Parents' Guide to

Rashomon

By David Gurney, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Intense Kurosawa masterpiece about a rape and killing.

Movie NR 1951 88 minutes
Rashomon Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 15+

A fantastic film of light and truth

A gorgeous film...the light, the shadow, the score, the perspectives, the maniacal laughter. It seems everyone has taken big chunks from this script and filming style. This film is about the ambiguity of truth and the motivations of our narratives and how we are all fallible. I mean he even makes the medium seem credible. There are many voices and a lot of light through leaves and it all comes together in the shape of a baby that is somehow hope for the future of mankind...or maybe not, perhaps if it would have been a bit more overcast instead of sunny...
age 11+

Maybe the Greatest Film of All Time

This movie is simply AMAZING! It is appropriate for almost all ages, but I don't think kids under eleven will appreciate it. This movie is though provoking, entertaining, and extremely intriguing. I highly recommend it.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (2):

Rashomon was the film that brought Akira Kurosawa, and many would say Japanese cinema, to international renown, and 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.

That said, the themes here are very mature, so it's best to share with teens who are mature enough to handle the material.

Movie Details

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