I’ve read a bit about this movie but I’m not sure if I want to invest the time tracking it down to watch it. Have any dopers seen it and is it worth watching?
It’s considered one of the greatest masterpieces of [snooty accent]world cinema[/snooty accent]. Shouldn’t be hard to track down at all.
FWIW, here’s a capsule review I wrote a couple years ago.
That isn’t the way I remember it.
ETA: Come ON! It had to be done!
I’d go so far as to say it’s a seminal work, influencing many modern filmmakers. Once you see it, you’ll realize how many people have been influenced by/are derivative of Kurosawa. Also, Toshiro Mifune is amazing. I’m sure Netflix has it readily available.
kaylasdad: Good one.
Yes and yes. Although as far as Kurosawa goes, my favorite is absolutely Yojimbo.
kaylasdad99: I LOL’d.
I was gonna do it if you didn’t. But for the record, yes and yes - it’s an outstanding movie well worth seeing and pondering, and Toshiro Mifune isn’t an actor so much as an experience. 
Yes and yes. I also love The Seven Samurai.
Yes and Yes.
If you trust my view.
I’ve seen it many times. Definitely worth it. It’s become a classic of world cinema, with many references to it.
Back in the 1960s, Grove Press released a paperback edition of the script, which also included some perceptive essays on the film, along with translations of the two stories it’s based on. Worth getting a copy of, if you can find it. You can also read the section on the film in Donald Ritchie’s book on Akira Kurasawa’s films.
I learned from the first book that , like many of Kurasawa’s films, this one was reshot in the US as a Western. I haven’t seen the film, but now I’d like to, if only for the associatioon and the cast – William Shatner, Howard da Silva, Edward G. Robinson (!), Clair Bloom, and a very miscast Paul Newman as a Mexican (!!!)
Watching the film over a few times, I’m struck by the re-appearance of actors from Kurasawa’s earlier The Seven Samurai, now in completely different roles (The leader of the Samurai here plays The Woodcutter). Later still, some of them went on to appear in other Toho films – including the original Gojira. Weird stuff.
I’m not like a movie snob or anything, and I actually originally wanted to watch it because it was referenced in either a law review article or a case or something that I read (“Rashoman-like”), so I wanted to see what that meant.
It was really a good movie, and one that I talked about and thought about for quite a while after I saw it. It really bothered me, too, trying to figure out what had happened. So, yes, I’d say take the time to find it and see it.
Hah!
I got it from Netflix a couple of years ago - to see what all the fuss was about.
I was not disappointed.
You’re looking to get a consensus on Rashomon?
I am a big fan of Kurosawa but I found Rashomon a bit disappointing actually. I would still recommend it since it has become one of the most influential movies of all time and practically a word in the English language. Some of the photography and editing is wonderful; for example the scene where the woodcutter walks into the forest.
A lot of Kurosawa’s films have been released on DVD by Criterion and I would recommend several of the others regardless of what you feel about Rashomon. Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, High and Low, Stray Dog, Throne of Blood, Ran and are a good place to start. Hidden Fortress is enjoyable as well though IMO its influence on Star Wars is exaggerated.
Perhaps Kurosawa’s ghost would be willing to share some insight.
Absolutely a great movie. Notice especially the rain.
I got it through Netflix. I thought it was not quite up to its bloated reputation storywise; as for the cinematography, it sure looked like it had been made a lot later than it actually was.
Its three main characters are all pretty repellent, so be ready not to root for anyone. Since unsympathetic rape victims are pretty rare in Western storytelling tradition, you might find the film difficult to watch.
Crank your expectations down a notch. The Universe will not be explained to you in comprehensible detail. You may, however, gain a new and deeper appreciation for how movies are made.
See it. I do not think you will want the time back unless you have something against subtitles. It really is an unusual story as well as being one of the best efforts of Japan’s greatest director.
I’m in the camp that will watch any of Kurosawa’s period dramas over and over again, though. So take my advice with that knowledge.
The two short stories it’s based on (Rashomon, which really only gave it the location and name, and In A Grove, which gave it the storyline and format) are also worth reading.
Unfortunately, I can’t, at the moment, remember the translation I read.
I’m pretty sure I wrote that review.
Yes.
Depends. If you’re interested in movie history, sure. As a movie experience, I was underwhelmed. We’ve come a long way since then.