March 13, 2023HANNAH CZERWINSKI

Rahomon

  1. Rashomon is a film directed by Akira Kurosawa about a crime committed in a forest in which a samurai is murdered and his wife is raped by a notorious bandit. Four distinct characters—the bandit, the samurai’s wife, a woodcutter who saw what happened, and the ghost of the samurai—take turns telling the tale. Each character recounts the same event from their point of view, and the audience is left to decide which version is correct.
  2. The main symbols in the film are the Rashomon gate, which represents the line between reality and illusion, and the sun, which represents truth and justice. The forest also serves as a metaphor for the chaos and darkness that exists within the human heart.
  3. The film’s main philosophical issues are the nature of truth, human perception’s fallibility, and the role of morality in society. The film emphasizes that truth is subjective and dependent on one’s perception. It also implies that people can deceive themselves in order to justify their actions and that morality is relative and open to interpretation. These themes remain relevant today, as truth and morality remain subjective and open to interpretation.
  4. The structure of the film is critical to the telling of the story because it allows the audience to see how different perspectives can change the truth. The film employs a framing device in which the characters’ stories are told in flashbacks, emphasizing the subjectivity of their narratives. The non-linear structure also allows viewers to see how the same event can be interpreted in various ways.
  5. I found the woodcutter’s story the most trustworthy because it was the most objective and seemed to be the most consistent with the evidence presented. He had no motive to lie and did not have any reason to protect anyone’s reputation.
  6. The Priest chooses to hand over the baby to the Woodsman in the final scene, symbolizing that the cycle of violence and deception can be broken if people choose to do the right thing. Kurosawa is implying that humanity has hope if people choose to act with compassion and morality.
  7. Rashomon’s film adaptation improves the story by incorporating visual elements that enhance the story’s themes, such as the use of light and shadow to depict the characters’ perceptions of truth. Some aspects of the story, such as the characters’ internal thoughts and motivations, may be better served on the page. The film also introduces some ambiguity into the story, which may be more apparent in the short story.