The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Collection: Rashomon (1950)

What is one of the most iconic genres of films in all Japanese cinema? When you have such a rich history of culture and myth like Japan, there is plenty to draw upon. Generally, humans feel nostalgic for periods of time in their past and look forward to diving back into those times. Feudal Japan is such a distinct period when samurai were such a massive piece of Japanese culture. Samurai are a fascinating group of individuals with plenty of layers through their honor codes and combat. For decades, the samurai film became a fixture of Japanese cinema with one director who led the way, Akira Kurosawa. There are plenty of filmmakers who made an impact in the realm of samurai films and feudal Japan, but Kurosawa would become the leading artist in this cinematic movement.

What was the film that truly defined this cinematic movement? Rashomon. The 1950s were a pivotal decade for the rise of samurai films which followed into the 60s and 70s. In 1950, this film delivered such a complex and compelling story that leverages the feudal period and samurai culture. Kurosawa and Ryunosuke Akutagawa write a screenplay that is filled with the key elements that make samurai films so compelling. A proud and honorable samurai who is on the road with his wife. The clash between the honor of a samurai and an unhinged and dangerous bandit is the core of the story that results in the death of this proud samurai and the violation of his wife. There is some classic Japanese mysticism thrown in with a medium who channels the spirit of the dead samurai during a trial. One of the key elements of the recurring story is a sword fight that is recreated in multiple different ways. Rashomon has everything you want from a classic samurai film…and more.

What is the most impactful and influential aspect of this film? When a film becomes the reference point for discourse around films with varying narrative perspectives of the same events, you know you started something truly influential. Rashomon is so unique with its narrative structure. There are four different versions of the events for the film. The runtime of Rashomon is under 90 minutes and is basically the recounting of the events that are significant to a murder trial. We hear from the bandit (Toshiro Mifune), the widow (Machiko Kyo), the samurai (Masayuki Mori) through a medium (Noriko Honma), and a woodcutter who witnessed it all (Takashi Shimura). We see different levels of aggression, honor, finesse, and pacing. The way the film challenges the audience to explore these different perspectives and decide who was telling the truth. This is a style of storytelling that has become quite common and popular with films like The Last Duel and Vantage Point. This “Rashomon Effect” has made quite the impact on storytelling over the years.

What else did Kurosawa accomplish with Rashomon? This has become a blueprint for the visual stylings of samurai cinema. There are plenty of trademarks of Kurosawa cinema which have set the stage for all samurai films to follow. First look at the cinematography. The framing is so precise and captures the characters with such intimacy. This personal approach to actor/camera connection on screen is quite impactful. This has given so many talented Japanese actors the opportunity to layer all the emotions out there like Mifune, Shimura, and Mori. The way the sword fights are captured in this film certainly has influenced many more to come with this specific approach to shooting action that Kurosawa had. The way Kurosawa captures nature is so beautiful and puts it in stark contrast with the brutality of the story (and the murder in it). Kurosawa was such a massive influence on all of Japanese cinema and it is hard to not see his figure prints all over samurai films after Rashomon.