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Features: DVD
Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Akira Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife. Toshiro Mifune gives another commanding performance in the eloquent masterwork that revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to the world.
"Indescribably vivid..." Halliwell's Film Guide
"...superlative study of truth and human nature." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"Fine performances...visually beautiful and rhythmic" VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
Editor's Note
Akira Kurosawa's highly acclaimed film, set in feudal Japan, presents an intriguing tale of violent crime in the woods, told from the perspective of four different characters--a bandit (Toshirô Mifune), a woman (Machiko Kyô), her husband (Masayuki Mori), and a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura). Only two things about the incident seem to be clear--the woman was raped and her husband is now dead. However, the other elements radically differ as the four participants and/or witnesses relate their own stories (with the dead man, eerily enough, speaking through a medium). As each account is revealed, what seemed black and white turns to various hues of gray, leading to surprising--and confounding--relevations.A landmark of international cinema, RASHOMON won the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1951, bringing both Kurosawa--and Japanese film in general--to the attention of Western audiences. From the rain-soaked opening sequence to its moving conclusion, the film is a stunning examination of truth and human nature. The entire cast is pitch-perfect, with regular Kurosawa lead actors Mifune and Shimura giving typically outstanding performances. While critics and cinephiles debate over exactly how many masterpieces Kurosawa directed, RASHOMON stands as one of the revered filmmaker's indisputably brilliant motion pictures. In fact, the film's influence is so pervasive that it has inspired everything from a high profile Hollywood remake (THE OUTRAGE starring Paul Newman) to numerous tributes in movies such as COURAGE UNDER FIRE and THE USUAL SUSPECTS.
| Features | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access | | Kirosawa On Rashomon: Excerpt From His Book Something Like An Autobiography | | Theatrical Trailer | | Subtitles: English | | Video Introduction By Robert Altman | | Excerpts From "The World Of Kazuo Miyagawa" Documentary About Rashomon's Cinematographer | | Reprints Of Rashomon Source Stories, Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "In A Grove" and "Rashomon." | | Audio: Japanese Mono, Dubbed English | | New High Definition Transfer With Restored Image And Sound | | Commentary By Japanese Film Historian Donald Ritchie |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Home Vision/Public Media |
| Release Date: 3/19/2002 |
| Running Time: 88 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1950 | | Catalog ID: 040 | | UPC: 00037429161821 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: Japanese | | Available Audio Tracks: English Dubbed, Japanese | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: B&W |
Aspect Ratio | | 4:3 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1953) | | | Takashi Matsuyama, H. Motsumoto, Nominee, Best Black-And White Art Direction, Set Decoration | |
Venice Film Festival (1951) |  | Akira Kurosawa, Winner, Golden Lion |
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| | Professional Reviews | Sight and Sound
"...What really gives the film its impact is less the multi-layered narrative than the dynamic direction and powerhouse performance from Toshiro Mifune..." 01/01/2002 p.60Premiere
"A look at RASHOMON's exquisite visuals makes it apparent that Sergio Leone's westerns were inspired by more than just Akira Kurosawa's plots." 12/01/2003 p.C5 Empire
5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] taut study of the subjectivity of truth....RASHOMON's intricate moves have been borrowed by a legion of Hollywood imitators, from THE USUAL SUSPECTS to VANTAGE POINT." 10/01/2008 p.172 Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "Audiences were captivated by the lyrical beauty of Kurosawa's direction and the dynamic power of his editing, zipping the narrative along with hard-edged horizontal wipes." 11/01/2008 p.145 Chicago Sun-Times
"The wonder of RASHOMON is that while the shadowplay of truth and memory is going on, we are absorbed by what we trust is an unfolding story." 05/26/2002 James Berardinelli's ReelViews 10 of 10
...Today, nearly fifty years after it was made, Rashomon has lost none of its fascination or power... In every sense of the word, this is a true classic. It's hard to find a more rewarding way to spend ninety minutes.
TV Guide Online 10 of 10
One of the most brilliantly constructed films of all time, Rashomon is a monument to Akira Kurosawa's greatness, combining his well-known humanism with a narrative style that has become a hallmark of film history... Rashomon also contains some of the most amazing performances you are likely to find anywhere...
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