Review of Rashomon (1950) by Simeon D — 27 Nov 2010
In ancient Japan, a notorious bandit is charged with murder and put on trial. Four witnesses (the bandit, the murdered man's wife, the murdered man's spirit, and an eye witness) give their testimonies of how the murder occurred and who actually is guilty.
After seeing The Seven Samurai, which is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema, and hearing all the acclaim for Rashomon; I was expecting a lot. It wasn't nearly as epic as I thought it would be (not epic at all in fact), and despite it's obscure premise it was actually very good.
Kurosawa's signature style echoes here with fantastic cinematography and outrageous but carefully detailed characters. All the images of walking through the forest and sitting in a destroyed temple were tremendous.
The acting is terrific, and some of the best I've ever seen.
The film is a fable of sorts, and there are a lot of heavy symbolisms and morals, which I found a little off track from the actual plot. I mean, I love philosophy, but it was a little out of place.
Kurasowa's Rashomon is full of great characters, acting, direction, and action; and proves itself as a visual masterpiece. 98/100.
This review of Rashomon (1950) was written by Simeon D on 27 Nov 2010.
Rashomon has generally received very positive reviews.
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