Rashomon








Director - Akira Kurosawa

Genre - Crime/Drama/Mystery


In this Akira Kurosawa film, a web of lies and deceit is spun by various suspects implicated in a murder. These characters each have their own versions of the 'truth' and it is up to us to discern who's innocent and who's not. Kurosawa's direction is undoubtedly assured but the whole concept is nothing new if thrown against the harsh light of today's filmmaking.

4 STARS!

All about Rashomon

Comments

Anonymous said…
Good stuff. I love this film.
Shubhajit said…
wow,u'r reviewing the classics,aren't u? Unfortunately, despite having both Rashomon & Citizen Kane, haven't seen either. Shame on me. Got to watch both.
Yeah, this concept has been done since, not least as an American remake: The Outrage. However I bet that many filmmakers 'coming up with' this sort of concept now, probably for a 45 minute TV episode, would think it was their idea and not have a clue this film existed.

Interesting note: apparently this was the first film to point the camera at the sun for effect.
Great pick & review!

Rashoman is such a fantastic film. It's one of the few classics from the list I'm working through that I was completely sucked into film, waiting for each moment with baited breath.

The camera in the sun effect they discuss on the Criterion DVD. It's amazing the difference seeing that on a tv (barely noticable) and then at a theatre (blinding and emotional).
Thanks for the comments guys!

Passive Anarchist - We don't really have a set plan of what to review from 1 day to the next. You haven't seen 'Citizen Kane'?! That is one of the most important American movies of all time, if not the most important.

Hal & Shannon - The sun in the film we feel represents God. Kurosawa almost always has this preoccupation with a higher order in his movie.
Ed Howard said…
I'm hot and cold on Kurosawa, but I love this film. I haven't seen it in a while, but two scenes in particular have stuck with me. The first is simply a long shot of the structure that the travelers are sheltering in, as a fierce downpour rages around them. It's beautiful and haunting. The second is towards the end of the film, when the wife has her shrill meltdown, and the melodramatic quality of it serves to remind us that all these stories are potentially exaggerated and distorted. In that particular scene, it's almost a metatextual commentary, with the theatrical quality of the woman's performance calling attention to the fact that it IS a performance, after all.
jessie said…
favorite kurosawa film <3
Yeah, this is definitely one of Kurosawa's best.