 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Rashomon
- Review Date: October 25, 2005
- NR
- Genre: Drama
- 1951
Common Sense Media says
Masterpiece about absolute truth. Best for teens.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie is a psychologically and morally complex tale of a trial to determine who is at fault for a murder and possible rape. The rape is not depicted onscreen, but is discussed openly. The murder is rendered somewhat realistic, though without gratuitous bleeding or goriness.
What's the story?
In director Akira Kurosawa's RASHOMON, a man is murdered in the woods following the rape of his wife by a bandit. At the trial, the bandit, the wife, a medium channeling the murdered man, and a woodcutter who had been hiding in the woods all recount different versions of the story. The movie works to expose the near impossibility of finding absolute truth in the world, rather than condemn any one. At the end, the woodcutter acts to redeem himself, punctuating the narrative with a sense of hope.
Is it any good?
Rashomon was the film that brought Akira Kurosawa, and many would say Japanese cinema, to international renown. It's a true cinematic masterpiece. Kurosawa's direction is magnificent, structuring the film to clearly give each version of the story its own space while maintaining its connection with the other versions. Toshiro Mifune as the nearly spastic bandit is a pleasure to watch.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the potential fallibility of the legal system in relation to absolute truth. What factors do you think played a role in the credibility of one witness's account over another? Have you ever been in a situation when you heard two different accounts of the same event? Which version did you believe? Why? How was it resolved?
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AGE
An amazing movie...
I watched this movie on TCM one night, and all I can say is that it was incredible. If you are a teen or up, go watch this movie-- it comes highly reccommended.
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AGE
teens will (hopefully) enjoy while kids wont understand the message
THIS FILM HAS NO VIOLENCE. (on screen) it all takes place within the imagination. The main thing that makes it for 13 year olds, is that it has a lot of talking and the ideas that it spreads.
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AGE
Shocking treatment of rape victim by all concerned.
The major problem with this movie is the assumption, shared by all the characters, that a woman who is raped becomes defiled by this, that she is no longer worthy of being married, that her husband can reject her and that, really, she should do the decent thing and kill herself.
It might be best to go along prepared to discuss this afterwards, rather than the somewhat dated use of the unreliable narrator.
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AGE
The main flaw is director Akira Kurosawa's sentimentality. The philosophy behind the story would seem to be that all the characters are telling the truth, despite the unlikeliness of that, However, Kurosawa turns it into "everybody lies". Nice try, but it didn't fit in here. Otherwise this is really great. The only Kurosawa films I would place above it are Ikiru, Throne of Blood, and Ran.
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AGE
The movie came out in 1950, so they could not put anything very bad content-wise. There is talk of a rape that happened and some mild violence. Anyone 12 and over can handle it. Though they would probably be bored.
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| Studio: | New Line |
| Director: | Akira Kurosawa |
| Cast: | Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Toshiro Mifune |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 88 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 26, 1951 |
| DVD release date: | March 26, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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