Formerly "A Movie A Day" :/

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Rashomon - 1950 - Dir. Kurosawa

I probably wouldn't have watched this movie a second time, I enjoyed it the first time many years back but didn't get too excited about it. Never really saw the point in seeing it again. But then I read an article when asked about the favorite Kurosawa, any good screenwriter worth his salt would answer "Rashomon." I don't exactly remember why that was the case, and naturally, I just don't agree with a statement of that nature. Famous for it's use of disparate viewpoints in storytelling, Rashomon follows two men telling the story of a rape/murder as told by those involved. Each version is significantly different from the one before. Naturally, it can seem a little overhyped being that that storytelling method has been employed so frequently by now. I not sure I feel any particularly strong feelings script-wise. The number of frames in the story are interesting and I would say that the "Rashomon-effect" is done with subtly, leaving us with the feeling that the futile pursuit of truth is not necessarily the pursuit of goodness. The film's cast is made up of Kurosawa regulars. Mifune is a wildly bombastic bandit... perhaps over the top considering his other roles, but he's a lot of fun to watch. And I'm always a big fan Shimura. Perhaps the best aspect of Rashomon is the lighting though. It's spotted and filtered through the trees, making for some absolutely beautiful shots. A nice visual metaphor for the theme.

http://witneyman.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/rashomon-thumb.jpg
Ha! Awesome...

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