Rashomon (1950): 9/10
I revisit it once every few years and it never fails to impress. While many films have tackled reality vs. perception as a central theme since this shook the film world up, few have done it with such beguiling style. Kurosawa and cinematographer Miyagawa created nothing less than a technical masterpiece here, particularly with regards to the use of natural light (frequently cast onto the actors' faces with mirrors) and shadow. (Have you ever seen such a claustrophobic production that was actually filmed outdoors?) There's one lengthy take early in the film that's dizzying in its perfection, where a camera on a dolly rail tracks the progress of the woodcutter character through a thick forest. I had to diagram it out on paper to try and figure out how the shot was accomplished after the first time I saw the film--the newer Criterion DVD, which I picked up last year, has an interview with the cinematographer that spills the beans on exactly how it was accomplished. (I wonder if the beans are similarly spilled on the well shot on the Red Beard DVD? I shall have to investigate!) And, as always, no one films rain better than Kurosawa. Of course, there's also a great script and interesting characters to be found here, but as is the case with many older Japanese films, the overly theatrical and exaggerated acting methods employed by the actors (especially by Toshiro Mifune, who was still a few years away from reaching his tremendous potential) have not aged well, and can result in some confusion for modern audiences. That said, Mifune also pulls off some of his most memorable expressions and body language here--when he is still, the camera tends to rest on him longer than any of the other principals, and for good reason. It doesn't take much imagination to see how he gathered so many fan-girls during his life. Highly recommended.
. How is the image quality do it survive a 51" TV?
