Rashomon

Screening on 35mm! A riveting psychological thriller that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice, Rashomon is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. Based on a story by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, father of the modern Japanese short novel, Rashomon follows four people who give different accounts of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife—brilliantly presented by director Akira Kurosawa with striking imagery and an ingenious use of flashbacks. This eloquent masterwork and international sensation revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema—and a commanding new star by the name of Toshiro Mifune—to the Western world. (Janus Films)

Dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1950, 88 min., 35mm, b&w, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori.

Tickets
$15 General Admission / $5 Members
$12 Seniors and Students
$10 Person with Disability

 AKUTAGAWA REIMAGINED:
Japan Society is pleased to present a series of programs celebrating the life and work of the prolific Japanese author Ryunosuke Akutagawa, also known as “the father of the Japanese short story.” From a newly commissioned opera investigating the literary icon’s final letters before his suicide in 1927 to traditional Japanese puppetry (kuruma ningyo) and Akira Kurosawa’s landmark 1950 film Rashomon—the following programs reimagine and readapt Akutagawa’s best-known works, offering an intimate window into the mind of one of the most widely translated Japanese writers in the world.

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Image: © 1950 Daiei Film Co. Ltd.

Japan Society programs are made possible by leadership support from Booth Ferris Foundation and Shiseido Americas. Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and endowment support from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, David Toberisky, Akiko Koide and Shohei Koide, Geoff and Fumi Matters, Laurel Gonsalves, and David S. Howe. Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the exclusive Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film.