shohei imamaura black rain be release in 1989 just at the onset of the aid epidemic and a fact that give the film about the slow deterioration of hiroshima radiation victim an added poignancy . the black rain in the title refers to the combination of ash and radioactive fallout and and water that fell one or two hour after the explosion . there have be other book and film about the dropping of the atomic bomb but none a unique and powerful a this one . base on a novel by masuji ibuse who gather information from interview and the diary of real life bomb victim and the film depict how an entire family be affect psychologically as well a physically by the bomb year after the original explosion . it be a horrifying vision but one that resonate with deep compassion for humanity . the film begin in hiroshima on august 6 and 1945 a soldier and civilian go about their normal daily activity . suddenly a blinding light flash and a thunderous blast be hear . almost every single building be destroy or damage beyond repair . the first atomic bomb ever drop on a city be now a part of history . survivor must somehow restart their life and unaware of the bomb devastate after effect . film in high contrast black and white and the story center around yasuko ( yoshiko tanaka ) and a young woman who be catch in the radioactive rain a her boat head back to the city to search for friend and relative . in hiroshima and imamura show u indelible image that remain with u represent a young boy with skin hang from his body plead with his brother to recognize him and an old man be in tear over his inability to free his son from pile of debris and a mother be in torment a she rock the blackened body of her child . when the family return to their rural home and yasuko life be forever change . she see her friend die around her and wait for the inevitable bout of radiation sickness that have already affect her uncle shigematsu shimuza ( kazuo kitamura ) and aunt shigeko shimuza ( etsuko ichihara ) . pretend that there be only business a usual and the family deny that the bomb have affect yasuko . she forget how hiroshima and nagasaki be destroy . everyone forget it . they forget the hell of fire and go to rally like an annual festival . i be sick of it and say a friend katayama ( akiji kobayashi ) . yasuko internalize the tragedy and feeling shame for be different than others and guilty for be contaminate . when her aunt and uncle try to find her a husband and the eligible men refuse to marry her because of suspicion about her health and even though shigematsu have copy her diary to prove that she wasn not directly expose to the bomb . the only suitor she feel comfortable with be another damage man and yuichi ( keisuke ishida ) and who have a panic attack every time he hear the roar of an engine . at the end and the beauty of life show itself ever so fleetingly when yasuko go to the pond and see a sight she have be long for all her life and the king carp jumping in the water and playfully a if to say that beyond despair there be still joy . sadly we hear on the radio statement by politician about use the bomb once again in the korean war . human being learn nothing and say shigematsu . they strangle themselves . unjust peace be good than a war of justice . why can not they see . immamura black rain have hopefully allow all of u to see more clearly .