is a

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

Japanese and French film. The story is based on the last script written by

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...

and is directed by his former assistant director of 28 years,

Takashi Koizumi Takashi Koizumi (小泉堯史 ''Koizumi Takashi'') (born November 6, 1944, in Mito, Ibaraki, Mito) is a Japanese people, Japanese film director. After graduating from Waseda University, he served as an assistant director for Akira Kurosawa for many ...

. It was awarded a Japanese Academy Award in 1999. It was chosen as Best Film at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony.

Synopsis

A group of travelers are stranded in a small country inn when the local river floods. As the bad weather continues, tensions rise amongst the travelers trapped at the inn. A traveling

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master' ...

(masterless samurai), Ihei Misawa takes it upon himself to cheer everyone up by arranging a splendid feast. Unfortunately he has no money and in order to pay for the feast he visits the local

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

s and challenges the masters there for payment, termed in the film as prize fighting. Later, after breaking up a duel between two young retainers of the local clan, the

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominall ...

Shigeaki is impressed by Misawa's skill and temperament, Lord Shigeaki offers Misawa employment as a sword master. Misawa has a tense interaction with the lord and his retainers, revealing his prowess at their expense. The film also shows the tender relationship he has with his wife, Tayo, and provides insights into the way of life of a rōnin's wife.

Cast

Akira Terao is a Japanese musician, singer and movie actor. As of 2012, he is the only male actor to have received both the Japan Record Award and the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Early life Terao was bor ...

: Ihei Misawa * Yoshiko Miyazaki: Tayo Misawa *

Shiro Mifune Shiro, Shirō, Shirow or Shirou may refer to: People * Amakusa Shirō (1621–1638), leader of the Shimabara Rebellion * Ken Shiro (born 1992), Japanese boxer * Shiro Azumi, Japanese football player 1923–1925 * Shiro Ichinoseki (born 1944), ...

: Lord Nagai Izuminokami Shigeaki *

Fumi Dan (born June 5, 1954) is a Japanese actress. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 17th Japan Academy Prize for her role in ''Bloom in the Moonlight''. Her father is the novelist Kazuo Dan and she herself has won awards for her ess ...

: Okugata *

Hisashi Igawa Hisashi Igawa (井川比佐志 born 17 November 1936) is a Japanese actor who has appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's '' Dodesukaden'', '' Ran'' and ''Madadayo is a 1993 Japanese comedy-drama film. It is the thirtieth and final film to ...

: Kihei Ishiyama *

Hidetaka Yoshioka is a Japanese actor known for his performance in several movies as a child and lately the award-winning TV drama Dr. Coto's Clinic. He notably played the part of Tora-san's little nephew in the "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" film series, and he appeared ...

: Chamberlain Gonnojo Sakakibara *

Takayuki Katô Takayuki (written: 孝之, 孝行, 孝幸, 隆之, 隆行, 隆幸, 高之, 高行, 高猷, 貴之, 貴幸, 貴由, 貴由輝, 崇之, 崇幸, 敬之, 卓行, 鷹幸, 恭之 or タカユキ in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable pe ...

: Hayato Naito *

Mieko Harada is a Japanese actress from Tokyo. She has played various roles in many motion pictures, television shows and television dramas since her debut in 1974. Career Harada most notably portrayed Lady Kaede in Akira Kurosawa's 1985 film '' Ran'', a ...

: Okin *

Tappie Shimokawa was a Japanese actor. He attended Musashino Art University, but withdrew before completing his degree. In 1964, he joined Bungakuza Theatre Company but left in 1977. He is well known for his role as Chōsan (Detective Tarō Nozaki) in the det ...

* Tatsuo Matsumura: Sekkyo-Bushi Jii, the Old Preacher *

Tatsuya Nakadai is a Japanese film actor. He was featured in 11 films directed by Masaki Kobayashi, including '' The Human Condition'' trilogy, wherein he starred as the lead character Kaji, plus ''Harakiri'', '' Samurai Rebellion'' and '' Kwaidan''. Nakadai ...

: Tsuji Gettan

Release

''After the Rain'' premiered at the Venice Film Festival on October 25, 1999. It was released in Japan on January 22, 2000 where it was distributed by

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...

. It was released in France on May 3, 2000 where it was distributed by Opening Distribution.

Awards

* 1999 - NOMINATED

AFI Fest The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

: Grand Jury Prize Award (

) * 1999 - WON

São Paulo International Film Festival The São Paulo International Film Festival ( pt, Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo), also known internationally as Mostra, is an annual film festival held in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A non-profit event, the festival is organi ...

: Mostra Special Award (

) * 1999 - WON

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

: CinemAwenire Award (

) * 2000 - WON Nikkan Sports Film Awards for Best Actor (

) * 2001 - WON

Awards of the Japanese Academy The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...

for Best Actor (

), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film, Best Lighting, Best Music Score, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (

) * 2001 - NOMINATED

for Best Actress ( Yoshiko Miyazaki), Best Director, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actor (

) * 2001 - WON

Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan. The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers. In 1961, the six major Japanes ...

for Best Supporting Actress ( Yoshiko Miyazaki) * 2001 - WON Mainichi Film Awards for Best Cinematography * 2001 - WON

Portland International Film Festival PAM CUT–Center for an Untold Tomorrow, formerly the ''Northwest Film Center'' is a regional media arts resource and service organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States that was founded to encourage the study, appreciation, and utilizat ...

: Audience Award (

)

Notes

Bibliography

External links

* * * * * * * {{Akira Kurosawa 1999 films French drama films 1990s Japanese-language films Jidaigeki films Samurai films Picture of the Year Japan Academy Prize winners Films with screenplays by Akira Kurosawa Films scored by Masaru Sato Toho films 1990s Japanese films Japanese drama films