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Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa Collection)
Akira Kurosawa nails it once again with Rashomon, a
movie he filmed back in 1950 that clearly has influenced modern day
directors with his distinct storytelling style. Most notably Quentin
Tarantinos style of the multiple angle storyline with every player
seeing the action slightly differently.
In this case a woman has been raped and her husband
killed. As the story unfolds we see four examples of how different
perspectives can affect the way that we see the characters in a movie.
The thing that Akira challenges us to do is work out which version is
the right one. Great story angles with convincing acting make this
compelling viewing.
We are confronted with very different stories from
the bandit who did/didn’t rape the woman, the victim herself who claims
she killed her husband, a woodcutter who states that he saw the entire
thing, and even the spirit of the murdered man is called upon claiming
suicide.
Kurosawa’s mastery of the camera and storytelling
comes to the fore when you watch the different angles. Of particular
note is the sword play that differs greatly depending upon who is
telling the story. We see precision swordsmanship all the way through to
amateurish clumsy blows being traded.
The quality of the video on this flick is excellent
considering the age and Akira’s knowledge of the camera and working with
shadow make it a great watch. Of special interest is the making of
Rashomon featuring interviews with the original cast and crew. We also
have a plethora of other features that will delight fans as they’ve gone
to some real effort to bring you as much information about the movie and
the people behind the camera as possible.
I highly recommend this feature and would
also willingly point you in the direction of the other Kurosawa
releases. To learn more about the director himself, there is also a
documentary available from Madman. |
