Akira Kurosawa’s film titled
“Rashomon” is considered by many to be a classic. Many others, however, do not
see the significance of this film. At first, I was one of the skeptics. Okay,
so there’s a murder in the woods, and there are conflicting stories. Big whoop,
right? It sounds like another episode of CSI is you ask me. Upon looking
further into this film though, you can begin to see why it has garnered the
fame that it has. I think the first reason that it is so popular is the fact
that Kurosawa only uses three total scenes in the entire movie (the Rashomon
gate, the woods, and the courthouse). For an hour and twenty minute long movie,
that’s pretty impressive! How many of today’s movies can you name that only use
such a simple setting? The fact that Kurosawa took such a minimalist approach
to set building and special effects really allowed the true art of the actors
to shine through. Unlike modern films which rely heavily on special effects and
heavy action sequences, this film allowed the true emotions of the actors to
flow freely from every scene.
Another reason that I believe this
film is considered a classic is because it has no definite ending. With all of
the separate stories having their own alternate endings, it is up to the
audience to decide how the crime actually plays out. It is very similar to many
other movies that play out the same way that have won countless awards. The
first example that comes to my mind is the movie “Slumdog Millionaire.” This
movie uses a whole bunch of smaller stories to tell one big story. This
technique is also used in the 2006 award winner “Babel ,”
and the 1998 award winner “Run Lola Run.” Now I’m no film junkie, but it seems
fairly clear to me that this style of movie has been proven time and time
again.
The third
main reason that this film is so critically acclaimed is because of Kurosawa’s
subtle use of symbolism. The rain is the first thing that the audience notices
when the film starts. Without even thinking about it, the audience already has
a hint of the mood and setting of this film. The rain hints that the story that
is about to be told is not one of joy and happiness, but rather one of
melancholy, confusion, and mystery. The baby that appears towards the end of
the film is another big use of symbolism. All throughout the length of the
film, Kurosawa has been hinting that there is no good in humanity anymore. He
uses the priest at Rashomon gate to express this quite often. Just when things
are looking at their worst, this baby mysteriously appears. Instead of someone
stepping up to take care of it, the first thing that happens is that the third
man at the gate steals the kimono and the amulet that were left with the child.
It appears as though the situation could not possibly reach a deeper mood of
desperation after this point, so the priest takes the child and begins to walk
away with it. The woodcutter then steps in and tries to take the child away to
which the priest snaps at him asking that he please not take what little the
child has left. The woodcutter then explains, much to the priest’s surprise, that
he plans to take the child with him as he already has six others. The priest is
overwhelmed with joy saying that perhaps there still is hope for mankind. This
child is use as a symbol of hope for the human race. Kurosawa allures to his
opinion that even though things appear as though they can not get any worse,
there is always some hope to be had. It just has to be found.
Kim Huynh
ReplyDeleteI also felt skeptical about Rashomon in the beginning but after much more consideration and an in-depth look I see the simplicity but significance of this film. You mentioned how the film was only shot in three locations, which is indeed a very minimalist approach to the plot of the film. The use of these few locations plays a huge role in the plot because four different people told the story, which makes each scene unique to each characters narrative of what happened. It may have been the same part of the woods but it seems the mood and atmospheres are differing from narrative to narrative. The fact that this film has no definite ending also makes it a classic, as you described. This leaves the whole interpretation of who’s right and who’s wrong completely up to the audience. They can choose to sympathize with one character in one narrative then completely despise that same character in another’s narrative. They all focus on saving face and twist their stories to help themselves shine in a better light. You’re third point about the use of symbolism is very true as well. It starts right from the beginning with the rain as you stated but there is so much in between the beginning and the end as well. The woods are symbolic of the hidden truth that they all hide inside. This story could have taken place anywhere but rather in the woods where no one else but these characters could have witnessed these happenings. The baby and the sunshine is a huge symbol of humanity and morale in mankind that is eventually found by someone who did wrong to someone else.
Like you I initially could not make sense of the assertion that Rashomon is considered a classic. As you pointed out at first glance it appears to simply be the telling of a horrible story from the various viewpoints. It is only by looking at Kirosawa’s use of the minimalist set and dark cinematography that we are able to focus in on each character’s account and closely examine the facial expressions to try to glean his/her veracity. There is no simple truth, one’s perspective is his/her reality. Therefore, this isn’t a story that can be tied up in a little bow. The viewer is left to decide for himself what to believe.
ReplyDeleteAs you also pointed out by keeping the scenes to just the three, the complexity of the story remains the focus. Without the confusion of multiple scene changes, the viewer is only asked to examine the four perspectives presented. This was a risky course of action for a feature length film but it actually enhances the film experience.
I also agree that a huge aspect of this film is the use of symbolism. From the rain in the beginning to its return at the end – it is the dark, melancholy nature of the worst of mankind that is being share with the world. The baby is as you pointed out, a symbol for the hope of mankind. Even after the horror of the tale we have been told, there is something good and innocent in the world. Therefore we can have hope.
Jessica Davis, Group 2