After winning several film awards in Japan and abroad, Rashomon continues to be recognized as one of the greatest films of all times. The film was released in 1950 by director Akira Kurosawa. It is a historical period drama set in the Rashomon city gate between modern day Kyoto and Nara.
Even with its minimalistic features, Western film critics admire the cinematography and the plot of the film. Japanese film critics, on the other hand, did not like it and it was not a hit in the box office during its time.
The story starts with a woodcutter and a priest seeking shelter from the rain under the Rashomon city gate. Soon after, a commoner joins them and two tell him the tale which has been bothering them. The woodcutter recounts what happened three days ago while he was searching for wood in the forest. He claims that he found a murdered body of a samurai in the middle of the woods. As soon as he discovered it, he says, he immediately notified the authorities.
But the story does not end there. A suspect has come to light and claimed that he was the one who killed the samurai. And that is where the plot twist comes in. Different stories from different witnesses arise as they testify in court.
Who killed the samurai, then?
Login with Google