Rashomon (1950)

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori

The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai’s ghost and a woodcutter.

The film opens with three men – a priest, a woodcutter, and a commoner – discussing the events of a court case referred to as “a story so horrible you might loose your faith in the human soul”.

Three days ago, the woodcutter went into the woods to cut some wood. However, he made a gruesome discovery instead. A Bandit named Tajomaru has been captured for the killing of a man. The man in question is Takehiro, who along with his young bride Masako were travelling through the woods when Tajomaru spotted them, and wanted Masako for himself because “she looked like a goddess”.

In court, Tajomaru admits to killing Takehiro, and tells his story. Later, Masako tells her version of events, but it is completely different to Tajomaru’s. Then, Takehiro tells his version of what happened through a medium. Again, the story differs from Tajomaru’s and Masako’s. Three different stories of the fateful events, but what actually happened?

Well, I’m not doing spoilers, so I’m not telling! ‘Rashomon’ is a mystery that captures the audience from the very beginning and keeps us guessing until the finale. The film also begs the question what morality is measured in if morals can be abandoned so hastily for the sake of self-interest?

I really enjoyed ‘Rashomon’. This is definitely worth checking out.

The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration for a Black-and-White film. It received another 14 award nominations, winning 9 including Best Director, Best Foreign Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Motion Picture. In 1999 in was nominated for Best Film of the Century.

In Japanese.

Would I watch it again? Yes.