Rashômon (1950)
Genre: Drama / Mystery
Duration: 88 minuten
Alternative titles: In the Woods / Rasho-Mon / 羅生門
Country:
Japan
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô and Takashi Shimura
IMDb score:
8,1 (195.476)
Releasedate: 26 August 1950
Rashômon plot
"The husband, the wife… or the bandit?"
In Akira Kurosawa's Rashômon, four partly contradictory versions of the violent death of a samurai are told by witnesses, including the ghost of the victim.
Actors and actresses
Tajômaru
Masako
Woodcutter
Takehiro
Priest
Commoner
Medium
Policeman
Reviews & comments
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 31191 messages
- 5473 votes
I had already seen the movie 7 years ago. Time for a review and I like it better now. A little more movie experience might have helped. I maintain that the implementation is no longer up to date, but the idea is there. There is now such a thing as the Rashomon effect, but with all those examples it is clear that what director Kurosawa meant was barely understood. While most movies or series that use the Rashomon effect mainly focus on the ultimate truth, Kurosawa's main concern was that each version of certain facts is colored by the narrator.
The film revolves around 4 testimonies about the same events. Each of them presents the facts, but so twisted with their own experience but also with the intention to come out better themselves. In order not to lose face. Facts are colored differently or sometimes even omitted. As a viewer you are also fascinated to follow what has happened now. It is about barely 2 men and 1 woman and yet it is not clear exactly what happened, because of those different versions.
Even if the interpretations are not always fresh, shall we say, the characters are not black and white either. Through the different storylines, you also get to know the different sides of those characters.
The setting of the global narrator (with the witness) of the men who are sheltering from the rain is nicely done, but occasionally it is also disturbing. It will have served as a buffer for the different stories, but it also breaks the film too much.
A good film that I liked better than the first viewing. But especially in terms of idea and execution good, but in terms of acting and some other negatives a bit outdated.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Third Kurosawa.
As a director, not exactly my favorite choice, but with such a status you almost ask to see more of this name. Rashômon was a film that suddenly appeared on my path, and then it is made easy for me to grab the film. In any case, I thought it was well worth it.
Rashômon is a film that is not too difficult to unravel, but nevertheless I appreciate Kurosawa's narrative structure. The story is told through perspectives of different characters who all see their own image. The film thus has an underlying message, and takes a look at the legal system. In the end it comes down to taking someone's word for it. Back then, evidence was no big deal.
It's hard to deny that a movie like this has a certain status, but I just wonder why. Apart from the wonderfully constructed set pieces and reasonable narrative structure, I can find little that should make this film more brilliant than other similar films. Maybe because this movie takes a form of fantasy after a while, but I can't imagine it.
I get the feeling that the status of this movie is only because it was directed by Kurosawa. It looks nice, is fairly portrayed, but that's where it ends. The acting still drives me crazy despite the obvious passion of the cast, and the fairly open ending doesn't change much.
Nice for what it is, but in my opinion definitely not much bigger than similar stories and productions. The best thing about this film is probably the half-demolished temple in the pouring rain. Great and overwhelming, but otherwise not a film that will leave a big, lasting impression on me.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mjk87 (moderator films)
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- 14596 messages
- 4552 votes
It had been years since I last saw this movie. I remembered with the fantastic camera work and the theatrical irritating acting and I found the content somehow weird with four different stories about the same event. Now, years later, that camera work is still standing, but I think the acting is not that bad and I can make much more chocolate out of those four stories, I understand why there are four different ones and I also dare to say what should be the truth been. Maybe that mature age I needed. And the many films of Japanese real estate that also tell me something more about that country, the culture, the sense of honor that is so important.
I used to think Mifune was terrible with his exaggerated screams, now I like the best man. And actually more than that. The charisma he has is enough to carry a movie. And he does, every scene with him is a joy. Actually, only that woman is a bit annoying with her screaming and even that is not so bad. The other actors are mainly there to help the director and his plot. This is no Godfather when it comes to deep psychology but here the ideas are more important.
Visually this thing remains great, sometimes with that pompous music underneath. In any case, how the three locations are filmed, with the flashbacks with swinging camera work (that one shot how the focus shifts from one person to the other), the scenes in the court are static and the scenes at the gate somewhere in between. I have no idea whether Kurosawa really means anything by that, but I do like that every place and time has its own style.
And yet in the end it was above all a revelation to understand why four stories are told, why people blame themselves. Endlessly fascinating. Increased to 4.5*.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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