Rashomon facts for kids
Rashomon (羅生門, Rashōmon) is a famous Japanese movie made in 1950. It was directed by Akira Kurosawa, who is a very well-known filmmaker.
The story of Rashomon is based on two short stories written by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.
This movie is famous for a special way it tells its story. Different characters tell their own versions of the same event, and these stories often don't match up! This idea is so well-known that there's even something called the Rashomon effect. It means when different people remember the same event in very different ways.
Rashomon was the first Japanese film to become popular all around the world. It won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1951. It also received an Academy Honorary Award at the 24th Academy Awards in 1952. Many people think it is one of the greatest movies ever made.
Contents
How the Movie Was Made
The director, Akira Kurosawa, had a special way of filming. He often used several cameras at the same time to shoot one scene. This helped him choose the best parts later when editing.
Stanley Kauffmann, a writer, said that Kurosawa could "cut the film freely" and put together the parts that showed the action strongly. Even though he used many short shots, the movie flows smoothly. Donald Richie, another writer, noted that Rashomon has more than 400 separate shots. This is a lot more than most movies, but you barely notice them!
Movie Music
The music for Rashomon was created by Fumio Hayasaka. He is one of Japan's most respected music composers for films. The director asked him to include a bolero in the movie. A bolero is a type of Spanish dance music.
Movies Like Rashomon
The unique idea of Rashomon has inspired many other films.
For example, the 1964 movie The Outrage was a remake of Rashomon. Akira Kurosawa was even given credit for the story. Other movies that use a similar idea of different viewpoints include:
- Hero (2002)
- Vantage Point (2008)
- Courage Under Fire (1996)
- Basic (2003)
Main Characters
_Press_Photo_of_Toshiro_Mifune_and_Daisuke_Kato.jpg)
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played in Rashomon:
- Takashi Shimura as Kikori, who is the Woodcutter
- Minoru Chiaki as Tabi Hōshi, who is the Priest
- Kichijiro Ueda as The Commoner
- Toshiro Mifune as Tajōmaru, who is the Bandit
- Machiko Kyō as The Wife
- Masayuki Mori as The Samurai
- Noriko Honma as Miko, who is the Medium (someone who talks to spirits)
- Daisuke Katō as Houben, who is the Policeman
Awards and Honors
Rashomon won many important awards and was recognized as a great film.
- Blue Ribbon Awards (1951) – Best Screenplay for Akira Kurosawa and Shinobu Hashimoto
- Mainichi Film Concours (1951) – Best Actress for Machiko Kyō
- Venice Film Festival (1951) – Golden Lion for Akira Kurosawa
- National Board of Review USA (1951) – Best Director for Akira Kurosawa and Best Foreign Film for Japan
- 24th Academy Awards, USA (1952) – Honorary Award for being the "most outstanding foreign language film"
The movie also appeared on many lists of the best films ever made by critics and directors. For example, it was ranked:
- 5th on Kinema Junpo's top ten list in 1950.
- 10th on Sight & Sound's Directors' Top Ten Poll in 1992.
- 10th on The Village Voice's 100 Greatest Films list in 2000.
- 9th on Sight & Sound's Directors' Top Ten Poll in 2002.
- 13th on Sight & Sound's Critics' poll in 2002.
- 7th on Kinema Junpo's The Greatest Japanese Films of All Time in 2009.
- 22nd on Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.
- 26th on Sight & Sound magazine's Critics top ten poll in 2012.
- 18th on Sight & Sound magazine's Director's top ten poll in 2012.
- 4th on BBC's list of "100 greatest foreign language films" in 2018.
Woody Allen, a famous director, also included Rashomon among his top ten favorite films.
Related Pages
See also
In Spanish: Rashōmon (película) para niños
