Rashômon (Kurosawa, 1951)

I have seen Rashômon (Akira Kurosawa, 1951) once before, in Tony Kashani's Film Form class at SRJC. As I recall, I dozed a bit during the film and did not take much away from it. This is one of the reasons I decided to pick it up and watch it this time. Another reason I watched it was because I had been working through an idea of making a film with a framed narrative, and wanted to see how Kurosawa did it. Well, my film did not work out this time around, but I am sure glad I watched Rashômon. There has been so much said about this film, that without more research or thought into it I do not want to say much. I just want to share the thoughts that initially come to mind about this film.

In this relatively short film (88 minutes) Kurosawa delivers a critical look at memory, emotion, and human nature as well as a compelling story. Although it seems to highlight the inaccuracies inherent in perception, memory and eventually storytelling, I think this film also brings to light the importance of storytelling. Oral tradition is a huge part of all cultures. Through the form of the movie, Kurosawa is able to evoke that style of communication. I must also add that the last retelling of the story is hilarious, if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about, if not just go watch it.