The Historical Importance of Rashomon

The 1950 Japanese film Rashomon is rightfully held as one of the classics of Japanese cinema. However, few people do not look at the potential use of the film as an aid for historians. Rashomon tells the story of the rape of a samurai’s wife by a bandit and the subsequent death of the samurai. The bandit, the wife of the samurai, the samurai speaking through a medium, and a woodcutter who supposedly witnessed the crime all have radically differing accounts on what truly happened. The film is useful to historians in that it teaches that there is no one single historical truth. There are always differing interpretations of events and it is the job of a historian to chronicle and analyze these interpretations. Looking at the film in the historical context in which it is made is also important. The film helps to reveal some of the attitudes in Japan following its defeat during World War II. The film can be viewed as an allegory for the defeat of Japan in World War II. This is due to the destruction and dark themes found throughout the film. It can also be interpreted as an allegory due to the repeated phrase of the woodcutter and the priest “How did this happen?” This phrase can be viewed as asking how Japan could have been defeated when it was one of the strongest empires on Earth. The film Rashomon is an excellent example of the differing interpretations of events and the importance of understanding all sides of an event.