Rashomon

Movie Review- Rashomon

It has been stated by critic, Roger Ebert, Rashomon was a ground breaking cinematic expression and

a trailblazer for the current films we watch today. Quite the contrary. The mixture of stories

reminds the movie goer of a bad dream laced with four psychotic experiences. Each witness

(bandit, woman, murdered man, and the woodcutter) account became confusing as the story

progressed.

 

The movie lost its spark in the beginning scenes. The first scene appeared intriguing because the

dramatic rain scene and the destruction deceives the viewer into believing the movie will include

choreographed action sequences or a plot filled with a purpose and a progressive conclusion. The

court official set the anticipation for the remainder of the film by appearing confused. He states, “I

don’t understand.” It reminds the viewer of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, A Paradine Case. As the

wood cutter began the long walk through the woods, I became disconnected.  Kurosawa’s attempt

to capture the essence of the woodcutter’s journey caused the storyline to shift from exciting to

what’s the point. There was no significant purpose to capture scenic views of the forest for 4-5

minutes.

Creating subjective points was inventive during this period of filmmaking. However, the character

portrayals became more psychotic as the movie progressed.  The propensity to overact made the

story unbelievable. The bandit’s laughter, facial expressions were comical but did not fit the

cinematic flow as other traditional Japanese films. The opposing viewpoints of the couple did not

add any value to the storyline because all parties embellished their stories and the viewer was

unable to draw a reasonable conclusion based on the different court testimonies. This makes the

movie very frustrating.

The story lacked purpose as it progressed. During court procedures, it is common for all witness

testimony to be cross examined. The characters’ accounts were not challenged by the court.

There were no disputative responses from the court.  The viewer experiences a range of

conclusions with no objective information. The soothsayer’s dance (dead man’s account) was

farfetched. It is difficult for the viewer to decipher the significance of the discovery of the baby to  

four different testimonies and a murder. The movie goer spends 1:28 minutes searching for true

and accurate conclusion that will never exist.

To lie is to tell your false truth, or to tell your false truth is a lie. Either way, it will never be the

truth.  For those who seek purpose and conclusion during their movie experience, I do not

recommend viewing this film.

I LOVE "FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES"

The history of film critique presents a timeline of the most important factors of the movie experience, the reaction of movie patrons. It is important to note the powerful influence of critics who interpret their movie experience, write their views and use the power of persuasion to influence the views of a potential movie goer. During this evolution, each decade brought change, conflict, technology advances and a continuous drive to keep up with current changes within the industry.

The history of a movie critic has a storyline of all elements found in the feature films we love, hate and criticize. From early 1900-present, it appears the career of a critic mirrors life itself. Just as a person progresses from infancy, adulthood and retirement, so is the evolution and decline of a movie critic. As the industry blossomed, each decade presented change. It became increasingly difficult for seasoned critics to view movies objectively. In some cases, they were viewed as “Being out of touch”, unable to keep up with current trends or technology. Many endure forced retirement at the hands of those whom once valued their reviews.

It appears as if when one critic rises, another critic’s opinions are no longer valued. There is no loyalty in this profession. Print media is virtually extinct. Many seasoned critics for the Washington Post, New York Times are fading to black as advances within technology allow movie industry executives to obtain mass public opinion responses to advertising and marketing strategies via blog, Facebook, Twitter or email.  This current review trend determines the success or failure of a movie. Harry Knowles changed the face of the film critic. He does not appear to look polished but his internet movie critiques changed the critic industry forever. His reviews became popular due to his ability to connect with other movie lovers. Movie Industry executives now seek information from the general consumer instead of the critic. It is certain as technology and innovation increase; this trend will become extinct as another trend evolves.

Although entertaining, the film did not focus on one theme. It became confusing to understand the tie that binds the movie together. The documentary cut to different topics in a matter of minutes. For example, Roger Ebert speaks about his movie experience, Stuart Klawans stating his change from writing fiction writer to film critic, Elvis Mitchell’s desire to be a critic because there were no black critics, the ongoing critique battles between Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael, the decline of the movie critic profession. The movie was all over the place. It was difficult understand why it was titled “For the Love of Movies.”

The movie soundtrack for “For the Love of Movies” is reminiscent of the classic music presented during the golden age of film, 1950’s-1960. The music is upbeat and lighthearted. Although a portion of the movie is negative, the music brings the viewer to their “happy place.”

The real life “War of the Roses” existed among two critics with opposing viewpoints. The ongoing opposing comments of Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael are a significant staple to movie critic history. Although they had opposing movie philosophies, they are best remembered as being forever joined to each other.

William Shakespeare wrote “To thine own self, be true.” We must interpret our truth through the movie experience. It is certain as movie critic evolution progresses, there is sunrise but there is a time when the sun also sets. Enjoy the time in the light. Enjoy the experience.

I'M HERE

This is my first post. I'm trying to get my feet wet. I will review a movie each week. My reviews are as follows;

• Loved It!!!!!!- I recommend you go see this movie immediately.
• Liked It!!!!!!-  The movie was good but you can wait a week or two.
• I'll Wait!!!!!!- I recommend you wait until this movie hits the Redbox or DVD
• Hated It!!!!!!- I do not recommend you see this movie. It is wack!!!!!!!!!!

This is Movie-Mamba.