1. Give a brief outline of the plot (action) of the film. (<50 words)
The story takes place in feudal Japan. A criminal named Tajomaru who is accused of murder and rape. He is caught and is on trial for his crimes. We hear his version of events, alongside the woman, the samurai who speaks through a medium, and the woodcutter’s version of events. Each version of events is different. In the end, we find out that the woodcutter lied for his own sake, and in his guilt promises to raise an abandoned baby.
2. What are the main symbols in the film, what do they represent? (<50 words)
The forest represents uncertainty. It is where the contradictory stories take place.
Rain represents destruction and deceivory.
The baby at the end represents redemption.
3. How is the structure of the film important to the telling of this story? (<50 words)
The structure of the film makes the real event unclear. It allows the watcher to figure out the real facts and the lies with the characters of the movie.
4. What are the main philosophical idea raised by this film is called ‘The Rashomon effect’, which refers to the phenomenon where different individuals provide contradictory interpretations of the same event or phenomenon. The phrase has since been widely used in various fields, including psychology, sociology, journalism, and philosophy, to describe situations where subjective perceptions and biases lead to divergent accounts of the same event. This effect highlights the complex nature of truth and the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. In 250 – 300 words, please answer one of the following prompts:
- In what ways does social media exacerbate the Rashomon effect by allowing for the rapid spread of conflicting narratives and perspectives on current events? Give examples.
- How does the Rashomon effect manifest in politics, especially regarding the interpretation of political speeches, actions, and policies by different factions and media outlets? Give examples.
- Consider where you have seen examples of the Rashomon effect in journalism. Do you think that the Rashomon effect can be mitigated in your news event, and if so, what strategies can journalists employ to present more objective and accurate portrayals of the event in the face of conflicting accounts?
Social media exacerbates the Rashomon effect by allowing uncredited and unproven sources to have a platform to speak about events/facts. This is even more exacerbated by social media giving more accessible information a platform rather than correct or reliable information.
This can be seen in health education. It is very easy to find a speaker on a tik tok video confidently speaking misleading or outright wrong information to the audience. It is much harder to find a peer-reviewed well articulated scientific study on the same topic. And even if both are both readily accessible, the vast majority of the public will just watch the tik tok and skip the study due to convenience.