The Golden Age Of Hollywood
The Top 200 Movies

138
Rashomon
Release date 25th August 1950
Country : Japan
Running time : 88 mins
Genre : Drama
Starring Toshiro Mifune
Screenplay by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Akira Kurosawa
Directed by Akira Kurosawa


A woman is raped and her husband is killed. Four defendants give their accounts of what happened, each revealing a bit more detail but which one is the truth ?

Decidedly odd in parts, one of the versions of the tale is enacted by a ghost this film did establish the Japanese cinema internationally and also pioneered a plot line which has been duplicated many times, that of viewing an event from different perspectives.  It is a compelling film, beautifully acted.

Trivia - The Golden Age of Hollywood

When asked what Rashomon meant Kurosawa said it was "a reflection of life" and life does not always have clear meanings.

DVDInformation - The Golden Era Of Hollywood

DVD available from the Criterion Collection :
http://www.amazon.com/

DVD Reviews - The Golden Age Of Hollywood

DVD Times (Region 2 Edition)
DVD Journal
DVD Beaver
(comparison of Criterion and BFI editions)


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Written content copyright Derek McLellan,2005.
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Rashomon image from
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