Rashomon

Name: Rashomon
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Crime
Released: December 26, 1951
Duration: 88 min
Rating: 98
Cast: Daisuke Katô, Kichijir, Leslie Daniels, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori

1951

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 85 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 85 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Daiei Motion Picture Company | Release Date: December 26, 1951 | Not Rated

Starring: Daisuke Katô, Kichijir, Leslie Daniels, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Minoru Chiaki, Noriko Honma, Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune

Summary: The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Crime

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 88 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Kimberley Jones

Kurosawa's international breakthrough is a masterstroke in unreliable narration. Read full review

100

James Berardinelli

Today, nearly fifty years after it was made, Rashomon has lost none of its fascination or power. It's still a marvelous piece of cinema that asks unanswerable questions of great import. Read full review

100

Michael O'Sullivan

Rashomon has had such a profound cultural influence that there is even a psychosociological phenomenon named after it. Read full review

100

Scott Tobias

Every element in the film, from the dense thicket of forest branches to master cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa's deceptive framing and lighting design, is precisely calibrated to make the facts more difficult to discern. Read full review

100

Adam Howard

It was the film that introduced the world at large to master director Akira Kurosawa and his frequent, infinitely watchable star Toshiro Mifune. Read full review

Pauline Kael

The introductory and closing scenes are tedious; the woman's whimpering is almost enough to drive one to the nearest exit. Yet the film transcends these discomforts; it has its own perfection.

Staff (Not Credited)

This level of mastery is timeless, and although the movie is overly deliberate at times, when it takes off, it really flies. Read full review

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User Reviews

AndrewHord

May 29, 2020

Absolutely striking film.This is very important for cinema film.Kurosawa`s masterpiece.If you are true cinema fan,you have to check it asap!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

alejandro970

Feb 20, 2022

A ghastly crime has occurred, but who knows what really happened? This is the common thread of one of the most outstanding films of Japanese cinema. From the beginning it is inevitable to closely follow the perspectives and then draw your own conclusions, with an unexpected ending.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

kyle20ellis

Mar 29, 2022

While not my favourite Akira Kurasawa(for not only Japan's greatest director, but one of the finest directors there was) film, like Seven Samurai closely followed by Ran, Rashomon is still a fantastic film. No Kurasawa film is the same without great scenery and cinematography, and RashomonWhile not my favourite Akira Kurasawa(for not only Japan's greatest director, but one of the finest directors there was) film, like Seven Samurai closely followed by Ran, Rashomon is still a fantastic film. No Kurasawa film is the same without great scenery and cinematography, and Rashomon is no disappointment in that regard. The camera is always moving but never feels like too much due to how subtly composed they (and the editing) are, and the scenery especially the beautifully lit jungle is just as striking, not as epic as Seven Samurai but still making its mark. The music, though I may prefer Ran's score when it comes to scores for Kurasawa's films, is always fitting with the mood and atmosphere of the film, and with its exploration of the relativity of truth the four accounts of the woodland encounter between a bandit and a wealthy couple is written in a compelling and completely credible manner. Kurasawa's direction as ever is superb, as are the performances of Machiko Kyo and Toshiru Mifune. Overall, a truly remarkable film. 10/10 Bethany Cox… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Dominik08

Aug 15, 2023

Brilliant creation, in-depth testimony of humanity, embellished with great acting, although not devoid of small flaws.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Onlyclassicvg1

Sep 17, 2022

This film noir portrait of corruption and morally-compromised obsessions stars Welles as Hank Quinlan, a crooked police chief who frames a Mexican youth as part of an intricate criminal plot. Charlton Heston plays an honorable Mexican narcotics investigator who clashes with the bigotedThis film noir portrait of corruption and morally-compromised obsessions stars Welles as Hank Quinlan, a crooked police chief who frames a Mexican youth as part of an intricate criminal plot. Charlton Heston plays an honorable Mexican narcotics investigator who clashes with the bigoted Quinlan after probing into his dark past. A memorable… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AJ_13

Sep 26, 2022

THE GOOD: I found the conversations between the three travelers in the temple really profound and interesting. The other subplot is sustained by a great Toshiro Mifune. Ahead of its time on a technical level.

THE BAD: I didn't really care about what happened in the woods. I hope it hadTHE GOOD: I found the conversations between the three travelers in the temple really profound and interesting. The other subplot is sustained by a great Toshiro Mifune. Ahead of its time on a technical level.

THE BAD: I didn't really care about what happened in the woods. I hope it had more moral complexity. Simply disappointed, good but I thought it would be better.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Broyax

Feb 19, 2023

Une enquête, un polar chez les samouraïs alors que passent trois individus dans la forêt : deux hommes et une femme… Un drame s’est produit et on aura de façon étonnamment originale chacun des points de vue de l’impromptu trio, puis celui d’un témoin, le troisième homme…

C’est ce que nousUne enquête, un polar chez les samouraïs alors que passent trois individus dans la forêt : deux hommes et une femme… Un drame s’est produit et on aura de façon étonnamment originale chacun des points de vue de l’impromptu trio, puis celui d’un témoin, le troisième homme…

C’est ce que nous raconte ce témoin en compagnie de deux autres gars qui nous relatent également ces « drôles » d’évènements alors qu’ils attendent, abrités, que la pluie diluvienne cesse. J’ai mis des guillemets à « drôle », car ce film est bien plus bizarre que drôle en raison des réactions de chacun des membres du trio dans la forêt : le mari, sa femme et le bandit…

Leurs réactions sont en effet absurdes et illogiques et lorsqu’une réaction pourrait se justifier, deux autres lui succèdent, contraires, illogiques et absurdes comme dans un asile de fous qui tourne en boucle. Tout ça pour légitimer cette espèce de « fable » poussive sur l’égoïsme…

Les acteurs en font des tonnes mais cela fait partie de la démonstration, ce qui n’en est pas moins fatigant : Mifune cabotine, la geisha est hystérique, le mari méprise, les conteurs font les gros yeux et s’interrogent. Rien à faire, on ne peut adhérer à tout cela même si on reconnaît les qualités de mise en scène mais aussi le ridicule des « duels » (pour mieux montrer la peur au combat, sans doute) qui tournent aux pantomimes désordonnés… A force de se fixer sur les intentions toujours aussi démonstratives, le film tombe donc régulièrement dans la caricature.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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