Review of Rashomon (1950) by Rob S — 25 Jul 2015

This is somewhat of a spoiler for another film right off the bat, but Rashomon is more effective in letting the viewer discern what is true and what is not than The Usual Suspects. It frightens the priest as it should frighten us what we discern about the nature of man.

The beginning focuses on a priest and a woodcutter in shock after having heard three separate versions of the same event in a trial of sorts. The priest is a little repetitive about how much of a tragedy these stories are, but it is still a powerful dialogue with a close- up on the priest.

The story varies from person to person, but what is in all four of the versions presented (the woodcutter tells what he saw towards the conclusion of the film) is the rape of the wife of a samurai by a bandit, and the murder of the samurai. Things get more tense and dramatic as we switch from story to story, each containing a different version of how the samurai died and a different motive each time. We are constantly asking whether one or more of the witnesses lied to protect the others, or if they are justifying their actions - either way, we get a depressing view of human nature; all three are portrayed as terrible people within the film.

What is fairly necessary so that the film is not too pessimistic is the conclusion with the woodcutter making a decision to take care of an abandoned baby which restores the priest's faith in humanity. Like Birdman, I would have liked if this film ended just a few minutes earlier, but it is still powerful at the close of the film.