Rashomon

[The AD]

I just watched this movie last night and I'm still thinking about it today.

For those of you not familiar it's a Japanese movie from 1950 directed by Kurosawa. The basic plot is that a samurai and his wife are assaulted in the forest by an outlaw. The samurai is later discovered dead by a woodcutter and the outlaw is arrested. At the trial the woodcutter, the outlaw, the wife and the dead samurai (through a medium) all testify, but each testimony is substantially different.

The movie certainly isn't for everbody. My wife didn't like it, for example, but I thought it was very cool.

[Mybad!]

Akimbo was really good but my favorite is his best known...7 samurai.

The "Rashomon Effect" is something that happens on this forum a lot.

[TomK]

A classic study on perception and "truth".
Is it the Criterion Collection copy?
Try watching it again, and then watch a third time with the commentary.
(which is much more interesting than the typical one on most films.)
The film holds up really well to rewatching and seems to get even more interesting each time.

Yojimbo & Sanjuro make a great double bill.
Hidden Fortress is good if you want to see where George Lucas got a lot of Star Wars ideas.
I really enjoyed Red Beard too, but it does get a little slow in a few places.

Not sure why, but I didn't enjoy Throne of Blood, Ran, or Kagemusha quite as much as the above. Mayby it's the totally tragic nature of those three.

[The AD]

Is it the Criterion Collection copy?
Try watching it again, and then watch a third time with the commentary.

Yes it was. Unfortunately I just sent it back to Netflix.

[Dromond]

Not sure why, but I didn't enjoy Throne of Blood, Ran, or Kagemusha quite as much as the above. Mayby it's the totally tragic nature of those three.

But Rashomon is also tragic. Either way I've enjoyed most of the Kurosawa films intensely. I think Ran wins the award for "most epic film of all time" when judged on scale and mood. Interestingly that one was funded in part by Lucas...

I would also recommend "Dreams" and "Dersu Uzala" for something a bit different from Kurosawa.

[advres]

Good flick!

I have liked most Kurosawa films. Ran being my favorite. Everything about that movie is great. Watching it on a good screen is important because the colors are just so vibrant with all the flags and whatnot!

If you want to watch a little less known one which is fucked up (different), watch Dodesukaden.

[Mybad!]

Yojimbo, that's what I meant.

[Viva]

Dersu Uzala was a great movie.

I prefer Kagamusha over Ran because of the character development of not only the proxy war lord, but of his generals, servants, etc. I found the movie very poignant and quite moving.

Ran, while fun to watch, was more like a film adaptation of a Broadway play. It was also easy to figure out the characters pretty quickly.

[TomK]

But Rashomon is also tragic. ...

True, but the film is not ABOUT the tragedy itself. It's the perceptions, self- delusions, and testimony and trying to sort out the "truth" of the tragic event.

Looking back at my list, perhaps it's the intimate/personal nature of the small scale stories as opposed to the big sweeping epic tales of politics, hubris and failure writ large. Don't get me wrong, the epics are good and very spectacular but I don't feel that they reward re-watching as much.
Could be that those really NEED to be seen on a wall-sized big screen.

I've seen Seven Samurai on the big screen as well as DVD and it works well at both sizes.

Will see how I like Stray Dog, the next one in my A.K. queue and the first of his "modern" ones for me. Gotta put Ikuru in the queue too.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Watched Rashoman for school on the big screen. Its a good one.

As far as other awesome Japanese films check out Ozu's I Was Born But..., Late Spring, and Tokyo Story. His films are beautiful and devastating.

Still dying to see Teshigahara's Woman in The Dunes

[Dromond]

I prefer Kagamusha over Ran because of the character development of not only the proxy war lord, but of his generals, servants, etc. I found the movie very poignant and quite moving...

More useless trivia: apparently that one was a "dry run" for ran.

...Looking back at my list, perhaps it's the intimate/personal nature of the small scale stories as opposed to the big sweeping epic tales of politics, hubris and failure writ large. Don't get me wrong, the epics are good and very spectacular but I don't feel that they reward re-watching as much.
Could be that those really NEED to be seen on a wall-sized big screen...

Good point. Both Ran and ToB don't have the same kick on the small screen.

..Still dying to see Teshigahara's Woman in The Dunes

I've filed that under "the strangest movies that I've ever seen." Perhaps worth watching just for that reason.

[philippeR]

Watched Rashoman for school on the big screen. Its a good one.

As far as other awesome Japanese films check out Ozu's I Was Born But..., Late Spring, and Tokyo Story. His films are beautiful and devastating.

Still dying to see Teshigahara's Woman in The Dunes

Woman in the dune is definitely a must-see.

Re Kurosawa, I'd rate Rashomon over Kagemusha and Kagemusha over Ran. But my favorite is Dersu Uzala. I really love this film, I'm not really sure why.

Oh, and Ozu is a Genius. A genuine one. If you dig him, check Mikio Naruse

[TomK]

...
Will see how I like Stray Dog, the next one in my A.K. queue and the first of his "modern" ones for me.

Stray Dog was very good. Again, a more intimate and personal story with great supporting characters that are fully developed and not just cut-outs like in most hollywood flicks.

I like the little touches K puts into his films, like this line from the old cop to the young Mifune.
"Bad luck either makes a man, or breaks him. Are you going to let this break you?"

[cantunamunch]

Ran, while fun to watch, was more like a film adaptation of a Broadway play..

I was going to go with 'RSC King Lear'.