Rashomon

     I'm slowly growing to love Kurosawa films in that each one is so different from the other, but is still filmed with that same consistent beauty and style. Rashomon follows a court trial where we(the audience) are put into the position of the judge. We listen to each person's story, and try to piece it all together.
     At first I was totally confused. I didn't realize that it was a court trial in the beginning, so after the woman was violated and told the robber to kill her husband, I thought she was a stupid whore. Really. I was upset. 

Like really, what the heck!?

     After I saw that there were multiple sides to the story, I sat back and gave that ho a second chance, and saw that her intentions were at least somewhat reasonable. She didn't want to have the shame of having slept with two men, so the other had to go. I think she should have at least tried to help her husband win, but then it turns out he was a butt(I seriously can't distinguish the stories from one another), so I guess it was okay that he ended up dying. Poor lady! 
     Anyways, Kurosawa did an amazing job at keeping us in the dark and interested in the beginning of the film, and then slowly introducing more and more of the story while leaving us to sort out what was true in the end... Though that's what he wanted us to think. While we're too preoccupied about who's right and who's wrong, I at least failed to notice all the good and bad traits each of the characters in the temple had. The story was really about the goodness of mankind, and I heard Professor Leeper say that after the screening many came up to him and asked him who was right, and he said that it wasn't the point.
     In the end, the real colors of the men sitting at the temple are revealed through an abandoned baby, where one is bad and steals the baby's kimono and the other is good by taking it in, leaving the priest with a restored faith in humanity. 
     I think we can all relate to this priest, where we take a back seat and watch events fold out, and based on those events we either emerge more hopeful, or less. 
     Seriously good movie y'all, if you don't go to signs and wonders regularly I definitely think you should! We're exposed to so many different themes and styles! Alright, I'm done typing, have a good weekend!