Never did it cross my mind that Toshiro Mifune was the same man who played Sanjuro in "Yojimbo". In this movie is shows raw and reckless masculinity, one I've never seen in the later Kurosawa film I mentioned above. Each one of the characters has a version for the crime, including the one from the spirit of the dead husband. In the end, an event with an abandoned child and the symbolic appearance of the sun shine return hope in human race for the priest as he has shown disgust on the lawlessness of humanity. Although some may interpret that the little bit of somewhat ominous music as the woodcutter is walking away from the temple suggests he's expedient intentions of taking the baby. Or could the resolve have been just the priest's character arc of regaining hope in man despite the fact that he might have been duped by the woodcutter - who is unprincipled like the woman, the husband and the bandit? There is much ambiguity here which is what makes this movie interesting and as I've been told a more sophisticated storytelling for it's time. Although, out of personal taste I prefer YOJIMBO, Rashomon's ending was a payoff,and maybe even a twist (if the woodcutter was just as evil as everyone else is), but Yojimbo was more a payoff to me with the town inevitably becoming a quiet place... for awhile.
Rashomon is Grade A- in my book.
Rashomon (1950)
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