Asynchronous Work

In Rashomon, directed by Akira Kurosawa, the plot revolves around the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife, both of which are (remembered and retold) from different opinions/points of view during a trial in (very old times in history) Japan. The film explores the (open to opinion and judging; not black-and-white) nature of truth through disagreeing statements (in court) from different characters. The main symbols in Rashomon include the Rashomon gate itself, representing the (dividing line/point where something begins or changes) between truth and fake image, and the forest, showing (by using a physical object to represent an idea or emotion) the moral confusing double-meaning and complex difficulty of (how humans are). Also, the sun and rain show (by using a physical object to represent an idea or emotion) hope and feelings that there is no hope, reflecting the characters’ shifting opinions/points of view. The film’s non-linear structure, with many (scenes or sudden mental pictures where earlier events are shown or remembered) and different/disagreeing accounts of the same events, is significant to bringing across the theme of (being open to opinion and judging; not black-and-white) truth. By presenting (something that goes against or disagrees with something else) stories, Kurosawa challenges the audience to question the reliability of perception and memory. The Rashomon effect, as shown in the film, mirrors the modern important thing/big event of disagreeing stories on (ways of writing, reading, and watching the news, opinions, videos, etc.). With the fast spreading around of information, people with (many different kinds of people or things) opinions/points of view can shape public intelligent talk, leading to confusion and (dividing of people into two groups with very different opinions).