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Rashomon (The Criterion Collection)

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If you have never seen this film, you will come to it and find it very familiar. That's because Rashomon has become part of the world's consciousness & lexicon. It's story of an action involving several participants, each with their own differing version of the truth, has been elaborated and riffed-on by many others since it appeared on the world's stage in the 50's.

So, it is an old movie, often imitated. And yet, I found it fresh and involving and well worth a look. As Robert Altman says on the DVD extras, many of the camera techniques, particularly shooting directly at the sun and allowing lens flare, were taboo-breaking and radically new when this film appeared. Now, that is put in as a joke in Shrek.

So you come to Rashomon not to be overwhelmed with its "newness" and the refreshing change of first encountering Japanese cinema and acting styles. No, you come to Rashomon as to an old master, to appreciate its lasting impression of the universality of human foibles and passions and the illusory nature of truth.

A rape and murder have occured in a woods. We hear and see different versions of the same encounter. Who is telling the truth? Is there an absolute objective truth, or does every teller of the tale inherently only tell the truth as he sees it? And if everyone is a "liar" and there is no absolute truth, what is the point of anything?

Don't let the heavy questions mislead you. Rashomon moves quickly, fluidly and gracefully, telling its story with economy and, to me, humor. Much is made of the dark philosophy underneath the theme, but I find great sardonic humor in the film. One example, the fight between the thief & the man as related by the woodcutter...it is messy and unheroic, sweaty, breathless and awkward and the antithesis of the stylized balletic sword fights found in, even Kurosawa's, samurai movies.

In the end, as familiar and much copied as Rashomon has been, it is still like no other film. It is unique, and the result of a master filmaker's vision, unified and beautiful and unforgettable.

RASHOMON, Kurosawa's classic existential masterpiece, is Japan's CITIZEN KANE. It offers some rather profound insights on the human condition while also being a technical and artistic tour de force. Like KANE, RASHOMON also uses a nonlinear, fragmented narrative to show the multiplicity and unfathomability of human nature. With an engaging murder mystery as its basis, RASHOMON should please film enthusiasts and novices alike.

The restored video transfer on this Criterion DVD edition makes the film look as good as new. Blemishes that used to be on older video releases have been digitally cleaned up. Sharpness and contrast, while not spectacularly good, are excellent (to provide a point of reference, it looks much cleaner than Criterion's SEVEN SAMURAI DVD). The original Japanese mono soundtrack is rather hissy, however. A cleaner English dub track is included, but voice acting is sub-par (actually, in my opinion, terrible; in one instance, it is even out of synch with the action).

The analytical audio commentary by Donald Richie is well-rounded, covering the themes, photography, acting, editing, and music of the film. The booklet includes English tranlations of the two short stories that inspired the film, and an excerpt from Kurosawa's autobiography that pertains to RASHOMON. In a 16-minute excerpt from a Japanese documentary about the film's cinematographer, various camera techniques used in the film are revealed.

This DVD is encoded for Region 1 only. For those who keep track of things like this, Criterion has only made a handful of Region 1 DVDs, which include ARMAGEDDON, BRIEF ENCOUNTER, CHASING AMY, THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE, GIMME SHELTER, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, HIGH AND LOW, KWAIDAN, NOTORIOUS, THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, RASHOMON, THE ROCK, SAMURAI I, II, and III, SANJURO, SEVEN SAMURAI (second printing), THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET, THE VANISHING, and YOJIMBO.

Somewhat curiously, Japanese critics were not enthusiastic about RASHOMON when it was released in 1950 Japan. Today, however, RASHOMON is generally considered to be the film that introduced both master director Akira Kurosawa and Japanese cinema to the west; it is also often cited as the film that prompted The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create an award for Best Foreign Language film. It is widely regarded as a masterwork of world cinema.

Set in 12th Century Japan, the film's premise is at once both very simple and very complex. A man is found dead in a forrest, and several people are brought forward to give testimony in the matter. In some respects their accounts agree--but in numerous others, some obvious and some very subtle, their stories differ. As each character gives his or her version of events, the various differences pile higher and higher, leaving the viewer to wonder at the motivations involved.

Has each person simply interpreted the same facts in different ways? Do they deliberately lie in order to protect themselves? Are the differences in their stories deliberate or subconcious? The film offers no easy answers. Some have criticized the film for seeming to state that there is no such thing as ultimate truth, but RASHOMON is more complex than this: it is essentially a meditation on our inability, be it deliberate or unintentional, to reach more than an approximation of ultimate truth due to the very nature of humanity itself.

Much has been written about the look of the film, which is indeed memorable. Filmed by Kazuo Miyagawa, it presents the forrest as a living, breathing entity; the images are powerful, the editing remarkable. No less so are the performances, which require the various actors to shift in behavior as each person involved gives their own account of the event; this is particularly true of Toshiro Mifune, a frequent performer in Kurosawa films, and actress Machiko Ky. But whether lead or supporting player, all performaces are equally astonishing.

The film has been extremely, extremely influential over the years, and as such it no longer has quite the same "shock of the new" that it had for audiences of the 1950s; nonetheless, this is director Kurosawa working very close to the height of his power, and while he would create other films that equalled and bested RASHOMON, it remains among his masterworks. The Criterion edition is quite fine, offering a near-pristine print with your choice of subtitles or dubbing (the former is recommended) and several memorable extras. Strongly recommended for fans of world cinema.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The first time this movie told its story, I sat there almost bored, but the second time my interest was perked, and by the fourth time, I was mesmerized. Confused? This movie has that tendency. It's basic "hook" is that 4 people tell very different versions of the same story, and each time you hear it, your faith in reality is shaken just a little bit. Even in the end, you won't know left from right, but you'll probably have a grin from ear to ear.

Rashamon is a masterpiece because of the utter ease in which all this flows. This movie often made me wonder just how on earth it was conceived and created in the first place. The audience is effortlessly introduced to the story as if it were an after-thought, just some gossip between peasants. A noble samurai and his loving wife are attacked by a ruthless bandit on the highway. The samurai is tortured and killed, and the wife raped. Or is that really what happened? The wild bandit gives a very different version of the story, and then, amazingly enough, the dead samurai speaks through a medium and tells HIS version. After all three witnesses speak, you don't know who is the villian and who is the hero.

And yet, amazingly enough, the movie digs deeper, and one of the peasants tells HIS version of the story, as he witnessed it from behind a bush. As I sat watching this final telling in utter disbelief, I suddenly thought: I have just watched the same thing 4 times in a row, and never once was bored!

Of course, Toshiro Mifune gives a typically outstanding performance, yet this film is all about Kurosawa, the master director working behind the scenes. Every shot and edit is in perfect place, nothing the director does undercuts his actors or his story. There are no harsh angles like in Kubrick, or sappy endings from Spielberg. Even the strong, general themes from directors like Ford are muted to serve the movie as a whole, complete story. And what a story it is...

With great action and memorable characters, Akira Kurosawa's "RASHOMON" is perhaps the first and probably the best film ever to investigate the philosophy of truth and justice and the inherent conflict with our fallibly subjective attempts to be objective. Is this the first film to fully embrace relativism?

Certainly somewhat existential and post modern in its central conceit, this exceptionally absorbing drama still resonates with a timely and provocative tale of the illusive nature of so-called Truth.

Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the seemingly paradoxical complexities of human nature as four people -- all witnesses to one degree or another -- recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife. Toshiro Mifune gives another commanding performance in this eloquent masterwork that secured his international stardom.

With a restored image and sound, this classic revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to a global audience. Loaded with extras, including a video introduction by Robert Altman and a brilliant commentary by Japanese film historian Donald Richie. Excerpts are also included from "The World of Kazuo Miyagawa," a documentary about Rashomon's incredible cinematographer.

Even in the pantheon of our greatest filmmakers, Kurosawa stands apart as an intellectual and an artist. His best films have a shimmering beauty and a visceral impact while also engaging the mind. A rare feat. This 1950 masterpiece is an essential element of any serious digital library.

Rashomon still contains hope that humankind on planet Earth may be a sort of "WORK-IN-PROGRESS".

FIRST OFF - This is the film where numerous perspectives/viewpoints of the same event illustrate rather persuasively how [literally] there are often two or more sides to most stories. The central event in this story has been the basis of many similar themes since. The Roshomon knock-off that is the most fun to watch and most illuminating to me is probably an episode of "All IN THE FAMILY" titled, "EVERYBODY TELLS THE TRUTH". Of course, Archie Bunker does not deal in subtlety, so it is an interesting and comical take on the Roshomon theme.

Another similar treatment, but this time a drama, is on the big screen and features Paul Newman, "The Outrage", from 1964, with William Shatner, Lawrence Harvey and Claire Bloom as co-stars. This film is hard to find, but well worth the effort.

RAMBLING ON ABOUT "RASHOMON":

This film is NOT an easy thing to watch. In English it is somewhat less effective and in Japanese one must contend with the subtitles. Still, I suggest the Japanese with subtitles. Be aware, however, that this is a highly visual film so avoid getting bogged down in the subtitles. More than any other film I have seen, "Rashomon" shows rather than tells, so be prepared to pay very close attention to seemingly small details. Like Kubrick, everything you see and the way you see it has been reduced or altered to be just what is needed for the story. In essence, this is a rather stark though epic production and it may take a few viewings to truly appreciate "Rashomon's" true splendor and significance. It is a short movie that I wished was longer though I was quite satisfied with the ending.

WHAT THIS FILM IS ABOUT: [Without giving away the plot of course.]

HOPE! Through the re-enactment of some perceptional permutations and nuances of a tragic event we are almost left with the conclusion that human beings are fatally-flawed, evil, weak beings fueled by lust and driven with selfish motives and little else.

THE MESSAGE OF HOPE:

But then there is a ray of hope in the form of a helpless abandoned infant and what follows. What we see is intrinsically-flawed humans that through self-awareness may seek to improve their character. If this is true, maybe then through self-awareness, human flaws may be intrinsic but solvable over time making us flawed but NOT FATALLY FLAWED! Sentience may over time be our deliverance in the form of character and integrity. If this is true, then humans are not naturally depraved and everything may not be preordained. Perhaps we are a kind of "work-in-progress". What a nice thought, though Kurosawa gives it to us rather like castor oil.

ABOUT THE DVD:

This is a Criterion Collection DVD and that speaks for itself. Here, however, the best special feature is the rather large booklet that is included with the DVD. The transfer is excellent for a 55-year-old black and white film and it is in Full Screen Format.

LAST THOUGHTS: A FILM THAT MAY NEED TO BE SEE MORE THAN ONCE TO FULLY APPRECIATE

ALSO RECOMMENDED TO VIEW:

--* "EVERYBODY TELLS THE TRUTH", ALL IN THE FAMILY - episode 58, 1973

--* "THE OUTRAGE", Martin Ritt, 1964

Rashomon (1950; directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune) is one of those films that the truly hip have seen, and not many others; rather like certain books--On the Road, The Satanic Verses, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Naked Lunch--it has a certain hip cache, being one that cineastes have all seen and can discuss in great detail. Name-droppers know they need only mention the name in a knowledgeable context to be viewed with awe.

In truth, however, Rashomon is the sort of film that everyone should see; it's a true classic, in a league with Casablanca, Citizen Kane and others. The film examines truth, in the context of a rape and murder in 12th Century Japan, from four different perspectives; a woodcutter who witnessed the whole incident yet was afraid to report it, the bandit who committed the crime, the murdered man's ghost (through a medium) and the rape victim (the murdered man's wife). There are a few elements which remain constant from each version of the story--that the murdered man was tied up and forced to watch the bandit ravish his wife, and that he did indeed die--but how he died varies. It was either a swordfight with the bandit, at his wife's hand with a dagger, or suicide resulting from his being absolutely crushed by his wife choosing to leave with the bandit. Did she demand his death? Did he look at her with scorn after the crime? Was she really raped or did she yield consensually to the bandit? Honesty is also explored in detail, with the wife's honesty being most in question, but also with the three men sheltering from a rainstorm at the ruined gate of Rashomon who relate the story between themselves.

This was one of the late Toshiro Mifune's (1920-1997) first collaborations with Akira Kurosawa, and his criminally-insane Tajomaru is masterfully acted. So effective is Mifune's acting that you truly loathe Tajomaru; you're torn between pity and disgust for the wife (Masahiko Kyo, also a brilliant actress), and there are truly few really sympathetic characters among the cast here. The camera work is exemplary, shows what Kurosawa was best known for--unusual perspectives in some truly arresting shots, proving that his eye for detail was as sharp in black and white as it would later be in colour (cf. Dersu Uzala, Kagemusha, and Ran, 3 latter-day Kurosawa masterpieces). Absolutely worth seeing, and proof of the saying that there are three sides to every story (to wit: mine, yours, and what really happened)--but also proving that what really happened isn't even ever certain.

Kurosawa meets World; World loves Kurosawa. *Rashomon*, the director's first major picture to find wide release, is typically brilliant and innovative. If its central conceit -- 4 different perspectives on 1 incident -- doesn't seem all that new, well, it WAS new in 1950. People were blown away by this, having never seen anything like it before (the movie won all sorts of prizes and Oscars). This grim parable is set in 11th century feudal Japan, involving the rape of a woman and the murder of her husband in an empty grove in a forest. The rape and murder is told and re-told, with wildly varying details, by the principals -- the Bandit, the Woman, and her dead Husband's Spirit -- as well as by an ancillary witness, The Woodcutter, who stumbles upon the scene after the fact. As the commentator on this Criterion edition says, all the stories are true and none of them are true. The theme of the movie is the relativism of memory, incident, and experience. (Alain Resnais must have been heavily influenced by this particular film.) As justly famous as *Rashomon* is, I still feel that it's not quite a masterpiece, and certainly not up to Kurosawa's later standards: first of all, he has the actors, especially the Bandit and the Woman overact terribly . . . but in extenuation of the performances, it must be said that this style of acting was apparently a tradition in Japanese cinema. Mifune as the Bandit suffers the most -- Kurosawa has the poor guy behave like a rabid gibbon. (One half-expects him to climb a tree.) Secondly, the torrential downpour during the "framing" segments wherein the secondary characters are telling the story of the murder and rape is way over-the-top. It looks like the spray of several giant firehoses pointed skyward off-camera -- which is exactly what it is. Finally, there are too many pauses in the film, too much stretching-out time between action, which might make some viewers itchy from boredom. (Not much excuse for this, considering the tightness of the story's ingenious construction.) Well, obviously I'm picking nits. Though I feel *Rashomon* doesn't quite equal the director's later masterpieces (*Ikiru*, *Seven Samurai*, *The Hidden Fortress*, etc. etc. etc. for the next couple decades), this is still a massively influential movie -- a GREAT movie, an absolute necessity for Kurosawa devotees. By the way, it was re-made in America several years later: called *The Outrage*, it featured Paul Newman, absurdly made-up as a Mexican, in the Bandit role. [The best features on Criterion's DVD are the booklets inside: the complete short stories on which Kurosawa based his film. Outstanding.]

Rashomon was a film I seriously never heard about until I took a film class at my College a few years back. Boy was I surprised how well this popular movie was shot, the camera trickery through the woods is spectacular, I love how the sun blazes and blinds the camera in certain shots. There are five different points of view throughtout the film and I think the last take on what really happened to the young married couple is the probably the truth and the best story of Rashomon. Of course this film is foreign so don't forget to set the subtitles on your DVD player. A fabulous and etertaining DVD, don't skip this one. Enjoy!

Although it might seem like an odd starting point, the first time I heard of Kurosawa's Rashomon was when I read Iris Chang's Rape of Nanking for the first time a few years ago. Within this book she alluded to the film because of the various stories detailing the atrocities committed in Nanking differed greatly depending on the source of information. Anyway, a couple of years after that I read Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's short story "Rashomon" and noticed that it really did not fit Chang's brief description of the movie and it was not until I read a later short story in the collection, "In the Grove", did I find the actual short story the film was based on.

The film Rashomon was Western film audiences' first real exposure to the films of Kurosawa Akira and it ignited the flame of interest in Kurosawa's films for decades to come. And with good reason, because Rashomon is truly an excellent film and it still tops best films ever made lists constantly.

During a terrible rainfall three men, a priest, a woodcutter, and a bandit, duck into the ruins of the Rashomon gate to escape the massive downpour. The priest and the woodcutter have just returned from a court case detailing the murder of a samurai by the bandit Tajomaru. Listening to Tajomaru's testimony it seems like a pretty cut and dry case. He wanted the samurai's wife for his own and after raping her he killed her husband as she asked him to do. However, after listening to the wife's story and even the dead husband's story through a medium, it is hard to say what the truth...is

The old saying goes "History is written by the victors" and Rashomon definitely displays not only how different people view the same events, but how lies thread their way into the truth and corrupt it. Kurosawa depicts the scene with the samurai, his wife, and the bandit Tajomaru four times within the film's 88 minutes, and the resulting juxtaposition is quite enjoyable.