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Film: Rashomon
Year of production: 1950
UK Release date: 13th October 2008
Distributor: Optimum
Certificate: 12
Running time: 88 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese
Review by: Colin-John Gardner
The amalgamation of two of prominent writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s short stories, Rashomon is perhaps the greatest and most influential piece of work by the grand doyen of Japanese filmmaking Akira Kurosawa. The film was an international triumph, and helped usher Japanese cinema onto western audiences, as well as gaining Kurosawa worldwide recognition.
Rashomon opens during a heavy storm at the forbidding and damaged remnants of Rashomon Gate in 11th century Japan. As the rain pounds away, a priest (Minoru Chiaki) and a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura) sit in utter distress, pondering the horrors they have just witnessed. Soon enough, a commoner (Kichijiro Ueda), running into the ruins for cover from the violent conditions, approaches the men and queries them on their troubles. The woodcutter divulges that he had recently found the body of samurai (Masayuki Mori) who was supposedly murdered by a bandit (Toshiro Mifune), and that he and the priest had just returned from the murder trial in relation to it.
The film then cuts to the inquest, where the bandit Tajomaru recites his version of the events leading up to the samurai’s death through a subjective flashback. Following his testimony, the wife of the murdered samurai (Machiko Kyo), as well as the samurai himself, albeit through the use of a medium, deliver their accounts of the story to the court, again shown through biased flashbacks. Each story presented is exceedingly different except for the rather decisive point of the person in question admitting to committing the murder, or in the case of the samurai, committing suicide.
However, despite admitting to ultimately being responsible for the crime, each character has a somewhat explicit reason for wanting to deceive the court. After the testimonies are heard, the story cuts back to Rashomon Gate, where the ostensibly objective woodcutter gives his versions of the events. However, even his truth may be apocryphal…
The idea of subjectivity is the most important facet of Rashomon. As each version of the tale is told, the viewer is presented with the character’s skewed truth in the form of a flashback. In the context of the time, this was a truly remarkable and astonishingly original innovation to put into a film, as questioning the verisimilitude of a scene would be thought of as unimportant or utterly superfluous. In essence, Rashomon showed that the camera was not inerrant, and that it too could present a falsehood or be the victim of circumstance. The film’s main purpose, then, is to question the veracity of statements as it furiously dissects the nature of communication.
The acting performances within the film are, at times, somewhat extraordinary. During the flashback scenes, the performers play their characters in a rather eccentric way and their behaviour is often analogous to that of silent film acting. The idiosyncratic touching and perpetual frenzied gaze of the bandit Tajomaru, as well as the animated movements and outlandish howls of laughter by the wife of the samurai, are just some of the examples of the radical facial movements and exaggerated gestures employed in the performances within the film. This makes Rashomon beautifully expressive and is a testament to Kurosawa’s direction.
Despite not being one of Kurosawa’s most extravagant films in its appearance, the film still possesses some striking cinematography, as well as exotic locations and mise-en-scène. Kazuo Miyagawa, the film’s cinematographer, is one of the chief reasons for this. Some of the shots used in the film are truly wonderful; the desolate ruins of Rashomon Gate being pounded by the power of the rain at the beginning of the film is a specific example that creates an immediate atmosphere of intrigue. One of the most unforgettable aspects of the film is the woodcutter’s walk through the jungle in the first flashback. Here, Miyagawa points the camera into the sky as the woodcutter moves. The sun, shining through shrubbery and high trees above, is a marvellous aesthetic thrill that stands to be the most memorable sequence in the film for its subtle beauty.
Despite moderate domestic success at the time, the film was never seen as anything close to a revelation until it was shown overseas. Winning the 1951 Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival cemented its critical achievements as it was the first non-European film to win the award. Rashomon also paved the way for western audiences to experience Japanese films and allowed Kurosawa the freedom to create more influential pieces of work in the future as well as giving the auteur international prominence.
Technically proficient and beautiful in its aesthetics, as well as intelligent and profound in its story, Rashomon is genuinely a cinema classic and is Akira Kurosawa’s magnum opus. Showcasing a narrative style that would go on to influence cinema to the point of being to some extent common, Kurosawa’s film asks a universal question to which we are challenged to query the very nature of the truth. CJG
Film: Seven Samurai
Release date: 22nd November 2009
Certificate: PG
Running time: 207 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Studio: BFI
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
One of the most influential films ever made, this towering masterpiece has been remade numerous times, and its grand sense of adventure has been endlessly copied by Western filmmakers. Its enduring popularity is thanks in no small part to Akira Kurosawa’s masterful direction and a wonderful ensemble cast, including Kurosawa muse Toshiro Mifune.
After discovering that a group of bandits will attack them when the rice harvest is ready, a poor mountain village resolves to stop them at all cost. Too weak and scared to take on the bandits themselves, village elder Gisaku suggests they hire samurai to do the job for them.
Hiring a group of samurai that are willing to work with only food as payment is difficult, but eventually the villagers assemble seven warriors to help them. After rescuing a child without taking payment, a ronin named Kambei becomes the first recruit, along with his young follower Katsushiro. They are later joined by Katayama, Shichiroji, Gorobai, Heihachi, Kyuzo and Kikuchiyo, a false samurai who proves himself worthy of a place in the group.
Initially met with fear and skepticism, the samurai soon earn the respect of the village. They set about building defences and training the villagers in preparation for a climactic battle with the marauding bandits…
Seminal is a term used far too often in critical journalism. Its use suggesting that the majority of industry output stems from some other grand, influential work. The films of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa, however, can truly be described as seminal - the legacy of his films stretching far and wide in cinema, an influence that has lasted for decades. Seven Samurai is perhaps his most enduring classic, with its universal story and clutch of successful remakes (The Magnificent Seven, A Bugs Life), it has managed to remain fresh in the collective conscious for over fifty years.
The progenitor of countless adventures featuring a ragtag bunch of heroes defending the innocent from evil doers, the story is beautifully simplistic, yet rife with moral complexity. The villagers are initially victims, pushed to their very limits by the prospect of exploitation at the hands of the bandits. Yet when the samurai arrive to help, their initial reaction is mistrust and resentment. Later, a heartfelt speech from Kikuchio reveals the true nature of both himself and the seemingly frightened farmers.
The film is full of dark moments that serve to offset the lighter tone of the story. Moments of levity, like the youngest samurai’s affair with one of the villagers, are in close proximity to darker scenes like an elderly villager wreaking brutal vengeance on a captured bandit.
The cast is superb throughout, particularly the samurai, who are all given vignettes of exposition and moments to shine. Standouts include group leader Kambei and the stoic swordsmen Kyuzo (it’s a testament to the 1960 remake that Yul Brynner and James Coburn excelled in the same roles).
The star of the film, of course, is Toshiro Mifune, who gives an outstanding performance as Kikuchiyo. The film was his seventh collaboration with Kurosawa, and their close creative relationship shines through. Mifune is given free reign, and as a result, Kikuchiyo is all childish excitement and animalistic rage; the film’s comic relief and its beating heart (his outburst about the true nature of farmers is a master class in emotional range).
Kurosawa’s masterful direction cannot be forgotten, however, and Seven Samurai presents the maverick director at the peak of his powers. The film’s final act is a tour de force, and was, in its time, the epitome of spectacle. A series of pitched battles culminating in a climactic, rain drenched last stand in which the samurai defeat the bandits at grave cost to themselves. The finale became the blueprint for every decisive cinematic battle that would follow, yet few would attempt to copy its bittersweet conclusion. The victory against the bandits leaves the villagers prosperous, and all but three of the samurai dead (one of which, Katsushiro, leaves the group to be with the woman he loves). It’s a bold conclusion that deftly mixes elation with tragedy.
A high point in a long line of Kurosawa masterpieces, Seven Samurai is an historic work that anyone who has even a passing fondness of film should seek out. In many ways a proto-blockbuster, its far reaching influence on modern spectacle cinema cannot be ignored. KT
Film: Throne Of Blood
Release date: 22nd October 2001
Certificate: PG
Running time: 105 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Akira Kubo
Genre: Action/Drama/Fantasy/War
Studio: BFI
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Legendary Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa’s first attempt at adapting a Shakespearean play into the setting of Feudal Japan, Throne Of Blood sees Macbeth retold with haunting visuals, complete with samurai, geishas and ghosts.
Macbeth is undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s most enduring and classic plays. The eponymous character, a nobleman, is driven by a vision of three witches that prophesy his rise to power to murder his king and claim the throne. Supported by his scheming and persuasive wife, the two enjoy their newfound status until their guilty consciences drive them to madness, which only worsens when men loyal to the king seek to supplant Macbeth’s rule and obtain revenge for the death of their true king.
Transferring the original Scottish setting to Japan, Kurosawa perfectly adapts the story to suit the different culture, and only omits a few characters from Shakespeare’s original. Macbeth is now a samurai named Washizu (Toshiro Mifune), who murders Lord Tzuzuki (Hiroshi Tachikawa) in order to claim his position. Haunted by the ghost of his friend, Washizu and his wife (Isuzu Yamada) succumb to insanity and desperately struggle to defend Spider’s Web Castle, on the slopes of Mount Fuji, from an attacking force.
Within the historical storyline, there also dwells a strong supernatural element. Alongside the figure of ‘Banquo’s’ ghost, Shakespeare’s three witches on the heath now become spectral samurai, and a wizened old forest spirit that predicts the future to Washizu.
Although made in 1957, seeing Throne Of Blood today remains a refreshing experience. Most adaptations of Shakespeare are content with either placing the action in its original period or in contemporary times. The setting of Feudal Japan creates striking visuals that breathes new life into the story, and creates interest out of the different social relationships between characters. However, the film does somewhat suffer from its change into Japanese, as the complexities and beauty of Shakespeare’s language are lost in translation.
This doesn’t distract from the experience of viewing the film. The story itself is strong enough to survive regardless, and the characterisations are wonderful. Isuzu Yamada, playing the role of Lady Macbeth (Asaji), is excellent, although she is ultimately overshadowed by Toshiro Mifune, who delivers another spectacular performance as the central character. He encapsulates all the emotions and conflict that the character experiences, and brings to Washizu’s mental breakdown a terrific physicality, similar to his performances in Rashomon and Seven Samurai. His lively portrayal brings energy and even humour to scenes where the nightmarish visuals and bleak setting could become overwhelming.
The film has an almost dream-like quality, owing to the sometimes excessive use of mist and fog to create a portentous atmosphere. Spider’s Web Castle, where most of the action takes place, is usually revealed to us through a thick swirl of mist, as is the nearby forest where Washizu encounters the ‘witches’. Throne Of Blood overflows with incredible and memorable visuals, in particular the climax where Washizu is hounded to oblivion by hails of arrows, which while rather over-the-top, nonetheless makes for an exciting and iconic piece of cinema.
However, for all the film’s visual liveliness, there also remains a suitably theatrical feel to the direction, where the composition and action in scenes feels like it could be being performed on stage. Possibly inspired by Japanese Kabuki theatre, a number of quieter scenes, where characterisations are focused on are related in a beautiful and subtle manner, and unlike the epic Ran, Kurosawa’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, Throne Of Blood retains a personal and intimate feel that adds significant dramatic weight to the two central characters. The running time is also notably shorter than Ran and Seven Samurai, making Throne Of Blood a more direct example of Kurosawa’s filmmaking style, and making the perfect introduction for someone unfamiliar with his work.
Excellent performances and stunning visuals make Throne Of Blood one of Kurosawa’s most memorable and exciting works. It may not rank quite as high as his influential masterpieces, such as Seven Samurai and Rashomon, but it remains a wonderful example of his directorial style. A hugely enjoyable viewing experience. CD
