparks
6. I'll Be Holding On - Gregg Allman
7. Black Rain Suite: Sato - Hans Zimmer
8. Black Rain Suite: Charlie Loses His Head - Hans Zimmer
9. Black Rain Suite: Sugai - Hans Zimmer
10. Black Rain Suite: Nick & Masa - Hans Zimmer
BACKGROUND: One of my favorite films is BLACK RAIN, because it is a riveting action/thriller set in Japan, which used to be my favorite country in the whole world before Italy took its place. But it's not just because it's set in Japan that BLACK RAIN has a special place in my heart. It's also directed by my favorite director: Ridley Scott. Scott directed one of my other favorites: GLADIATOR.
Another thing that both GLADIATOR and BLACK RAIN have in common are the terrific, influential scores that were composed by that German musical genius: Hans Zimmer. By the time GLADIATOR was made, Zimmer was already an established talent. Back in 1989, though, he was just getting started, having provided the scores for RAIN MAN and A WORLD APART. BLACK RAIN would be the film score that would put him on the map. This music's combo of strident and soulful, energetic and thoughtful, sinister yet benevolent is the same template that would later be copied by countless action/thrillers later on...
IN A NUTSHELL: The first six tracks of the BLACK RAIN soundtrack are songs that play during various scenes of the film. Since many of these scenes take place in Osaka nightclubs, we are treated to a series of pop dittys, some good ("Singing in the Shower", "The Way You Do The Thing You Do"), some merely okay ("I'll be Holding On), and some downright WTF? ("Laserman").
But it's the last four tracks, however, that form the meat of the album. These tracks comprise excerpts from Hans Zimmer's score. I'll discuss each of them separately:
7. SATO
Sinister and ominous, this track is appropriately named after the villain of BLACK RAIN. Combining pulsating techno sounds with Asian hints, this track plays over the scenes of Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia's characters arriving in Japan and realizing the shitstorm they've entered. An unsettling, eerie, yet energetic piece that sets the film's mood perfectly.
8. CHARLIE LOSES HIS HEAD
This track title is a major spoiler, since it pretty much reveals what happens to Andy Garcia's character. Alternately discordant and harmonious, the track succeeds in putting the viewer in a state of suspense as Charlie is terrorized by Sato's henchmen, resulting in... well, you already know if you've seen the film. And if you haven't, well, see it.
But the track goes on from this blaringly unsettling intro, and seques into the quietly mournful passage that sees Nick (Michael Douglas) being comforted by the elusive, mysterious Joyce (Kate Capshaw), who has finally dropped her guard to help him in his his time of need. This is my favorite scene in the whole film (along with the Nick-Masa noodle shop scene), and the accompanying music is unforgettable.
Then the track becomes more focused and deadly, playing over the scene where Nick and Masa raid Sato's hideout for clues - and find the telltale sequins on the table (don't ask, see the movie). This passage is so galvanizing and stirring that it has been used as trailer music for so many action/thrillers.
9. SUGAI
This music is the track that is my favorite in the album. It plays over the scenes where Nick and Masa use the sequins discovery to deduce that Miyuki is Sato's girlfriend - and tail her around Osaka hoping it will lead them to him. The music is a perfect blend of techno and Eastern strains and is perfect for a "chase" sequence.
10. NICK AND MASA
The coda music for the movie that sees Nick and Masa saying their farewells. It also plays over the scene of Nick thanking Joyce for finally choosing a side - his side. Just like the GLADIATOR soundtrack, all the themes and motifs that recurred throughout the album all come together here to form a soaring finale that ends the film on the right note. Just like GLADIATOR.
FINAL ANALYSIS: In my review for GLADIATOR, I likened the music of that movie to its hero, the many-sided Roman general Maximus Decidius Meridius played by can't-take-your-eyes-off-him Russell Crowe. The music was both rough and gentle in equal measure. The same is true with the music from BLACK RAIN. Just like its enigmatic hero Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas), it is multi-faceted - with often surprising layers. The score effectively combines driving action, melancholic understatement, and exotic mystery.
In short, the score is like a movie in itself. It's a ground-breaking album that paved the way for the action/thriller scores of today.
10. NICK AND MASA:
