Rashomon (1950) Rashomon
A 1950 Japanese period film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura. The film presents four contradictory accounts of a murder and rape in a forest, told through the testimony of a bandit, the victim's wife, the murdered samurai (through a medium), and a woodcutter who witnessed the crime. Its 1951 Golden Lion win at Venice introduced both Kurosawa and Japanese cinema to Western audiences, and the term "Rashomon effect" entered common usage to describe contradictory eyewitness accounts of the same event.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Director | Akira Kurosawa |
| Writers | Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto (based on stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa) |
| Stars | Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura |
| Composer | Fumio Hayasaka |
| Cinematographer | Kazuo Miyagawa |
| Production Company | Daiei Film |
| Distributor | Daiei Film (Japan), RKO Radio Pictures (US) |
| Release Date | August 25, 1950 (Japan) |
| Running Time | 88 minutes |
Key Pages
Story & Structure
Cast & Performances
- Cast and Characters (Rashomon)
- Toshiro Mifune (Rashomon)
- Machiko Kyo (Rashomon)
- Takashi Shimura (Rashomon)
Production & Craft
- Production History (Rashomon)
- Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon)
- Kazuo Miyagawa (Rashomon)
- Fumio Hayasaka (Rashomon)
Key Sequences
- The Rashomon Gate
- The Wife's Testimony (Rashomon)
- The Forest Duel (Rashomon)
- The Baby and the Ending (Rashomon)
Analysis & Context
- Themes and Analysis (Rashomon)
- The Rashomon Effect
- The Forest as Visual Language (Rashomon)
- Kurosawa and Post-War Japan
- The Source Stories (Rashomon)
- Critical Reception and Legacy (Rashomon)