Rashomon [1950]

Why I have put of buying this until now ? So glad I have got this film it's amazing to watch. The picture and sound quality is perfect, it's been remarkably restored in high definition. The film plot and execution by Akira Kurosawa is awesome, the camera angles and depth of fields in the filming is something you will need to watch to appreciate how good it is for a film made in 1950.

For many years I delayed getting a copy of this seminal film. Well good things come to those who wait. It is fabulous and unique and clearly as an early Kurosawa film displays the vision for camera angles, humour and seriousness of his palette. Mifuno is superb and plays his role of the bandit chief to the hilt. he reprises aspects of this caracter more than you would think for Seven Samurai, a very different film The film combines two Japanese short stories by Akutagawa, but you can read it in the extended booklet on this inside, this edition gives you the "in the grove" story itself. The other story about the Rashomon gate was so heavily adapted so does not bear inclusion here, although it is a good one in its own right. The graphic ending says all there is to be said about killing. men come out of this film badly, women are no better. men are weak and driven by emotions, women are stronger and more intelligent but capable of more deliberate and vengeful cruelty. I am slowly getting hold of all Kurosawa's film. Each is a revelation. This is a short film and easily demonstrates how the great man began

Japanese cinema at its best

There are lots of reviews here from viewers who obviously expected to see a modern style sword-fest along the lines of Hero. Others complain that the story setup has been seen many times in modern films. This is the original though, and surely must be given credit for that? From the huge catalogue of Mr. Kurosawa. This is an earlier work, from 1950, and was awarded an Oscar two years later. Filmed in black and white, and starring Kurosawa's frequent collaborator, Toshiro Mifune, this is set in the 11th Century, at a time of both plague, and Civil War. Today, the story seems simple, dealing with a rape and murder, and three alternative views of the event, seen in flashback, as told by different characters. At the time of this film's release, such a plot construction was unknown, and it received immense critical acclaim. Most stories of this nature filmed since, certainly owe their origins to this startling original. With twists and turns, tension, action, and brilliant direction at all times, this film is rightly considered for inclusion in the `Masters of Cinema' DVD series.

Rashomon is a groundbreaking 1950 film by the legendary Akira Kurosawa and starring the peerless Toshiro Mifune relatively early in his career. It is largely based on the short story In a Grove by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. What makes Rashomon so innovative is the explicit and repeated use of the unreliable narrator concept. The plot features the telling of the same story from four different perspectives, each perspective imposing the storyteller's own personality and prejudices onto the action. As Rashomon is a Kurosawa film, it is expertly directed. The pacing of the film is superb. Rashomon has quite limited periods of action but there is seemingly no let-up in the atmosphere. As a black and white film with subtitles for those without sufficient Japanese, it has a somewhat arty feel to it. Rashomon is thought provoking rather than exciting. Rashomon stars Toshiro Mifune and he is absolutely excellent. He is clearly the class act on screen, able to move his performance with great subtlety to express the different views the story is told from. At times he is the brash and super confident bandit Tajomaru. From the perspectives that see the dangerous bandit as the belligerant, Mifune is imposing and strong, his facial expressions convey his dominance of the environment he inhabits. From other perspectives, Mifune is afflicted by nerves, the very same outcomes happen almost despite Tajomaru rather than because of him. It is that distinction of perspective that makes Rashomon so cherished. Intriguingly each of the characters plays up their own negative role in the action rather than portraying themselves as heroic. Tajomaru sees himself as a brutal killer when others see him more comedic or even a victim of circumstances. The relationship between the couple in the woods is entirely dependent on the perspective being told from. From Machiko's perspective she is wronged by her partner seeing dishonour in her. From Mayusaki's perspective he is scorned by the woman he loves. None of the narratives are reliable. There is no real way for the viewer to decide which perspective is true. It is a fascinating study to watch, to be exposed so bluntly to egoistic way each of us understands the actions of others. Often great film is enhanced by tremendous music. This is not true of Rashomon. Fumio Hayasaka's score is not excellent. The sligtly disjointed tones of the majority of the film are somewhat ruined by an inappropriate use of Ravel's Bolero. Bolero really does not fit Rashomon, it was a bad choice by Kurosawa to insist on it. There are other aspects of the experience though that are tremendous, in particular the lighting. The oppressive rain experienced by the three characters at the Kyoto city gate is beautifully lit. The various woodland scenes also work very well with incredible use of sunlight. What makes Rashomon something special is the unreliability of each of the narrators. It is the subjectivity of perception explored so ruthlessly that makes it so intriguing. None of the narrators is willfully unreliable, the tale each tells seems genuinely theirs. These are not narrators manipulating the viewer deliberately and that makes them far more engaging. The scope and feel of Rashomon does not itself necessarily suit film brilliantly. Kurosawa makes it work thanks to his own genious and the presence of Mifune. They turn a concept into something compelling. Still, Rashomon seems more suited to being a stage performance, it just does not have the scope of Kurosawa's greatest films, tales like Seven Samurai , Yojimbo , or Hidden Fortress . Rashomon is not an epic, it is a thought provoking piece that sets and then exceeds expectations. The DVD Extras are ok. The Extras mainly offers a discussion among several of those who worked on the 1950 film. It is a somewhat technical discussion about how certain effects were created. The special edition includes a booklet with a terrific extract from The Emperor and the Wolf by Stuart Galbraith as well as text from the novellas Rashomon and In A Grove. Galbraith's history of the film and his own analysis are high quality and offers a fascinating 20 page insight. Rashomon is a very good film, not the greatest of Kurosawa's unequalled career but still fascinating. The concept is thought provoking and can sit with a viewer for a long time afterwards. The unreliable narrator has a very long tradition but to see that unreliability come about through subjective egoism rather than as a deliberate act is a terrific concept.

Dvd arrived quick in great condition and played well

Outstanding direction from Akira Kurosawa. This film reached cult status years ago and has influenced film makers since.(eg :Usual Suspects)A young couple are waylaid in the forest by a bandit (Toshiro Mifune) ,the man is killed and the woman is raped. Once the bandit is brought to court ,he and the victim give conflicting stories made worse by a witness(wood cutter) who further muddies the water.Who is to be believed?Kurosawa's atmospheric use of the camera is spellbinding and Mifune's performance is brilliant making this a must see film

One of the best movies I’ve ever seen. When I first saw it, sitting there reading the subtitles, I thought it would be too taxing and simply boring. But you quickly get into this classic of Japanese cinema as we watch different versions of a story laid out before us, each one seemingly as true as the other. It is one of my all time top movies. Absolutely fascinating and definitely worth watching numerous times. I hope you find my review helpful