By Owen Glancy Asst. Arts & Features Editor The late 1940s were arguably the most difficult period in history for the nation of Japan. The aftermath of nuclear devastation as well as American occupation in nearly every facet of Japanese life made living in Japan extremely difficult. This was especially true for the many Japanese filmmakers of the time. The American armed forces that occupied Japan imposed strict censorship rules on films made in Japan. This ranged from disallowing nudity to forbidding the depiction of Mt. Fuji. Essentially anything that could represent traditional Japanese imagery - from katanas to bowing - was considered taboo. This left a massive hole in the industry as this essentially meant the only kind of film that would pass the American censors was the shomin-geki, meaning “common people genre.” While there are great films from this period - “Late Spring” especially stands out - there was a distinct lack of variety in the genres being used. Eventually, the censors’ grip over the industry would loosen, leaving room for a bold new cinematic voice. At the 12th Venice International Film Festival in 1951, Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” was screened without the director’s permission after an unremarkable run in the Japanese box office. The film would go on to win the Golden Lion, a prestigious award given to the best film shown at the festival. This would nearly single-handedly put Japanese cinema on the map, with film festivals and award ceremonies prioritizing Japanese films for the rest of the decade. It cannot be understated how incredible it is that one film caused such an explosion in interest for an entire country's body of artistic works. That has really only ever happened once in film history with “Rashomon.” With so much history behind it, “Rashomon” often can seem pretty intimidating to people who haven’t seen it. Combine that with the heavy subject matter in which four different people recall their versions of a heinous crime, and most tend to stay away from this film, appreciating it from a distance. Anyone who has not seen “Rashomon” is doing themselves a great disservice. Even now, the way “Rashomon” is shot is absolutely breath-taking - the heavy rain pouring down on the titular dilapidated shrine, the shots of the sun as seen through the leaves, and the frantic camera work as blades meet in combat. Kurosawa was essentially creating new filmmaking techniques that Japan had never seen before, and what’s insane is how well he did this. The camera is doing things in this film that would still be considered bold to this day. It’s not just the camera though, as the performances really bring this film home. Legendary actor Toshiro Mifune got his first big break in this film after impressing Kurosawa with an over-the-top audition. Mifune is at the top of his game in this film as ruthless criminal Tajomaru, a role he plays with such a malicious and wild energy that you can’t help but be transfixed by him every time he’s on screen. Mifune was not alone, though, as Machiko Kyo also absolutely devours every scene she’s in. Going from a helpless damsel in distress to a manipulative femme fatale, Kyo is a heavily underrated part of the film that ties everything excellent about it together. The film’s biggest innovation, however, was in how it told its story. Rather than a linear form of storytelling, the central conflict is told through four different points of view, with the specific events of the story being different every time. This not only allows us to see different sides of these multifaceted characters, but it also brings the audience in, allowing them to feel like they’re untangling this web of lies and exaggerations alongside the characters. “Rashomon” is a film best experienced with as little knowledge of the plot details as possible - go in completely blind. What you’ll find is a film whose history is incredibly rich, but whose content is even richer.