Well it’s about time I had a look to see what director Akira Kurosawa (“Seven Samurai”, “Ran”) had to offer me. “Rashomon” is often considered to be the first film to show a direct image of the sun and is also considered one of Kurosawa’s best films… it’s entertaining but overhyped. Hopefully, the next Kurosawa picture I see will deserve its reputation.

In “Rashomon”, there is a large storm that places three strangers in close proximity to each other. Two of them claim a terrible event has taken place. They recite stories they have heard about this event, all of which are different, to the third man. It’s an interesting set-up and narratively it’s done well but I can’t help but feel that the film just isn’t as exciting as it should be.

The acting/character department is always tricky to write about when it comes to foreign films as there’s either subtitles or dubbing, neither of which enable you to get the same vibes you get from hearing the real actors speak a language you are familiar with. From what I can tell, the characters in “Rashomon” are intriguing and demonstrate their differences very well with an excellent use of body language.

“Rashomon” isn’t a retelling of the same story from different perspectives; it’s the same characters with different events but ultimately the same conclusion. That is what separates it from titles such as “Reservoir Dogs” and “The Killing”. I had a good time with “Rashomon” near the beginning and the last third is very enjoyable but somewhere in the middle, I felt my interest fade slightly. Kurosawa is a director I’ve heard discussed frequently and held up by some of the big names in the business as being an all-time great. However, based on “Rashomon” I can’t say that I’m as impressed as some others. “Rashomon” is a really good film yet it’s not the best.