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Rashomon Remake Set in the US

Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am by Jami

Toshiro Mifune

Set for release on his 100th birthday in 2010, Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon is getting a U.S. remake. Also planned for release around the same time is an animated feature, the Masque of Black Death, based on a script that Kurosawa originally wrote for Osamu Tezuka to make but never went into production. The new Rashomon brings the crime drama to modern day America.

The original is quite brilliant. It centers around the rape of a woman and the murder of her husband told from four different perspectives including a truly bizarre scene in which the spirit of the murdered husband tells his story through a medium. Each version has aspects that agree with each other, but their conclusions are so disparate, you can’t quite figure out what’s ultimately true which is my favorite aspect of the original.

Normally, I’m opposed to remakes, but in this case, I’m some what interested. Hero borrowed heavily from Rashomon in terms of story telling and I absolutely loved the film. Kurosawa’s work has influenced so many directors that it’s not surprising to see a remake every few years. My one hope is that they retain the ambiguity of the ending. I love the fact that we’re left questioning just what happened. Our own interpretation of the truth becomes a sort of fifth story. I fear Hollywood thinks American audiences are too dumb to appreciate that subtlety, but Rashomon would be ruined if the truth was bashed into our heads. Cautiously optimistic on this one.

[Via Variety]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am and is filed under Movies, Remix, Henshin Korner. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

6 Responses to “Rashomon Remake Set in the US”

  1. Avatargreg
    Posted: Sep 25th, 2008 at 11:20 am
    1

    I’m withholding opinion until after more details of director, writer, and actors are available.

  2. AvatarVonKraut
    Posted: Sep 25th, 2008 at 11:45 am
    2

    Roshomon is probably my least favorite Kurosawa movie. I was kinda distracted when I first watch it, but I couldn’t really get into it. I would really like to see a Remake of Yojimbo and see Hiroyuki Sanada play Toshiro Mifune’s last part. That would be really awesome.

  3. AvatarHenry
    Posted: Sep 25th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
    3

    I first saw an adaptation of Rashomon in EIGHTH GRADE! I was in a junior high school drama class and we had a field trip to the Roundhouse Theater in Rockville to watch a play version of it. I loved it. Since it was a school audience, the actors and director came out and talked to us afterwards. I think it gave a much deeper understanding of the work than a junior high schooler usually gets. If I ever arrange a field trip like that as a teacher, I definitely want that sort of discussion with the actors and crew.

    I didn’t see the movie until many years later, but my memory of the play was so vivid that the film–as great as it is–held few surprises for me. The play was adapted from the film pretty faithfully.

  4. AvatarKiey
    Posted: Sep 25th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
    4

    We just watched Rashomon in my Interactive Narrative class this week, (it was my first time seeing it,) but its a brilliant movie. I really gotta watch more of Kurosawa’s stuff.

  5. AvatarKunoichi
    Posted: Sep 26th, 2008 at 12:27 am
    5

    There is a remake of Yojimbo. It’s called “A fistful of dollars”

    Also, Rashomon the movie is based on a collection of stories. The title refers to a notorious gate, where one of the stories is set. Another story in the collection provides the outline of events in the movie.

    I see absolutely no need or desire for a remake. One of the greatest directors of all time, with one of the best film actors starring, in a timeless story? How do you match that? Why would you try by simply redoing?

  6. AvatarHenry
    Posted: Sep 26th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
    6

    And it was remade again as Last Man Standing. This time, the filmmakers get permission.

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