Review of Rashomon (1950) by Caesar M — 23 Feb 2012

There's a reason why Akira Kurosawa is a legend. With masterful skills in his story telling abilities and direction, Rashomon is just one of the many classics from director Akira Kurosawa.

Rashomon is about a heinous crime and its aftermath that are recalled from differing points of view. Now while some may get bored of Takehiro getting killed in all of the stories, it's overall message is still relevant today. Its characters are not only interesting and relatable, but they explore the humanity inside of all us. It's a movie that challenges our beliefs, it makes us think, and makes us see things around us differently even after it finished. Kurosawa not only gave us a great story with a meaningful message, he also gives a flawless narrative structure that would you won't soon forget even after you finished watching Rashomon.

Now when it comes to great directors behind the camera, Kurosawa is a master as every shot works flawlessly with one another to tell a story. This also results in one of the best sword fights you'll ever see on film as well as some symbolic shots that helps convey the movie message. The acting is great and you'll actually forget these people are acting and just get so invested into the story. I could say more about the movie, but I ran out of things I could complement without repeating myself, so I'll give more praised for Kurosawa who masterfully combined two stories together. Borrowing the characters from one story and taking the plot from another to make one great film is something Kurosawa did with perfect execution.

Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon is a classic movie that message is still relevant today and makes us see the world around us in a different way. Rashomon is a perfect drama from a master director that everyone should see.