Rashomon and philosophy
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27 July 2018
1 August 2018
Thanks for sharing, Ugetsu! The article got me thinking — if made today, in our present world of “alternative facts” and “fake news”, I wonder if Rashomon would be considered a philosophical work, a satire, or a documentary.
8 August 2018
After reading this I also find it interesting that Kurosawa released Scandal so close to Rashomon, as that film handles the same themes of truth, fact and perception in a modern setting.
8 August 2018
Thats a good point – Scandal is a film I enjoyed very much, but I’ve always wondered a little as to why AK picked a topic that seemed so narrow compared to his usual concerns. It smacked a little of a successful famous man griping about how tough it is to be a rich and successful man.
But its fairly well established that he was a little frustrated at how many people didn’t really understand Rashomon, so perhaps he had in mind a more populist, literal approach to the theme.
12 August 2018
That’s a great point, yjmbobllns. I would definitely pair Scandal with Rashomon, and I think in general Rashomon is discussed in too much of a vacuum, when it really is a continuation of themes that Kurosawa had developed in his previous films, and would go on to discuss in ones that followed.
I came across this very interesting essay in Aeon Magazine on philosophy in film, with particular reference to Rashomon.