Movies 2010 #11 Rashomon

I find it hard to believe I’ve never written about Rashomon, but I’ve been through my archives and I’ve never fully written it up for public consumption.

Again, hard to believe.

I better put my serious hat on for this one.

I saw this at a member’s appreciation event at the Brattle theater. I love that place. You should love it too.

Anyway. KUROSAWA.

Then again, maybe it’s MIFUNE.

Both? Both.

This is a nearly perfect film.

It’s difficult to pick a “best” collaboration between these two (the greatest movie director who ever lived and one of the screen’s greatest actors) but it’d be tough to argue against Rashomon. Short, but charged with incalculable energy and anchored by an intelligent, formally brilliant examination of truth/perception, Rashomon is simply one of the monuments of world cinema. It’s also historically significant, being the film that introduced both Japanese cinema in general and Kurosawa to the world.

The plot is pretty straightforward- woman has been raped, a man has been murdered and a suspect has been captured. The genius of Rashomon lies in the way it expands this simple story into a grand examination of human nature and the liquidity of truth. It does this by telling and retelling the same tale from several different perspectives, each one influenced by the teller. Everyone, even the woodcutter, an innocent bystander, has his or her own biases that color their telling of the tale. Questions spring forth as the characters examine the discrepancies. What’s the truth of the crime? Digger deeper, what is truth? Deeper still, what is the true nature of man. Is man naturally selfish or is there good in the heart of humanity? Is there hope?

That Kurosawa could tackle themes of this depth without the film feeling ponderous is testament to his talent. He could take something as deep as this (and this is Deep) and still manage to make it works as a movie.

So yeah, it’s pretty good.

And then there’s Mifune. Mifune devours the screen in this film. No actor before or since had such commanding screen presence and in this role he’s shows it off in just about every frame. Bursting with energy and embodying the mania of the killer with uncanny physicality and eyes that bubble over with life, Mifune turns in one of the most memorable performances of his career. Yes, he’s still young and plenty raw, but it just doesn’t matter. The body and the mind of the criminal Tajômaru are laid bare before us with full intention. Every fiber of Mifune’s being is devoted to this role. It’s a breathtaking performance.

So, to sum up:

This is a great film. It’s one of the greatest films ever made and if you haven’t seen it, you really should.