Review of Rashomon (1950) by Reece L — 07 Nov 2015

While the critical discussion of Rashomon is largely relegated to the dissection of its narrative structure and how this structure has become somewhat ubiquitous since its release, it's important to remember what this structure is in service of: a powerful statement about the human condition.

Man has the capacity for theft, dishonesty, murder, and general depravity and this perception of the supposed human tendency towards selfishness has resulted in several socio-economic schools of thought that cater to this idea.

Rashomon acknowledges this, but avoids rote pessimism by also presenting man's tendency towards righteousness, offering a more nuanced look at what human beings are capable of that is just as poignant as its form of conveyance.