The Truthfulness of the Cinematic Image Part II: Rashomon

Compared to A Moment of Innocence, Rashomon is a relatively straight-forward film. It manages to question the truth without ever evoking any reality outside the world of the film. It takes place in a purely fictional scenario. The film starts during a rainy day in the Rashomon gate where a woodcutter, a priest, and a commoner meet to discuss a recent murder. As I stressed in Part I, this is the level at which most films exist, and should be seen as true, within the context of the story. The woodcutter and the priest begin to tell the three stories they both heard earlier in court from the witnesses of the murder. As of this point in the film, the audience has no reason to mistrust what they see, since both the woodcutter and the priest agree at least about what they heard in court. Then, the film shows the versions of events from the points of view of those involved. 

Akira Kurosawa, the director, was smart enough to understand that each flashback is subjective. The different characters are like the directors of their own flashbacks, the films within the film. In a masterful move, Kurosawa  is able to explore each character’s values and fears by examining their version of events. The bandit claims he killed the samurai in glorious battle. He values his strength, and his might in battle. His story features the most elegant and spectacular stunts and fights of all the film. The wife claims she killed her husband because he was unable to protect her. Afraid to be rejected as “spoiled goods,” she killed her husband ironically to keep her virtue. The Samurai claims he committed suicide, since he was powerless to defend his wife. In his version, no one defeats  him, and he gets to keep his honor, which is crucial for a samurai. 

The film does not end there, however. The woodcutter, notices the bandit, left out one story: his own. In the woodcutter’s final version, the bandit begs the samurai’s wife to marry him, the wife betrays her husband, then frees him and sets the two men against each other until they fight like animals, and the bandit is able to kill the samurai by pure luck. 

Some might say this version shows the truth, since the woodcutter has no incentive to lie. However, the woodcutter’s story merely reflects the his current mistrust of humanity by showing all human beings as corrupt and selfish. Kurosawa never reveals what actually happened, but he did show the truth of the personalities of his characters. Even though no one tells the story how it really happened, they all tell the story how they wished, or maybe truly believe, it happened thus giving the audience invaluable insight into the truth about themselves. Kurosawa was not interested in letting the audience know the objective truth. Instead, his goal was to show how human beings warp the truth for their own selfish benefits. 


Even though Rashomon may make audiences question the objective truth and the selfish nature of humanity, it is still a film by Akira Kurosawa, a very optimistic human being. He finds a way to end the film in an hopeful note, thus injecting the film with his positive vision of the world. By the end of the film, the priest finds a baby, which the woodcutter wants to take. At first, the priest is reluctant to give up the innocent baby because he knows the woodcutter lied about what he saw, and he has lost faith in humanity. However, the woodcutter tells him that he has a large family, and can take care of another baby. It is implied that he stole a dagger from the crime scene to support his family. The priest becomes more sympathetic towards him and hands him the baby saying, “thanks to you, I think I can keep my faith in man.” Then, as the woodcutter leaves the Rashomon gate with his baby, the sun comes out in sharp contrast to the pouring rain that pervaded the film, signaling for a better future to come for the woodcutter, the priest and the newborn child.

Verdict 4/4 
Rashomon (1950) 1h 28min

Random Thought
- Rashomon was the first film to shoot directly at the sun.

Roger Deakins

He was born in Devon, England 1949. He studied at the National Film and Television School of England. He has been nominated for 10 Oscars, as well as 11 American Society of Cinematographers Awards, winning 3. He is the greatest living photographer in the world. His name is Roger Deakins. Here are just a few of his memorable pictures.

Skyfall (2012)

In Time (2011)

True Grit (2010)

The Company Men (2010)

Revolutionary Road (2008)

Doubt (2008)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

The Assassination of Jesse James (2007)

House of Sand and Fog (2003)

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000)

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Fargo (1996)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Oscar Predictions

Best Picture 

Amour 

Argo

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Life of Pie

Lincoln 

Les Miserables 

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty 

Should Win- Zero Dark Thirty: I've seen it twice now, and I don't think any new movie this year will match it ( but I hope I'm wrong!). It is chilling to watch Jessica Chastain's Maya slowly harden at the sight of war and torture, only to break down at the last second. The final shot of the film is breathtaking, and reason enough for this film to deserve its nomination. 

Will Win- Argo: It's a fun movie. I won't be angry if it wins, but it does not deserve it. Lincoln is the other top contender. The Academy does love a great historical biopic (see The King's Speech) and Lincoln is among the best. However, if there's one thing that it loves more, then that would be a great movie about movies (The Artist, for example). 

Best Director 

Michael Haneke (Amour)

Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Ang Lee (Life of Pi)

Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

Should Win- Steven Spielberg: I once asked my film professor what exactly he meant by "classical Hollywood style." He pointed me towards the films Steven Spielberg, and said, "that." Every shot has meaning, and advances the story. Every cut is motivated. You see exactly what is necessary to tell the story (nothing more, nothing less), exactly what Spielberg wants you to see. Spielberg made two more crucial choices. First, he personally convinced Daniel Day Lewis to play the beloved 16th president. Second, he narrowed his story down to the final months of the Civil War and Lincoln's life. Within this time period he found the compelling story of the ratification of the 13th Amendment. The result is a lean and focused 2:30 hour masterpiece. 

Will Win- Steven Spielberg: The Academy loves him, and it's been a while since he won for Saving Private Ryan. 

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)

Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)

Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)

Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

Denzel Washington (Flight)

Should Win- Bradley Cooper: Mercurial. The role of Pat Solitano would have been disastrous in the hands of the wrong actor. Instead, its miraculous. My favorite scene involves Hemingway. If you haven't seen the film, go watch it right now. If you have, then you know what scene I'm talking about and will most likely never forget it. 

Will Win- Daniel Day Lewis: He gives some really impressive monologues, which are sure to get him the award. But what really impacted me about his performance was how he managed to make Lincoln seem so frail and vulnerable. Its scary to think that even Lincoln was just a guy from Kentucky. He had very real, very human flaws and DDL brings them out. 

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Should Win- Jessica Chastain: I still think she should have won for The Tree of Life last year. It is the greatest film of all time, and there is no excuse for it. She wasn't even nominated!! But I guess her work in Zero Dark Thirty is still much better than in The Help, for which she was nominated. As I said, it's all in the final shot. 

Will Win- Jennifer Lawrence: I had previously guessed Emmanuelle Riva would win, but it seems unlikely that a foreign actor or actress would win the award. Lawrence already won the Golden Globe, and her work in Silver Linings Playbook is phenomenal. It's incredibly fun simply to watch her and Bradely Cooper throw zingers back and forth with no filter to their thoughts or emotions. But, the performances are complementary. It would be a shame to see her win and to see Cooper going home empty handed. 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Alan Arkin (Argo)

Robert De Niro ( Silver Linings Playbook)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Honorary Mention- John Goodman: He is one of the most criminally underrated actors of all time (after Tim Roth, of course). He has never been nominated for an Oscar. This year he appeared in Trouble with the Curve, Argo, and Flight. In the last two, he gave performances that were as good as any on this list. His best was in Flight, where he plays Denzel Washington's friend/drug dealer. Comic brilliance. 

Should Win- Robert De Niro: Here, De Niro plays a controlling man with OCD and an addiction to gambling and football. On the surface, he is extremely unsympathetic. But De Niro unearths a caring father and protective husband. It's wonderful to see him in such great shape even 40 years after Mean Streets. 

Will Win- Tommy Lee Jones: Again, the Academy adores grandiloquent speech. However, Jones' best scene comes at the end of the film, after all the speechifying, as he shares a quiet, loving moment with his wife. 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams (The Master)

Sally Field (Lincoln)

Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

Should Win- Amy Adams: She made The Master bearable. That alone deserves glory, praises, and a trophy on top. Icy and unyielding are the words that come to mind in describing her character. Adams plays Peggy, the wife of Lancaster Dodd, the man who begins and heads  a Scientology-like cult. Dodd is sham. The film exposes him, and his false beliefs. It is implied, however, that she is the mastermind behind the cult. She is shrouded in mystery which the film does not try to solve. It is frightening. 

Should NOT Win (but will win anyway)- Anne Hathaway: The more I think about it, the more I despise her performance. No, the performance is fine. Its the director I can't stand. Tom Hooper made Anne Hathaway get into a coffin and sing about the horrible life she is living while she is being violated. All of this he filmed in one, suffocating long take/closeup. Creepy. All it needed was a little distance. I did not need to be crammed in the coffin with her. Its a shame, because Anne Hathaway is extremely talented and deserved better.

Random Thoughts

- I might expand this post but for now, here's some others I think should win.

Best Animated Film- Brave should win, Wreck it Ralph will win. 

Best Cinematography- Skyfall should win, Life of Pi will win. 

Best Film Editing- Zero Dark Thirty should win, Argo will win. 

Best Score- Lincoln (John Williams) should win, Life of Pi will win. 

Best Song- Skyfall (Adele Adkins) same thing goes for Adele. 

Best Special Effects-The Avengers should win, Life of Pi will win 

Best Adapted Screenplay- Silver Linings Playbook should win and could win, but it's too close to call between it and Lincoln.  

Best Original Screenplay- Moonrise Kingdom should win, Amour will win.
Best Documentary- should and will win Searching for Sugar Man