Genres
Mystery drama
Rashomon (1951): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Rashomon is a 1951 mystery drama directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki and Masayuki Mori. It is partly based on Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and Jay Rubin. It runs 1 hour 28 minutes and earned $139,819 worldwide. It won 1 Oscar, including Honorary Foreign Language Film Award. Critics gave it 98 on Metacritic.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 28m (88 min)
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- Daiei Motion Picture Company
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Rashomon About?
The premise of Rashomon without spoilers, adapted from Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and Jay Rubin. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A samurai's murder in feudal Japan is recounted through four conflicting accounts—the victim's ghost, the samurai's wife, a bandit, and the samurai himself. Each version of events offers a different motive and perspective, raising profound questions about the subjectivity of truth and the fallibility of human memory. The film explores the complexities of morality and the elusive nature of reality, challenging viewers to question what they believe.
Rashomon Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- unreliable narration
- contradictory accounts
- multiple perspectives
- forest
- medium
- heavy rain
- story told from different perspectives
- eye witness account
- bandit
- loss of faith
- distrust
- testimony
+38 more Show fewer
- woodcutter
- truth
- abandoned baby
- dagger
- katana sword
- rape
- 8th century
- early middle ages
- middle ages
- kansai
- honshu
- ruins
- city gate
- discovering a corpse
- hat
- woman's hat
- katsura river
- river
- bow and arrow
- horseback riding
- afternoon
- swordsman
- sneak attack
- pine tree
- crying
- crying woman
- death of husband
- womanizer
- suicide attempt
- reference to hell
- medieval times
- river bank
- veiled woman
- tied to a tree
- adoption of orphan
- husband wife relationship
- knife as weapon
- woman blamed
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Cast & crew
Rashomon Cast
Takashi Shimura leads the cast, with Minoru Chiaki and Masayuki Mori. Directed by Akira Kurosawa; 9 actors are credited in all.
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Director Akira Kurosawa
Also Starring in Rashomon
· 5 more From the director
More from Akira Kurosawa
More films directed by Akira Kurosawa, best-rated first: Seven Samurai, Ran, High and Low and Ikiru.
Ratings
Rashomon Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Rashomon 98 on Metacritic.
-
Metacritic 98 Metascore
User score 8.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 81% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Rashomon Plot Summary
What happens in Rashomon from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Sheltering from a rainstorm, a woodcutter, played by Takashi Shimura, and a priest, portrayed by Minoru Chiaki, find themselves in the ruins of the Rashomon gatehouse, pondering the shocking tale they recently encountered at a murder inquiry in a nearby courthouse. Their conversation is interrupted when a commoner, played by Kichijiro Ueda, expresses a keen interest in hearing the unsettling details of the story that has deeply disturbed the priest. The priest laments the incessant disasters of life, stating that despite the countless tragedies he has witnessed, nothing could prepare him for the horror of this particular account. The woodcutter, bewildered by the events surrounding the murder, hopes that the commoner can assist him in unraveling this perplexing tale.
Full summary
The whole story of Rashomon, scene by scene
Box office
Rashomon Box Office
Rashomon grossed $139,819 worldwide. $46,808 came from the US and Canada and $73,401 (61%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$139.8K
- US & Canada
- $46.8K
- International
- $73.4K
US & Canada 39%
Rest of the world 61%
Awards
Rashomon Awards & Nominations
Rashomon won 1 Oscar, including Honorary Foreign Language Film Award. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1952, with 1 win from 1 nomination.
1 win4 nominations4 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 1953 1 nomination- Nominated Best Film
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Oscars 1953 1 nomination- Nominated Art Direction (Black-and-White)
- Oscars 1952 1 win · 1 nomination
- Won Honorary Foreign Language Film Award
-
DGA Awards 1952 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Akira Kurosawa
Videos
Rashomon Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 featurette.
- Trailer BFI Re-Release Trailer
- Featurette Robert Altman on Rashomon
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Rashomon?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What event brings the characters together in the Rashomon gatehouse?
Details
Rashomon Also Known As
32 alternative titles, including “Rashômon” and “Рашомон”.
- Also known as
-
- Rashômon
- Рашомон
- A vihar kapujában
- Demonenes port
- Às Portas do Inferno
- Lã Sinh Môn
- Sari Irkin Sehveti
- El bosque ensangrentado
- Расьомон
- 라쇼몽
- Rašomonas
- Ρασομόν
+20 more Show fewer
- 나생문
- Rashomon - demonernas port
- Rashomon - paholaisen temppeli
- 罗生门
- Luo Sheng Men
- Rashomon - Das Lustwäldchen
- Rashomon - paholaisen portti
- Rashōmon
- Demonernas port
- Расёмон
- Raşomon
- Rašómon
- Ρασομόν: Η Γκέισα και ο Σαμουράι
- ראשומון
- Рашьомон
- راشومون
- Dæmonernes port
- Rasiomonas
- Lã Sanh Môn
- ราโชมอน, რაშომონი
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From the blog
Articles About Rashomon
2 articles about Rashomon. The latest: “Exploring the World of Non-Linear Narrative in Film”.
FAQ
Rashomon FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of Rashomon, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Rashomon?
Rashomon runs 1 hour 28 minutes (88 minutes).
When was Rashomon released?
Rashomon was released on December 26, 1951.
Who directed Rashomon?
Rashomon was directed by Akira Kurosawa.
More films by Akira Kurosawa Who is in the cast of Rashomon?
Rashomon stars Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki and Masayuki Mori, among 9 credited actors.
How much did Rashomon make at the box office?
Rashomon grossed $139,819 worldwide ($46,808 domestic, $73,401 international).
How is Rashomon rated?
Rashomon has 98 on Metacritic and 81% on TMDB.
Is Rashomon based on a book?
Yes. Rashomon is partly adapted from Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Jay Rubin and Haruki Murakami.
What awards did Rashomon win?
Rashomon won 1 award from 4 nominations, including Honorary Foreign Language Film Award at the Oscars 1952.
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