1. Give a brief outline of the plot (action) of the film.
One day, a woodcutter and a priest witnessed a murder of a samurai. They were unsure of what exactly happened, but they were summoned to testify at the murder’s trial. There are different stories given during the trial, and it is unsure what exactly happened, and why it is difficult to tell who is lying or not.
2. What are the main symbols in the film, what do they represent?
The main symbols are the sun, the rain, and the baby. The rain represents the presence of evil and bad fortunes because while the story of the murder was being told, it was raining very hard. The sun represents memories and the recollection of people because the camera panned into the sun whenever a story was being told. The baby is also a main symbol as it represents innocence since a baby is unaware of the amount of evil in the world.
3. What are the main philosophical questions (ideas) being raised by the film? How are these themes still relevant today?
The main ideas being raised by the film are about people’s self interests and if goodness is make-believe. These themes are still relevant today because it is impossible to truly understand one’s true intentions. Only you are able to fully understand your own intentions.
4. How is the structure of the film important to the telling of this story?
It is important because it emphasizes each characters’ recalling of the event. It makes the viewer critically think about what actually happened.
5. Who’s story did you find most trustworthy and why?
I find the woodcutter’s story most trustworthy because in the end, it seems like he is genuinely a good person. Although he kind of admits to stealing the dagger because the commoner accused him of doing that, he still ends up taking the baby from the priest. This shows how deep down there is still good in him. I don’t believe any of the other stories as trustworthy because the bandit is a psycho, the samurai’s wife doesn’t remember much and she just cried half the time, and for the samurai himself, I don’t believe that the medium is able to do what she did.
6. Consider the final scene when the Priest chooses to hand the baby over to the Woodsman. What is Kurosawa trying to say with this gesture?
Kurosawa is trying to say that regardless of the evil around the world, good still exists.
7. Rashomon is an adaptation of a short story written by Akutagawa, consider what elements are present in the film that enhance or diminish a story like this. Are there aspects to the story that might be better served on the page, why?
The visuals of Rashomon enhance the story. The facial expressions throughout the whole film are very detailed, and it is easy to understand how a character is feeling. This can’t really be expressed that well in writing, and the actors did a good job of showing this. Filming how strong the rain is throughout the entire film sets the mood as well, because it makes the film feel suspenseful and mysterious. Story development might be better served on paper because words can be more descriptive, and the entirety of the story may not all fit into one film.