Robot Wars returns for two celebrity specials where C-list celebrities build and operate fighting machines with the help of Robot Wars veterans. These celebrity specials operate the exact same way as the regular show did. The contestants took part in a round-robin with straight-out wins being awarded 3 points, and wins from judges' decisions 2 points. The two robots with the most points face off in a head to head.
LET THE WARS BEGIN
Arena Cleaner vs Interstellar MML
Arena Cleaner is the robot of Radio 1 broadcasters Scott Mills and Chris Stark, mentored by Dave Moulds of the destructive Carbide machine. Arena Cleaner is a baby-blue, low to the ground machine armed with a 3mm hardened steel rotating hammer.
Their opponent is space scientist and TV presenter Dr Maggie Aderine-Pocock (yeah I'd never heard of her either) who was mentored by Shane Swan from the Dantomkia machine. Interstellar MML is your basic wedge-shaped robot with a forward-hinged flipper aiming to topple robots over.
Interstellar MML was hoping to send robots interstellar, but they ended up being taken to the cleaners by Arena Cleaner. Arena Cleaner tore them to absolute pieces, sending wheels into orbit and reducing Interstellar to pieces. Despite having a less than imaginative name, Arena Cleaner trashed Interstellar by carving gashes into its 2mm steel armour. Arena Cleaner were the convincing winners.
Jar Vs The Cat
Olympians, the Brownlee brothers, mentored by Gabriel of the Sabretooth team controlled the machine Jar. Considering that the Sabretooth machine has a pretty bad track record, I can't help but think that the Brownlee brothers could have received a more successful. Jar is a triangular wedged machine armed with a hammer. Although Jar's lack of armour covering their CO2 bottles leaves a lot to be desired.
Their opponents were sports and tech presenter Suzi Perry (yeah I'm clueless again) who was mentored by Craig Danby of the Foxic team. I don't remember much of Foxic other than it did a lot of running away and losing. Suzi Perry's robot was called the Cat modelled on, you guessed it, a household cat. Similarly to Arena Cleaner, it was built low and flat to the ground with a horizontal spinner. Suzi named it The Cat, because although cats might look cute and cuddly, they can be vicious if they're antagonised.
Onto the actual fight, which wasn't really a fight, but more just pushing and shoving and calling names. The Brownlees went for a full-on assault and all credit to them, they withstood The Cat's spinning hammer. However, when they tried to hit it with their hammer, they missed, hit the floor and knocked themselves out instead, and also dislodging one of their CO2 bottles. The bottle later fell out when Jar was hoisted by Sir Killalot. A disappointing result for Jar and the Brownlees.
Arena Cleaner vs The Cat
The next fight was between the two teams leading the score table: Arena Cleaner and The Cat, also the two spinners, interestingly enough.
We've seen the destructive power of the Arena Cleaner, but, this time, it was the Cat that showed its claws. The battle started quietly enough with both machines sizing each other. Arena Cleaner made a tentative attack, which the Cat withstood. Both robots spun around in circles for a bit, as the celebrities proved they're not the best drivers, then carnage ensued. Bad driving from Scott Mills and Chris Stark, saw Arena Cleaner drive into The Cat's spinning hammer, which resulted in them flying across the arena, their wheel being shredded, drive chain become dislodged and inevitably becoming immobilised.
Jar Vs Interstellar
Time for the two robots at the bottom of the score table to try and score: Jar and Interstellar MML.
Although Jar was certainly aggressive, they were again very inaccurate with their hammer. They hit the arena floor more than they hit the scarred Interstellar. Similarly to previous grand finalist in the original Robot Wars, Terrorhurtz, Jar's weapon is too powerful for its own good. Every hammer blow sends it spinning out of control. This is what hindered them so much in this battle. That and poor engineering. A problem with Jar's CO2 bottle caused all of the compressed air to vent, rendering their hammer useless. Although Interstellar weren't able to take advantage of this, as they couldn't get further underneath Jar to flip it and then they became immobile on one side. The decision went to the judges who awarded it to Jar.
Interstellar MML vs the Cat
Just like Jar, The Cat's powerful spinning hammer makes it difficult to control. A couple of glancing blows sent the Cat spinning away and Suzi Perry was unable to recover from this. Poor driving sent the Cat into the CPZ where they conked out. Interstellar won this fight by doing very little, although they did get in one flip at the end. However, this wasn't enough to keep Interstellar in the contest, which didn't make any sense to me. Interstellar won this fight straight out, thereby giving them 3 points. A point more than Jar received when they won the judge's decision, so I think that Interstellar should have been kept in over Jar. Although all credit to Dr Maggie, she was an enthusiastic and energetic person to watch.
Jar Vs Arena Cleaner
Blink and you'll miss it. The fight hit from Arena Cleaner knocked out Jar, ending their run in the competition. And then in great style, Arena Cleaner takes on Shunt. I think they'll live to regret that decision.
Special bonus round
Whilst Arena Cleaner and the Cat were preparing for their final battle, Angela Scanlon and Dara O'Briain fought each other in the Robot Wars arena. Angela competed with the Behemoth machine and Dara with the TR2 machine. Whilst both of them were terrible drivers, Angela was far worse. Whilst operating the Behemoth scoop, she almost flipped the machine over, which allowed Dara to come in and flip Behemoth across the arena. After this, Angela tries to operate the pit release by repeatedly sending Behemoth crashing into the arena wall. Eventually, she does operate it, but Dara again flips Behemoth into the side wall. Angela manages to recover only to keep almost flipping Behemoth over. Although Dara attempts to make her feel better by allowing her to flip TR2. I would say that Dara and TR2 were the winners, but were there really any winners in this contest?
The Cat vs Arena Cleaner
The grand final of this episode saw the two spinners compete against each other for fame and glory. Both robots have exposed wheels and as we've seen before, this is a massive weakness. Arena Cleaner took full advantage of this weakness by shredding one of the Cat's tyres and then the other. Arena Cleaner and Scott Mills and Chris Stark were the convincing winners of this first Battle of the Stars.
Robot Wars Episode One
Robot Wars Episode Two
Robot Wars Episode Three
Robot Wars Episode Four
Robot Wars Episode Five
Robot Wars Episode Six
Saturday, 31 December 2016
Ikiru Review
SPOILER ALERT
Click here for my previous review of the Third ManNumber 100 on the top 1000 films of all time is Akira Kurosawa's 1952 Ikiru.
Ikiru (translated as "To Live) follows the story of Kanji Watanabe. Watanabe is a middle-aged civil servant who has been stuck in the same dead-end job for thirty years. His wife is dead and his son and daughter-in-law have little time for him and even less respect. When Watanabe is diagnosed with stomach cancer and told he only has 6 months to live, he vows to live his life to his full potential.
Toyo eventually tires of him and confronts him of his true intentions, which is where Watanabe asks her what the secret is to loving wife. She confesses that she doesn't know, but reveals her new job, making children's toys, has given her purpose in life. Watanabe, inspired by how she gains happiness by helping others, decides to return to his bureaucratic job to push for a new children's playground. Although you could argue this is cheesy and sentimental, I think that Ikiru did well to touch upon this idea. Sometimes the best way to find happiness in your own life is to bring happiness to others.
There was no longer a particular character for me to focus upon, as Watanabe's co-workers discussed amongst themselves what made Watanabe so passionate about creating this playground. The co-workers then decide to live their lives with the same passion that Watanabe displayed in the last months of his life, but fail to do so, once they have returned to their old jobs. This was a nice note to end the film on. Saying you'll live your life differently is one thing, actually doing it is a whole other thing entirely.
Click below for my reviews of Akira Kurosawa's other films:
Sunday, 18 December 2016
The Third Man Review
Number 99 on the top 1000 films of all time is the 1949 film noir The Third Man.
Set in post-WW2 Vienna, American writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) arrives in Vienna to meet his childhood friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) only to discover that Lime has been killed in a traffic accident. Suspecting there is something more to it, Cotten embarks on an investigation to find the truth and to discover who the mysterious third man present at Lime's death was.
The Third Man has become known as a standout classic in the Film Noir and thriller genres and its easy to see why. This is a film that has received considerable praise for its unconventional "Dutch Camera" angles and harsh stage lighting, which all contribute to the tone and tension of the film. The highly stylised monochrome cinematography made the film atmospheric and suspenseful. Although, of course, nothing new now, the "Dutch Camera" angles helped to set the Third Man apart from other noir films of the era, like Casablanca, Double Indemnity and Citizen Kane. The quirky tilt shots and angles were engaging and added a new facet to the film. They also contributed to the unsettled tone of the film by emphasising how alienated and out of place the characters were, especially the American, Holly Martins.
As a thriller, this film keeps the tension up with plenty of twists, turns and moral ambiguity. I won't ruin the big twist here, but it was certainly a good one. The moral ambiguity, especially centring around Lime's character, and also the film's ending, tie in well with the social context of WW2 Austria, at the beginning of the Cold War. Although, Austria was being shared by Britain, France, America and Russia, there was no love lost between America and Russia, which was something that translated well into the film. Tensions run high in the film, as Martins faces a number of obstacles that prevent him from finding the truth, including some of his key witnesses being murdered, Lime's ex girlfriend and army officers who are initially unwilling to help.
Finally, we come to the famous speech of the film and probably what provides the biggest food for thought:
"You know what the fellow said – in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
Are good results the result of bad environments or intentions? Is it possible for good consequences to stem from good environments? Is it ever as black and white as this? Let me know your thoughts below.
Set in post-WW2 Vienna, American writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) arrives in Vienna to meet his childhood friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) only to discover that Lime has been killed in a traffic accident. Suspecting there is something more to it, Cotten embarks on an investigation to find the truth and to discover who the mysterious third man present at Lime's death was.
The Third Man has become known as a standout classic in the Film Noir and thriller genres and its easy to see why. This is a film that has received considerable praise for its unconventional "Dutch Camera" angles and harsh stage lighting, which all contribute to the tone and tension of the film. The highly stylised monochrome cinematography made the film atmospheric and suspenseful. Although, of course, nothing new now, the "Dutch Camera" angles helped to set the Third Man apart from other noir films of the era, like Casablanca, Double Indemnity and Citizen Kane. The quirky tilt shots and angles were engaging and added a new facet to the film. They also contributed to the unsettled tone of the film by emphasising how alienated and out of place the characters were, especially the American, Holly Martins.
Finally, we come to the famous speech of the film and probably what provides the biggest food for thought:
"You know what the fellow said – in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
Sunday, 11 December 2016
The Sting Review
Number 98 on the Top 1000 films of all time is the 1973 Caper film: The Sting.
Set during the height of the Great Depression in 1936, Johnny Hooker, (Robert Redford) Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) and Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe) con an unassuming victim. The only problem is that their unassuming victim is revealed to be working for local crime boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) who kills Coleman. In revenge, Hooker teams up with a group of con artists including Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to take Lonnegan for all that he has.
The Sting is an interesting film due to how it romanticises Hooker and Gondorff who are essentially criminals. They're supposed to be protagonists when compared against the antagonist Lonnegan who is the true villain. However, due to Hooker and Gondorff's profession as con artists they are still criminals. They're thieves if highly glorified thieves. This is why it's so fascinating that they are the heroes of the Sting. Despite this contrast of roles, the film works. I think this is down to both Redford's charisma, but also his chemistry with Newman. Gondorff is supposed to be about twenty years older than Hooker and a definite father-son relationship was present. Robert Shaw also plays Lonnegan suitably villainously.
Another reason why the Sting succeeds is its technical layout. The film is played out in separate sections with title cards denoting the start of the next stage of the long con. This helped to structure the film and to clarify the various sections of a long con, which could be confusing for some. I also quite liked how the film didn't take itself too seriously. The Sting makes constant, anachronistic, use of ragtime ditties, which gives it a lighter tone. The nature of the film could have led it to be very downbeat, but, thankfully, it is kept light-hearted and entertaining.
Finally, it is important to consider the social context of the film when inspecting the characters. Like I was saying before, it is easy to condemn Gondorff and Hooker as criminals, due to their profession as grifters. However, the Sting takes place during the Great Depression, a horrific time of poverty that drove men to do whatever they had to survive. Certainly compared to Lonnegan, Hooker and Gondorff aren't bad men, they just have to do bad things so that they can live their lives. Do their circumstances justify their actions? Can you ever legitimise stealing regardless of its form? This is another question for another review in another time.
Set during the height of the Great Depression in 1936, Johnny Hooker, (Robert Redford) Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) and Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe) con an unassuming victim. The only problem is that their unassuming victim is revealed to be working for local crime boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) who kills Coleman. In revenge, Hooker teams up with a group of con artists including Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to take Lonnegan for all that he has.
Wednesday, 7 December 2016
Hunted Episode 6 Review
Over the last 6 weeks, we've come to known 10 fugitives who have made the brave and foolhardy decision to go on the run and evade a group of crack Hunters for 28 days. If they win, then they get a share of £100,000.
3 days left and we only have 4 fugitives left: let's remind ourselves of how we got this far:
Firstly, we have Yorkshire girls, Anna May and Elizabeth Garnett. The girls are young and naive, but very spunky and endearing. They've managed to stay out of the Hunters' clutches by hitch-hiking and being unpredictable.
Secondly, we have Ayo from Hackney, London. Ayo originally started out as a pair with best friend Madu, but clashing personality differences led to the pair splitting. The organised, methodical Madu became infuriated with the loose cannon Ayo and left him. Although it's seemed to work out for the unpredictable Ayo as he's still on the run whereas Madu has been caught.
Lastly, we've come to my favourite fugitive, the family-man Nick Cummings. Having been a house-husband for 17 years, he went on the run to prove himself and he's managed to evade the Hunters by being constantly underestimated. However, he's gone from strength to strength and has a great chance of winning.
Let's start with Anna and Elizabeth. Last episode, the two girls returned to their home county of Yorkshire and it is revealed that they are hiding out with a stranger called Nigel in Wensleydale. Nigel tips them off about the social media campaign that the Hunters have launched against them and the two girls decide to hike to a service station to hitchhike their way to safety. To get to the service station, they hike their way through the Yorkshire Dales. However, the Hunters suspecting that this is the girls' plan, send teams to track them down before they reach the station. They send up a drone into the sky with thermal imaging technology that quickly spots the girls. Firstly, this is terrifying. How the hell do you hide from a piece of technology that can identify you from your body heat? Anna and Elizabeth weren't able to hide from it. Upon seeing the drone, they panic and run to the closest road where they hitch a lift from pensioner Maureen. Let's quickly acknowledge how awesome Maureen is. She unquestioningly helps the girls and even when the Hunters emerge and demand that she stop, she carries on driving. Again, what did the Hunters expect? They just yelled at this old woman and ripped her car door open. Of course she's going to drive off. Alas, this was only a brief respite for the girls. After Maureen drops the girls off, they are quickly caught by the Hunters when they're unable to find an escape route. Anna and Elizabeth were on the run for 25 days and although they didn't make it to the end, they should be very proud of themselves.
Onto loose cannon Ayo. After almost being caught after an ill-thought out plan to return to Hackney, a couple of episodes ago, we see that Ayo is hiding in Daventry with stranger Lisa, her daughter Hayley and boyfriend Kirk. Ayo is told that his extraction point is under a pier in Kent and he has to reach there by 1PM on the final day. The Hunters knowing that their time is running out decide to see if they can turn Madu against Ayo. They offer him a £1000 to betray Ayo, but Madu plays it smartly and asks for £50,000, which is instantly rejected. I think the Hunters missed out on a trick here. Maybe Madu could have helped to bring down Ayo. Back in Daventry, Hayley and Kirk decide to take Ayo part of the way, but then they call up the Hunters preparing to betray Ayo if the price is right. In the end, they decide against it as the money is too low. They come clean to Ayo and drop him off in nearby Bicester. Here Ayo makes contact with one of his friends who drives him to a nearby hotel for Ayo's final night on the run. I'm glad to see that Ayo has been learning from his mistakes and is refusing to take any more risks.
Lastly, we've come to Nick Cummings who started as completely incompetent, but is now a real front-runner. I fully acknowledge that I was wrong to undervalue him and I think that the smart money's on him. Deputy Ben Owen of the Hunters has constantly described him as a "grey man," which is a perfect description and one of the main reasons why I had so sinfully underestimated him. Nick is hiding in Buckinghamshire and is ratted out by a stranger, as well as being caught on CCTV. The Hunters go in for the kill, but Nick makes it out just in time. He hitches a lift and is taken in by a stranger called Sarah who tips him off about how the Hunters know what he looks like. He wisely changes his clothes and is taken to stay with Sarah's friend Barbara for his final night on the run.
Whilst the fugitives have been scrabbling to the finish line, the Hunters have been trying to discover where the extraction point is. Last year it was in an airfield in Surrey, so initially they consider this option. But then they start to wonder whether the fugitives could escape by boat. They notice a boat that is suspiciously hiding around the Isle of Sheppey and determine this is where the fugitives will be taken upon their escape. This was a bit weird to me. Why would the boat just be hanging around there? Surely that would be suspicious? Anyway, the Hunters then try their best to determine where the boat would pick up Nick and Ayo. Having determined this, they send all of their ground teams to lie in wait. This is when they realise that they are on the wrong side of the bay and scrabble to reach the other side, but their incompetency costs them dearly, as both Ayo and Nick have escaped to safety.
Words cannot express how happy I am that Nick managed to escape. He has been the heart and soul of the series and the dedication that he has shown to his family is just adorable. Nick, you have definitely proven your self-worth and you are so much more than just a house-husband. Don't forget that. You have made everybody proud.
And of course, congratulations goes out to Ayo. He has had a rocky journey due to his recklessness, but his sheer audacity has made him great entertainment. Just like Nick, he is a family man and now he has £50,000 to take home to his family. Although if the Hunters hadn't been so stubborn in refusing Madu's request, maybe Ayo wouldn't have made it to the end. Furthermore, the Hunters have all been a bit incompetent in this series. There were plenty of opportunities where they could have caught the fugitives, but they didn't.
That's it for one year, I hope you enjoyed it. And as always, never tell me your plans for going on the run in the comments below, who knows who's reading?
Top tips for going on the run:
1. As always don't trust anyone. This was the downfall of Anna and Elizabeth (worthy runners up) and could have been the downfall of Ayo.
2. Change your appearance like Nick. This keeps you unpredictable.
3. If the Hunters offer you money to betray someone then always ask for more. What do you have to lose?
3 days left and we only have 4 fugitives left: let's remind ourselves of how we got this far:
Firstly, we have Yorkshire girls, Anna May and Elizabeth Garnett. The girls are young and naive, but very spunky and endearing. They've managed to stay out of the Hunters' clutches by hitch-hiking and being unpredictable.
Secondly, we have Ayo from Hackney, London. Ayo originally started out as a pair with best friend Madu, but clashing personality differences led to the pair splitting. The organised, methodical Madu became infuriated with the loose cannon Ayo and left him. Although it's seemed to work out for the unpredictable Ayo as he's still on the run whereas Madu has been caught.
Lastly, we've come to my favourite fugitive, the family-man Nick Cummings. Having been a house-husband for 17 years, he went on the run to prove himself and he's managed to evade the Hunters by being constantly underestimated. However, he's gone from strength to strength and has a great chance of winning.
Let's start with Anna and Elizabeth. Last episode, the two girls returned to their home county of Yorkshire and it is revealed that they are hiding out with a stranger called Nigel in Wensleydale. Nigel tips them off about the social media campaign that the Hunters have launched against them and the two girls decide to hike to a service station to hitchhike their way to safety. To get to the service station, they hike their way through the Yorkshire Dales. However, the Hunters suspecting that this is the girls' plan, send teams to track them down before they reach the station. They send up a drone into the sky with thermal imaging technology that quickly spots the girls. Firstly, this is terrifying. How the hell do you hide from a piece of technology that can identify you from your body heat? Anna and Elizabeth weren't able to hide from it. Upon seeing the drone, they panic and run to the closest road where they hitch a lift from pensioner Maureen. Let's quickly acknowledge how awesome Maureen is. She unquestioningly helps the girls and even when the Hunters emerge and demand that she stop, she carries on driving. Again, what did the Hunters expect? They just yelled at this old woman and ripped her car door open. Of course she's going to drive off. Alas, this was only a brief respite for the girls. After Maureen drops the girls off, they are quickly caught by the Hunters when they're unable to find an escape route. Anna and Elizabeth were on the run for 25 days and although they didn't make it to the end, they should be very proud of themselves.
Onto loose cannon Ayo. After almost being caught after an ill-thought out plan to return to Hackney, a couple of episodes ago, we see that Ayo is hiding in Daventry with stranger Lisa, her daughter Hayley and boyfriend Kirk. Ayo is told that his extraction point is under a pier in Kent and he has to reach there by 1PM on the final day. The Hunters knowing that their time is running out decide to see if they can turn Madu against Ayo. They offer him a £1000 to betray Ayo, but Madu plays it smartly and asks for £50,000, which is instantly rejected. I think the Hunters missed out on a trick here. Maybe Madu could have helped to bring down Ayo. Back in Daventry, Hayley and Kirk decide to take Ayo part of the way, but then they call up the Hunters preparing to betray Ayo if the price is right. In the end, they decide against it as the money is too low. They come clean to Ayo and drop him off in nearby Bicester. Here Ayo makes contact with one of his friends who drives him to a nearby hotel for Ayo's final night on the run. I'm glad to see that Ayo has been learning from his mistakes and is refusing to take any more risks.
Lastly, we've come to Nick Cummings who started as completely incompetent, but is now a real front-runner. I fully acknowledge that I was wrong to undervalue him and I think that the smart money's on him. Deputy Ben Owen of the Hunters has constantly described him as a "grey man," which is a perfect description and one of the main reasons why I had so sinfully underestimated him. Nick is hiding in Buckinghamshire and is ratted out by a stranger, as well as being caught on CCTV. The Hunters go in for the kill, but Nick makes it out just in time. He hitches a lift and is taken in by a stranger called Sarah who tips him off about how the Hunters know what he looks like. He wisely changes his clothes and is taken to stay with Sarah's friend Barbara for his final night on the run.
Whilst the fugitives have been scrabbling to the finish line, the Hunters have been trying to discover where the extraction point is. Last year it was in an airfield in Surrey, so initially they consider this option. But then they start to wonder whether the fugitives could escape by boat. They notice a boat that is suspiciously hiding around the Isle of Sheppey and determine this is where the fugitives will be taken upon their escape. This was a bit weird to me. Why would the boat just be hanging around there? Surely that would be suspicious? Anyway, the Hunters then try their best to determine where the boat would pick up Nick and Ayo. Having determined this, they send all of their ground teams to lie in wait. This is when they realise that they are on the wrong side of the bay and scrabble to reach the other side, but their incompetency costs them dearly, as both Ayo and Nick have escaped to safety.
Words cannot express how happy I am that Nick managed to escape. He has been the heart and soul of the series and the dedication that he has shown to his family is just adorable. Nick, you have definitely proven your self-worth and you are so much more than just a house-husband. Don't forget that. You have made everybody proud.
And of course, congratulations goes out to Ayo. He has had a rocky journey due to his recklessness, but his sheer audacity has made him great entertainment. Just like Nick, he is a family man and now he has £50,000 to take home to his family. Although if the Hunters hadn't been so stubborn in refusing Madu's request, maybe Ayo wouldn't have made it to the end. Furthermore, the Hunters have all been a bit incompetent in this series. There were plenty of opportunities where they could have caught the fugitives, but they didn't.
That's it for one year, I hope you enjoyed it. And as always, never tell me your plans for going on the run in the comments below, who knows who's reading?
Top tips for going on the run:
1. As always don't trust anyone. This was the downfall of Anna and Elizabeth (worthy runners up) and could have been the downfall of Ayo.
2. Change your appearance like Nick. This keeps you unpredictable.
3. If the Hunters offer you money to betray someone then always ask for more. What do you have to lose?
Saturday, 3 December 2016
Rashomon Review
Number 97 on the top 1000 greatest films of all time is another Japanese jidaigeki film from the 50's: Rashomon.
Rashomon's narrative is simple. A samurai and his wife are walking in the woods; a bandit then appears, ties up the samurai, rapes his wife and then kills the samurai. Things become more complicated when the bandit, the wife, the samurai (through a medium) and the woodcutter who reports the crime, give conflicting testimonies in court.
Rashomon became well-known for pioneering the plot device of having different characters providing alternative and contradictory versions of truth. This is what makes it such an interesting morality tale about how various people can manipulate the truth to suit their own purposes. For example, the bandit wishing to portray both him and the samurai honorably claims that they duelled valiantly with the bandit being the victor. However, when the wife gives her story, she argues that the bandit left after raping her, which is when she frees her husband and begs him to kill her so that she does not live with her shame. Upon seeing his look of contempt, she faints and wakes up to find that he is dead.
Things become more complicated when the samurai himself, through a medium, reports his version of events. After the bandit has raped his wife, she promises to leave with him, after she has killed her husband, so that two men do not know her dishonour. The bandit, shocked by her request, instead frees the samurai who then kills himself. Finally, the woodcutter throws a spanner in the works by recounting his story. He says that the witnessed the rape and the murder, but didn't want to become involved in the trial. The woodcutter claims that the bandit begs the woman to marry him, but instead she frees her husband and commands him to fight for her honour. The samurai refuses saying that he will not fight for a spoiled woman, to which the wife emasculates both the samurai and bandit, and goads them into duelling each other. After a cowardly, pitiful fight, the bandit kills the samurai, and the wife flees. However, then the woodcutter's story is drawn into question, when it is revealed that he stole the samurai's dagger.
These four conflicting stories explore how malleable the truth can be and by the film's conclusion, it is not revealed what has actually occurred. Rather it is left down to the viewer to draw their own conclusions. And in situations like this, I always think this is the best thing to do. Take elements from all available resources and draw your own basis.
Although, Rashomon was an interesting tale about human morality, it wasn't perfect. It wasn't engaging throughout and there were many occasions where I did become bored. Intercut with the courtroom scenes were flashbacks to the actual crime, however, these weren't as enthralling as they could have been. Some of the crime scenes were shot without music and as such the dramatic tension just dissipated. It wasn't that Rashomon was difficult to follow, it just wasn't nearly as interesting or as engaging as it could have been.
Whose story do you think is the truthful one? I'm inclined to believe the woodcutter, as he is theoretically the only neutral party. The wife's story is too vague, the bandit's too romanticised and the samurai's too dubious, as it was told through a medium. However, as already discussed, the woodcutter stole the samurai's dagger proving that everyone is selfish, dishonest and motivated by self-interest.
Rashomon's narrative is simple. A samurai and his wife are walking in the woods; a bandit then appears, ties up the samurai, rapes his wife and then kills the samurai. Things become more complicated when the bandit, the wife, the samurai (through a medium) and the woodcutter who reports the crime, give conflicting testimonies in court.
Whose story do you think is the truthful one? I'm inclined to believe the woodcutter, as he is theoretically the only neutral party. The wife's story is too vague, the bandit's too romanticised and the samurai's too dubious, as it was told through a medium. However, as already discussed, the woodcutter stole the samurai's dagger proving that everyone is selfish, dishonest and motivated by self-interest.
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