http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/kurosawa.htm
Japan 1950

Kurosawa had for a long time wanted to make a film out of the stories of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and had actually written a script, but Toho found it too great a risk, so Kurosawa left Toho to film what would become ”Rashomon” at Daiei, even though Nagata, the studio head, had no idea what the film was about.

And exactly what “Rashomon” is about is still today its main attraction, as its not so much about story, but more about, as suggest by Donald Richie, human action undistracted by plot. Told thru elliptic arranged tableaux, its dreamlike quality demands us to observe, rather than to follow.

It all begins with a woodcutter finding the body of a samurai, which subsequently leads to the arrest of the assumed killer, Tajomaru, and a court case, where several versions of the event is told, from their unique perspective: Tajomaru’s, the wife’s and the dead Samurai (through a medium).

Winner of the Golden Lion at Venice 1951, “Rashomon” became the film to break down the wall between Japanese film and the west, despite its Japanese response. Japanese critics didn’t like the film and the industry had not made it for exports, as they believed that foreigners wouldn’t be able to understand Japanese film, which in turns lead Kurosawa to speak up and critique the industry for being afraid of supporting Japanese film.

Today, a good fifty years later, “Rashomon” stands one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces and the film by which “we”, the west, discovered Kurosawa by, who in turns made “Ikiru” and “Shichinin no Samurai”. It is a strange film, but nonetheless fascinating and hypnotic, and for those who just don’t get it, it will still be around in fifty years. That is the great comfort about art, it never ages, it never goes away, it always invites us back.

Henrik Sylow

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 25, 1950

Reviews    More Reviews  DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Geert Jan Alsem and Pavel Borodin and Henrik Sylow for the Screen Caps!

(BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

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Criterion (without any extras) also available in The Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films - a 50-disc celebration of international films collected under the auspices of the groundbreaking theatrical distributor. It contains Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ashes And Diamonds (1958), L'avventura (1960), Ballad Of A Soldier (1959), Beauty And The Beast (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), Brief Encounter (1945), The Fallen Idol (1948), Fires On The Plain (1959), Fists In The Pocket (1965), Floating Weeds (1959), Forbidden Games (1952), The 400 Blows (1959), Grand Illusion (1937), Häxan (1922), Ikiru (1952), The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952), Ivan The Terrible, Part II (1958), Le Jour Se Lève (1939), Jules And Jim (1962), Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949), Knife In The Water (1962), The Lady Vanishes (1938), The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943), Loves Of A Blonde (1965), M (1931), M. Hulot's Holiday (1953), Miss Julie (1951), Pandora's Box (1929), Pépé Le Moko (1937), Il Posto (1961), Pygmalion (1938), Rashomon (1950), Richard III (1955), The Rules Of The Game (1939), Seven Samurai (1954), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Spirit Of The Beehive (1973), La Strada (1954), Summertime (1955), The Third Man (1949), The 39 Steps (1935), Ugetsu (1953), Umberto D. (1952), The Virgin Spring (1960), Viridiana (1961), The Wages Of Fear (1953), The White Sheik (1952), Wild Strawberries (1957), Three Documentaries By Saul J. Turell plus the hardcover, full color 240-page book.
Distribution

BFI (UK)

Region 2 - PAL

 Criterion (US)
Region 1 - NTSC		 Oasis (Korea)
Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime 1:24:09 (4% PAL speedup) 1:28:03 1:27:48
Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.2 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 8.37 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.26 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

 

BFI (UK)

 

Bitrate:

 

Criterion (US)

 

Bitrate:

 

Oasis (Korea)

 

Audio Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0

Japanese Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono

Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Subtitles English (burned in) English, none English, Korean, none
Features Release Information:
Studio: BFI (UK)

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Akira Kurosawa biography
• Toshiro Mifune biography
• Film poster

DVD Release Date: October 22, 2001

Chapters 12
 

 Release Information:
Studio: Criterion (US)

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary by Donald Richie
• Excerpts from 'The World of Kazuo Miyagawa' (12:32)
• Introduction by Robert Altman (6:39)
• Trailer (3:19)
• Akira Kurosawa's 'Rashomon': 28 page booklet
• Notes by Stephen Prince
• Akira Kurosawa on Rashomon
• Reprints of the Rashomon source stories, Ryunosuke Akutagawa's 'In a Grove' and 'Rashomon'
 

DVD Release Date: March 26, 2002
Amaray

Chapters 13

Release Information:
Studio: Oasis (Korea)

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary by Donald Richie
• Trailer
 

DVD Release Date: September 16, 2004
Keep case

Chapters 13

 

Comments The Oasis (Korean) production company may have purchased the Criterion extras (or just the Richie commentary) and the Criterion menus or they may have been stolen. I don't know. The Korean disc has possibly, the worst subtitle font and color I can remember seeing. Talk about distracting Kurosawa's framing from your vision. This is the sign of a company that has no artistic integrity and is simply after quick cash. It is also less sharp than the Criterion.

Quite a bit cropped off the left edge of the much clearer Criterion. I still have never been able to understand why this manipulation occurs. Regardless, the Criterion is sharper, solid contrast, removable subtitles and a host of extras that beat out the BFI. The BFI also shows quite a bit of damage in spots. In a perfect world the image would not be reduced and it would be as clear as the Criterion. We are recommending the Criterion.

 -Gary W. Tooze

  

 

Recommended Reading for Japanese Film Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

The Japan Journals : 1947-2004,

by  Donald Richie

 The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film
by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp

Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs)

by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario

 Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 1)
by James Quandt 		Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema (Midland Book, Mb 469)
by David Desser 		The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie

Tokyo Story

by Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda, Donald Richie, Eric Klestadt

Ozu by Donald Richie

 A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie

Check out more in "The Library"



DVD Menus

(BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)
 

 

 

Subtitle sample

(BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

Screen Captures

(BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(BFI (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Criterion (US) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Oasis (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

Hit Counter

Report Card:

 

Image:

Criterion

Sound:

Criterion
Extras: Criterion
Menu: BFI

 

Recommended Reading for Kurosawa Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Box Covers

 

 

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

(click titles for DVDBeaver reviews)

Criterion (without any extras) also available in The Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films - a 50-disc celebration of international films collected under the auspices of the groundbreaking theatrical distributor. It contains Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ashes And Diamonds (1958), L'avventura (1960), Ballad Of A Soldier (1959), Beauty And The Beast (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), Brief Encounter (1945), The Fallen Idol (1948), Fires On The Plain (1959), Fists In The Pocket (1965), Floating Weeds (1959), Forbidden Games (1952), The 400 Blows (1959), Grand Illusion (1937), Häxan (1922), Ikiru (1952), The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952), Ivan The Terrible, Part II (1958), Le Jour Se Lève (1939), Jules And Jim (1962), Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949), Knife In The Water (1962), The Lady Vanishes (1938), The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943), Loves Of A Blonde (1965), M (1931), M. Hulot's Holiday (1953), Miss Julie (1951), Pandora's Box (1929), Pépé Le Moko (1937), Il Posto (1961), Pygmalion (1938), Rashomon (1950), Richard III (1955), The Rules Of The Game (1939), Seven Samurai (1954), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Spirit Of The Beehive (1973), La Strada (1954), Summertime (1955), The Third Man (1949), The 39 Steps (1935), Ugetsu (1953), Umberto D. (1952), The Virgin Spring (1960), Viridiana (1961), The Wages Of Fear (1953), The White Sheik (1952), Wild Strawberries (1957), Three Documentaries By Saul J. Turell plus the hardcover, full color 240-page book.

 

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