The Film: The Seven Samurai will always remain Kurosawa's blockbuster great, however, it's Rashomon that stands as his most important piece of work. Hitting screens in 1951, a time when Japan's primary output resided in the form of Ozu's solid dramas, this darker foray into Japanese storytelling - a murder mystery told from multiple perspectives - was an instant hit and put Kurosawa on the map. Innately minimalist - the film utilises just three sets - the plot is deceptive and puts the viewer in a position where the prospect of the unreliable narrator is employed for the first time to dramatic effect. Quite simply, you never know which character to believe right up until the film's killer payoff. Such is its everlasting appeal, everything from Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects and episodes of The Simpsons, Rugrats and even Happy Days have cribbed from Kurosawa's opus in some way. Classic Moment: A priest's faith is restored and the film ends in glorious sunshine, showing off Kurosawa's budget-beating skills at using natural light to bathe his finale in a dreamy glow.
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
