After the Rain

After the Rain is a 1999 Japanese film. The story is based on the last script written by the late, legendary Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa and is directed by his former assistant director of 28 years, Takashi Koizumi. It was awarded a Japanese Academy Award in 1999. It was chosen as Best Film at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony. A group of travelers is 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 ronin , 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 dojos 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 he receives an offer of employment as a sword master from the local lord, Shigeaki. He has a tense interaction with the lord and his retainers, revealing his prowess at their expense.
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