Rashomon
Dir. by Akira Kurosawa
1950. 88 min. 35 mm. B&W.

In Japanese, with English subtitles.

Brimming with action, while examining the validity of justice and the elusive nature of “truth,” Rashomon not only demonstrates the highest achievement of cinematic art but also a philosophical quest. Set in the 12th century, the film centers around four contradictory perspectives of one incident—the rape of an aristocratic woman and the murder of her husband. Through ingenious camera use and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as each individual recounts their versions of the truth.

Recipient of the Grand Prix of the Venice International Film Festival and Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film, this eloquent masterwork revolutionized film language and is credited as introducing Japanese cinema to the world.

Print courtesy of Janus Films.

Part of the series Of Ghosts, Samurai and War: A Series of Classic Japanese Film, held in conjunction with the exhibition Kamakura: Realism and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan, on view at Asia Society Museum from February 9 to May 8, 2016.