Decisively breaking away from the Japanese studios ‘Hollywood’ narrative model, Rashomon is set in feudal Japan and depicts the rape of a woman and the apparent murder of her samurai husband, through the widely differing accounts of four witnesses. By presenting these conflicting views of the same event, the film explores the imperfections of humanity and was probably the first in Japanese cinema that featured such ambiguity, allowing the audience to make their own judgements rather than being provided with a single truth. The film is also notable for the emotive acting, Kurosawa’s mastery of mise-en-scene and the sentimental but compelling ending. Winner of the grand prize at Venice and best foreign film at the Academy awards, Rashomon helped propel Japanese film toward world recognition and is now widely regarded as one of the premiere works of art cinema.
The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]
Criterion Collection (DVD)
Filmboox (free trial followed by subscription)
Kurosawa’s Rashomon: A Vanished City, a Lost Brother, and the Voice Inside His Iconic Films
Rashomon: Akira Kurosawa, Director (Rutgers Films in Print series)
Movie Poster 24″x36″
Lists:
- No. 17 on The Pendragon Society’s 1000 Greatest Films of All-Time (2018)