A murder takes place in a forest. A samurai is killed. A court convenes and three testimonies are heard: a bandit, the samurai’s wife and the samurai himself, from beyond the grave. Each testimony differs in significant ways. These sequences are presented in flashback, told by a commoner to a woodcutter and priest as they shelter from a storm underneath Rashomon city gate. However, these three also have their own perspectives on what actually happened.

Adapting Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s short stories Rashomon and In a Grove, Kurosawa and co-screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto (Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Hidden Fortress) make the most of the fragmented narrative structure to question the nature of truth and objectivity. Kazuo Miyagawa’s cinematography, particularly the use of ‘dappled’ light in the forest scenes, creates further ambiguity, while the heavy storm in the framing scenes add tension, particularly in the climactic confrontation between the three men.

The film won the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival and an Honorary Oscar for the most outstanding foreign film. It remains one of the key works of Japanese cinema.

Baby Pictures 

Baby Pictures is open to carers and little ones of twelve months and under. As everyone in the cinema is a parent or carer, there’s no need to worry if it gets a little noisy. Everyone understands. Customers not accompanying a baby will be turned away.

The lights are turned up a little bit and the sound is a little softer to create a peaceful environment for you and the baby. It’s just for carers (Mum, Dad, Granny, Granda, whoever it is it looking after the tot) and babies. Up to two adults can come with a baby. Please note: we cannot allow babies over the age of 12 months to come to Baby Pictures.  

If you have any questions about Baby Pictures, please get in touch on qftmanager@qub.ac.uk.

Baby Pictures is supported by Film Hub NI.