Rashomon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rashomon is a 1950 drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshirō Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Takashi Shimura. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
Rashomon (Japanese: 羅生門, Hepburn: Rashōmon) is a 1950 Japanese jidaigeki (period drama) psychological thriller film directed by Akira Kurosawa from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shinobu Hashimoto. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura, it follows various people who describe how a samurai was murdered in a forest. The plot and characters are based upon Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's short story "In a Grove", with the title and framing story taken from Akutagawa's "Rashōmon". Every element is largely identical, from the murdered samurai speaking through a Shinto psychic to the bandit in the forest, the monk, the assault of the wife, and the dishonest retelling of the events in which everyone shows their ideal self by lying.
Production
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto and Akira Kurosawa, the film was produced by Daiei Film. Fumio Hayasaka composed the score. Kazuo Miyagawa handled the cinematography. The film runs 88 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $250,000, Rashomon grossed $117,668 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
The film's influence spread across the century; its narrative and tone echo in much later cinema.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
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