RASHOMON

"Maybe goodness is just make-believe."

As Roger Ebert put it, "RASHOMON struck the world of film like a thunderbolt". It is easy to see why. Akira Kurosawa did not have the name credibility that he now has fifty-six years after making it; he was really a no-name in world cinema when it was released. It is a force of a film though, with an impact on how the art is seen and understood no matter what language it is presented in. It is often credited with opening America's eyes to Japanese film making (it was the first Japanese movie to premiere in New York City since before World War II), and is the reason there is an Oscar category for Best Foreign Film.

On the surface RASHOMON is a story of a crime; one where it is certain only that a man was killed. Four different people who were involved in the crime tell their own stories of how they saw it unfold, and as the stories become more and more distinct in their content, the more interesting the film gets. Deeper though it is a film about the common nature of all people, and the bond they all share with each other despite whatever actions they may do. It is also a moving, thought-provoking look at how we as individual people look at events in our lives.

While this is the first Kurosawa movie I have ever seen, I already have an idea of why he is held in such high esteem. His directorial style is remarkable, using long, winding takes mixed with quick-edit takes to create an even more jarring take on the events that unfold over the running time. The narrative is expertly edited as well, cutting back and forth chronologically from one character to another, and while it all isn't completely coherent until the end (I think this may have been me unable to keep up rather than Kurosawa's idea or intention), it is fascinating. Like CITIZEN KANE, when all of these individual parts are added together, the sum total is even greater.

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