Rashomon

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijiro Ueda
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Mystery
1950

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The rape of a woman and the murder of her husband are recounted from four different perspectives, each who see the events differently.

Review:

Tim: I don't think there is any doubt that Akira Kurosawa is one of the greatest directors of all time. His Seven Samurai is a masterpiece. I really enjoyed The Hidden Fortress, and Rashomon falls in between the two. It's a great movie and it's influence is undeniable. I didn't love it as much as Seven Samurai, but that takes nothing away from this incredible film.

The film is perhaps most influential for what is called "The Rashomon Effect"- the idea that eyewitnesses are notably unreliable and often contradictory. You cannot understate the importance of this as a narrative device. That was a big reason why global audiences were so stunned by this film- this nonlinear approach to storytelling really hadn't been done before. Audiences had never seen anything quite like this. One of the benefits of this approach is that it gives you a great detail to think about after the conclusion of the movie. The four accounts we hear of this event are markedly different. Early on in your analysis of the film, you tend to focus on whose account was true (the woodcutter seems the most plausible, but still). As you contemplate it more, the idea of "truth" becomes slightly less important as you explore what each story reveals about the individual telling it. That's the brilliance of the film. Each story is in many ways a mirror, telling us more about the truth of how the individuals see themselves, rather than the truth of what happened. This gives the film a great deal of gravity. I can say that if you compared how I felt about this movie the second it ended verses several days later, it grew in effectiveness in my mind. There is so much to unpack in this film, and Kurosawa's brilliance lingers long after the credits cease. This aspect of the film is perhaps its most influential, and you can see the myriad of films it influenced in the many decades that followed its release.

If you read anything about Rashomon, you'll hear movie scholars talk about the stunning visual quality to the film. Kurosawa's ability to film forests is unparalleled and here, it draws you into the isolation of these characters. The forest scenes seem to draw you in, to the point where you forget the rest of the world. It feels like all that matters is what you see before your eyes. I find it fascinating that filming directly into the sun to create a lens flare was so powerful and influential. He was truly an innovator. This movie won an Honorary Academy Award (this was before there was a Best Foreign Film" category).

This movie isn't just about technical wizardry, however. The movie is a deep meditation on humankind, of our capacity for lying, both to others and ourselves. So much of this movie teeters between those two extremes- that humans are selfish, evil, not worth saving; and that they have the capacity for beauty, for truth, for goodness. So much of this movie explores the former, but Kurosawa does hint that not everything is bleak towards the end. It's fascinating.

Now, as much as I love the impact of this movie and recognize its importance, there's a few things that bother me about it. As much as I truly love Toshiro Mifune, his performance feels a bit too forced at times- the laughing especially didn't always feel natural. Still, he's so good in this movie. The hikimayu was distracting to me, but I appreciate the authenticity of showing that practice here. Some of the scenes felt a bit drawn out, although the movie itself isn't too long. This is a movie where the greatness comes in reflecting on it afterwards- watching the movie can be a little bit of a tiring experience. There's a lot of screaming, a lot of maniacal laughter, a lot of sweating, and bucketfuls of rain. These things are a little annoying and damper down the experience. None of them matter afterwards, though, when you think about the incredible story you just saw.

Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean Rashomon isn't a great movie- it absolutely is. It's a terrific film to watch if you want to understand the genius of Akira Kurosawa. This is an important, influential film and it's required viewing for anyone who loves movies.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress