Review of Rashomon (1950) by Kevin N — 30 Apr 2009
Despite its devious subject matter and the unsurity the conclusion leaves us with, this is one of the most telling stories of human nature ever filmed. It is an unsettling movie, one with a somber outlook on the sore lack of virtuosity on Earth, but because of this we are left with the urge to be different, the urge to do good in our environments.
Kurosawa tempts us to judge these people, dares us to seperate ourselves, but when they are stripped to the point of bare human instinct and habit, it's just about impossible not to see one of these characters in a reflexive way.
The look of this film is gorgeous; cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa gives Kurosawa a thoroughly three-dimensional space space to unravel his yarn, but Kurosawa is careful to maintain tight and towering walls around his two central locations so that his characters are always being watched- if not by another character, always by us.
It is a provocative, chilling film and it left me in tatters.
This review of Rashomon (1950) was written by Kevin N on 30 Apr 2009.
Rashomon has generally received very positive reviews.
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