Rashomon

561 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literature in medieval times in Japan

Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon is more than a story of murder. It is a story about man’s quest of truth amid stories of lies. The investigation for truth, reality and justice is the central focus of the film. By giving conflicting stories of a specific event, it challenges the objectivity and reliability of human perception. Set in Medieval Japan, the film tells the story of a samurai’s death with symbolisms and allusions to man’s quest for justice. Moreover, it also discusses in context the different lies that men do and their motive for it. The story is simple. A samurai and his wife were travelling in the forest when they encounter a bandit called Tajomaru. In the process, the samurai was dead. Just like the woodcutter, the priest, and the peasant

Show More
Related

  • Loss of Innocence in A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hungry for some food, the boys return to Mattru Jong again. However, they were ambushed by three rebels and Ishmael and Junior were chosen to be killed in line. Gunshots were heard from the village and ... ... middle of paper ... ... r family or to strangers.

    Read More

  • Comparing Poems Salome, Hitcher, On My First Sonne and The Man He Killed

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Man He Killed is about a man who talks of the experience he had of

    Read More

  • Samurai

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    Musui’s Story is the exciting tale of a low class samurai’s life towards the end of the Tokugawa era. Although one would normally imagine a samurai to be a noble illustrious figure, Musui’s Story portrays the rather ignominious life of an unemployed samurai. Nonetheless, this primary account demonstrates the tenacity of samurai values and privileges present at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. The social status of samurai had been elevated to such a state that even someone like Musui was easily able to gain influence in everyday affairs with his privileges. Not only that, but he had retained his values as a warrior and still kept great pride for his arts in weaponry.

    Read More

  • Japanese Katana

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...h their swords. […] All lived by a code that valued death over defeat. They were the samurai, the elite warrior class who ruled Japan for nearly 700 years, leaving an indelible mark on a land [Japan][…].” (O’Neill 101) This quote taken from a National Geographic publication is one of many others that speak of the tenacity of the samurai. Noble and aggressive, the samurai wield their swords with killing intent, confident that a simple strike from their blades can cause certain death to their foes. This was the primary reason the Katana is made in such a way. It is to create a weapon of absolute destruction. An implement comprising of aspects that symbolize elegance and devastation, the Katana not only is the finest weapon ever made, it is also a beautiful work of art (Yumoto n.p.).

    Read More

  • Influence of the Samurai on Modern Japanese Society

    1723 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.

    Read More

  • Seven Samurai

    347 Words  | 1 Pages

    This film had spectacular performances from the actors, especially Takashi Shimura, who plays Kanbei. Kanbei is a seasoned samurai and he was first chosen by the elders of the village. Toshiro Mifune’s plays Kikuchiyo who is an abrasive samurai who bridges the gap between the warriors and the people who live in the village.

    Read More

  • In A Bamboo Grove Summary

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    Several testimonies are shown and tell their side of the story as they see it. One is a woodcutter that just wandered to where the body of the dead samurai is and he likely called the authorities. The next is a wandering cleric who noticed a well-armed man and a woman who would not show her face, both were on horseback. Then the testimony of a police officer that arrested a well-known bandit who is a suspect with the previous murder and abduction. The police officer notes that the bandit was well-armed and had a horse matching the description of the horse owned by the samurai victim, but, where is the samurai’s wife?

    Read More

  • A Place Called Chiapas

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a viewer, the documentary’s intention to inform is more completely fulfilled by research conducted beyond the scope of the camera lens. Had I never written this paper, for instance, the reason for all the violence embedded within the subject matter would remain as enigmatic as the documentary itself.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Red Sorghum

    4035 Words  | 9 Pages

    ...vineyard. The workers revolt against the Japanese, and after their uprising is crushed, the Japanese order two of the local people skinned alive in front of the others. This sequence, shocking in its detail, is a dramatic change from the fable that went before.

    Read More

  • History of Samurai

    2853 Words  | 6 Pages

    The term samurai was first used in the 10th century and means “those who serve”. In the beginning it stood for men who guarded the capital for the Emperor, some where used as tax collectors. Later the word grew to include any military man who served a powerful landlord, almost like a police force for that time. They would go around the countryside on horseback collecting taxes from the peasants, often this was in the form of rice. This money helped the Emperor pay for his lavish life style. The word, samurai, quickly spread and was respected (and maybe feared a little) for the men it represented.

    Read More

  • Crime, Revenge and Morality in "Killings"

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story of “Killings” by Andre Dubus looked into the themes of crime, revenge and morality. The crime committed in the story depicted the father’s love for his son and the desire to avenge his son’s death. However, his own crime led to his own destruction as he was faced with questions of morality. The character found himself in a difficult position after taking his revenge. He failed to anticipate the guilt associated with the crime he committed. Feelings of anger and righteousness are illustrated by the character throughout the story.

    Read More

  • Kamakura Period Research Paper

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    The samurai had existed in modern time for a while before changing. In 1853 the United States came to Japan seeking trade and commercial relationships. It was decided that Japan was ready to give up its old ways and the era of feudal Japan ended in 1868 and the samurai along with it.

    Read More

  • The Cask Of Amontillado Essay

    1348 Words  | 3 Pages

    To the character and to the author, it seems that ghastly nature murder and the immoral approach of treachery is merely an element of reality. This story is a true representation of author’s anguish and torment nature.

    Read More

  • An Analysis on Hagakure

    2088 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Hagakure, a great emphasis is placed on the samurai's approach towards death. The relationship between death and the samurai can not be understated. Death is inevitable, and an honorable death is the most desirable thing a samurai could hope for. The samurai should live his life as though his body is already dead, and through this "he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling". If a samurai lives his life as though his body is already dead, he will have not have to worry about actually dying. Once you have conquered death, the most inevitable and unconquerable part of existence, then you can conquer anything. If a samurai can conquer this most fundamental thing, then he will be successful in reaching his goal. Death is all-encompassing in samurai philosophy, and by understanding this we can make comparisons between the samurai and another important denomination in Japan at the time, the Buddhists.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Rashomon

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    The films of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa have had wide ranging influence over contemporary films, with his ronin films Seven Samurai and Yojimbo influencing countless westerns and mob movies. Arguably, however, Rashomon has been the most instrumental of all Kurosawa’s films because it asks a question that lies near the heart of all cinema: what is reality? Today, any consumer of television or cinema has seen various permutations of the plot of Rashomon numerous times, probably without realizing. In the film, a rape and consequent murder are told five different times, by a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura) who seems to have witnessed the event, a bandit (Toshiro Mifune) who committed the rape, the wife of a samurai (Machiko Kyo) who was raped, and the ghost of the samurai (Masayuki Mori), who is channeled by a medium after his murder. In each telling, the viewer is presented with five realities that, through the use of various frame stories, are totally incompatible with one another. Throughout, Rashomon is a study in simplicity. The beautiful yet frugal cinematography of Kazuo Miyagawa and the minimalist plot, skillfully directed by Kurosawa, force the viewer to contend with two dissonant notions: that everything they have seen is real, but that none of it can be true.

    Read More

More about Rashomon

Open Document