Original subtitles

RASHOMON

Based on “In a Grove” by Ryunosuke Akutagawa

Screenplay by Akira Kurosawa and Shinobu Hashimoto

Cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa

Starring

Toshiro Mifune

Machiko Kyo

Takashi Shimura

Masayuki Mori

Minoru Chiaki

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

I don’t understand …. I just don’t understand.

I don’t understand it at all.

I just don’t understand.

What’s wrong?

What don’t you understand?

I’ve never heard such a strange story.

Why don’t you tell me about it?

We happen to have a wise priest in our midst.

No, not even the renowned, wise priest from Kiyomizu Temple

has heard a story as strange as this.

So you know something about this strange story?

This man and I have just seen it and heard it ourselves.

—Where? —In the courthouse garden.

The courthouse?

A man was murdered.

Just one? So what?

On top of this gate, you’ll find at least five or six unclaimed bodies.

You’re right.

War, earthquake, winds,

fire, famine, the plague ….

Year after year, it’s been nothing but disasters.

And bandits descend upon us every night.

I’ve seen so many men getting killed like insects,

but even I have never heard a story as horrible as this.

Yes. So horrible.

This time, I may finally lose my faith in the human soul.

It’s worse than bandits, the plague,

famine, fire, or war.

Look here, priest.

Enough with the sermon.

It sounded interesting, at least while I kept out of the rain.

But if it’s a sermon, I’d sooner listen to the rain.

Hear me out. Maybe you can tell me what it means.

I don’t understand any of those three.

—Which three? —Well ….

I’ll tell you about them.

Calm down and tell me slowly.

The rain’s not going to stop any time soon.

RASHOMON

It was three days ago.

I went into the mountains to get wood.

I ran as fast as I could to tell the police.

Then, three days later—today— I was called to testify.

Yes. That’s right.

I was the one who first found the body.

What? Did I see a sword or something?

No, nothing at all.

Just a woman’s hat caught on a branch,

and the cap of a samurai that had been trampled on.

There was a cut-up piece of rope near the body,

and further along in the leaves, a shiny amulet case with red lining.

Yes.

That was all I found, yes.

Yes.

I met the murdered man before his death.

It was three days ago, in the afternoon.

On the road

from Sekiyama to Yamashina.

The woman had a veil, so I couldn’t see her face.

Little did I expect that he would meet such a fate.

A human life is truly as frail and fleeting as the morning dew.

What a shame that his should end this way.

I’m sorry.

This man I caught is Tajōmaru.

Yes, the notorious bandit everyone speaks of.

The last time I almost caught him, he looked the same

and he carried that same sword.

It was two days ago at dusk, by the banks of the Katsura ….

What’s wrong?

There were 17 arrows with eagle feathers,

a leather bow, and a horse.

All these belonged to the dead man, yes.

The irony of Tajōmaru being thrown off his stolen horse,

this had to be fateful retribution.

I fell off the horse? You fool!

On that day …

I was riding that horse and I was suddenly very thirsty.

So around Osaka, I drank from a spring.

There must have been a dead poisonous snake upstream.

After a while, I got an incredible stomachache.

By the time I came to the river, I couldn’t hold it any longer.

So I got off the horse and crouched in the field.

I fell off?

Obviously, a fool can think only foolish thoughts.

I know sooner or later you’ll have my neck,

so I’m not going to hide anything.

It was this Tajōmaru who killed that man.

I saw that couple three days ago. It was a hot afternoon.

Suddenly a cool breeze rustled the leaves.

If it hadn’t been for that wind, I wouldn’t have killed him.

I caught a glimpse and then she was gone.

Maybe that’s why.

I thought I saw a goddess.

At that moment I decided to capture her, even if I had to kill her man.

But if I could have her without killing, all the better.

My intention then was to take her without killing the man.

But I couldn’t do it on that road to Yamashina.

What do you want?

What do you want?

What is it?

Don’t be suspicious.

See? Isn’t this nice?

Take a good look at it.

There are some ruins over there.

When I dug up the mound, I found a heap of swords and mirrors.

I buried them in a grove behind the mountain so no one else would find them.

If you’re interested, I’ll sell them to you cheap.

It’s over there.

Walk ahead of me.

It’s here. Beyond those pines.

Your husband has taken sick.

Her face turned pale. She stared at me with frozen eyes,

her expression intense like a child’s.

When I saw that, I envied the man and I suddenly hated him.

I wanted to show her how pathetic he looked tied to that pine tree.

These thoughts that weren’t there before filled my head.

I had never seen such fierceness in a woman.

And so I had succeeded in having her without killing her husband.

I still had no intention of killing him.

But then ….

Wait!

Stop!

Either you die or my husband dies.

One of you must die.

To have my shame known to two men is worse than dying.

I will go with the survivor.

So I had to kill him, but I wanted to do it honourably.

He fought very well. We crossed swords 23 times.

I remember this because I’m still impressed.

No one had ever crossed swords with me more than 20 times.

What? The woman?

I don’t know.

When the man died, I turned to her. She was gone.

The fighting must have scared her and she ran away.

I ran out to the mountain road.

All I found was her horse grazing calmly.

I was attracted to her fierce spirit,

but, after all, she was just like other women.

I didn’t even look for her.

What? His sword?

I exchanged it in town for liquor.

What? Her dagger?

It had pearl inlay. Looked very valuable.

I totally forgot about it. That was foolish.

The biggest mistake I ever made!

Even amongst the bandits, Tajōmaru is famous for being a womanizer.

Why, last fall, a young wife went to the temple and she and her maid

were found dead in the mountains. That must have been him too.

Who knows what really happened to that woman who left her horse?

Well,

that woman showed up at the courthouse.

She was hiding in the temple when the police found her.

It’s a lie.

It’s all a lie. Tajōmaru’s story and the woman’s.

It’s human to lie.

Most of the time we can’t even be honest with ourselves.

That may be.

But it’s because men are weak that they lie, even to themselves.

Not another sermon.

I don’t care if it’s a lie, as long as it’s entertaining.

What story did the woman come up with?

Well, it’s completely different from Tajōmaru’s story.

So different that her face didn’t even show the fierceness he spoke of.

She was so docile, she was almost pitiful.

That man in the blue kimono,

after forcing me to yield to him,

proudly announced that he was the infamous Tajōmaru,

and laughed mockingly at my husband who was tied up.

How horrified my husband must have been.

The more he struggled,

the tighter the ropes dug in.

I ran to his side. Or rather, I tried to.

Even now, when I think of his eyes,

my blood turns cold in my veins.

What I saw in them was neither anger,

nor sorrow,

but a cold light, a look of loathing.

Don’t.

Don’t look at me like that.

It’s too cruel.

Beat me,

kill me, but don’t look at me like that. Please, stop.

Now kill me.

Kill me at once.

Stop.

Don’t.

Please don’t.

I must have fainted after that.

When I came to and looked around ….

Imagine my shock.

I saw my dagger in my dead husband’s chest.

I was in shock

and I don’t remember how I left the woods.

But when I came to,

I was standing by the pond,

at the foot of the hill.

I threw myself into the pond.

I tried many different things.

But I failed to kill myself.

What should a poor, helpless woman like me do?

I see. The more I hear, the more confused I get.

But women use their tears to fool everyone.

They even fool themselves.

So you have to beware of the woman’s story.

When you hear the dead man’s story—

He’s dead. How can he tell his story?

He spoke through a medium.

Lies. His story was also lies.

But dead men don’t lie.

Why is that?

I refuse to believe that man would be so sinful.

Suit yourself.

But is there anyone who’s really good?

Maybe goodness is just make-believe.

What a frightening—

Man just wants to forget the bad stuff

and believe in the made-up good stuff.

—It’s easier that way. —Ridiculous.

Never mind.

Let’s hear the dead man’s story.

I am in darkness now.

I am suffering in the dark.

Cursed be those who cast me into this dark hell.

After the bandit attacked my wife, he tried to console her.

She sat on the leaves, staring down at her knees.

The bandit was cunning.

Now that her virtue was stained,

she could no longer be with her husband.

Leave the husband and why not marry him instead?

He said he only attacked her out of his love for her.

When she heard that, my wife raised her face as if in a trance.

She had never looked so beautiful.

And what was my beautiful wife’s response to the bandit

in front of her helpless husband?

Wherever.

Take me wherever you want.

That’s what she said.

But that wasn’t her only sin

or I wouldn’t be suffering in the dark like this.

Please kill him.

While he’s alive, I cannot go with you.

Kill him!

Those words were like a wind that

threatened to blow me into the depths of darkness.

Has such a hateful thing ever been uttered by a human before?

Even the bandit turned pale at those words.

Please kill him.

What do you want me to do with her?

Kill her or save her? You only have to nod.

For these words alone, I was ready to pardon his crime.

Kill her or let her go?

I don’t know how many hours passed.

She got away. Now I’ll have to worry about my own fate.

Everything was silent.

I heard someone crying.

Someone is crying.

Who is that?

Everything was silent.

How quiet it was.

Suddenly the sun went away.

I was enveloped in deep silence.

I lay there in the stillness.

Then someone quietly approached me.

That someone gently withdrew the dagger from my heart.

It’s not true!

There was no dagger. He was killed by a sword.

Now it’s getting interesting.

It seems you saw the whole thing.

So why didn’t you tell the court?

I didn’t want to get involved.

You can talk about it here, right?

Tell me, then.

Your story seems to be the most interesting.

I don’t want to hear it. No more horror stories.

They are common stories these days.

I even heard that the demon living here in Rashomon

fled in fear of the ferocity of man.

Come on. How much do you know?

I found the woman’s hat in the mountains.

You already said that.

About 20 yards further, I heard a woman crying.

From behind a bush, I saw a man tied up,

a woman crying and Tajōmaru.

So you lied

when you said you found the body.

I didn’t want to get involved.

All right, then.

Go on. What was Tajōmaru doing?

He was down on his knees, begging the woman for forgiveness.

Until now, whenever I wanted to do something bad, I did it.

That way I suffered less.

But today, it’s different.

I already had you, but I only want you more. It’s very hard.

I beg you to be my wife.

The notorious bandit Tajōmaru is begging you on his hands and knees.

If you wish, I’ll even stop being a bandit.

I have enough stashed away to give you a lavish life.

And if you don’t want my dirty money, I’ll even work.

I’ll stoop to selling odds and ends on the street to support you.

I’ll do anything if you come with me.

Marry me, please.

If you say no, I have no choice but to kill you.

Please, say yes.

Stop crying and answer me.

Tell me you’ll be my wife!

Say it!

It’s impossible.

How could I, a woman, say anything?

I get it. You mean it’s up to us men to decide.

Hold it!

I refuse to risk my life for such a woman.

You’ve been with two men. Why don’t you kill yourself?

Hopeless.

I don’t want this shameless whore. You can have her.

At this stage, I’d rather lose her instead of the horse.

—Wait! —Don’t follow me!

Stop crying. It’s not going to work anymore.

Stop it. Don’t bully her.

Women are weak by nature.

It’s you who are weak.

If you are my husband,

why don’t you kill this man?

Then you can tell me to kill myself. That’s a real man.

You’re not a real man either.

When I heard you were Tajōmaru, I stopped crying.

I was sick of this tiresome daily farce.

I thought, “Tajōmaru might get me out of this.”

If he’d only save me, I’d do anything for him.

I thought to myself.

But you were just as petty as my husband.

Just remember: A woman loves a man who loves passionately.

A man has to make a woman his by his sword.

I don’t want to die!

So that’s the real story.

I don’t tell lies. I saw it with my own eyes.

I doubt it.

It’s true. I don’t lie.

No one lies after he says he’s going to do so.

It’s horrifying.

If men don’t trust each other, this earth might as well be hell.

That’s right. This world is hell.

No, I believe in men.

I don’t want this place to be hell.

Shouting doesn’t help.

Think about it. Out of these three, whose story is believable?

No idea.

No idea.

In the end, you cannot understand the things men do.

What are you doing?

What’s it to you?

—That’s terrible! —Terrible?

Someone else would have taken the kimono. Why shouldn’t I?

—It’s evil. —Evil?

What about this kid’s parents?

They had their fun and then they throw out the kid? They’re evil.

No, you’re wrong.

Look at the amulet on the kimono. It was left to protect the baby.

Think about what they went through to abandon this baby.

I don’t have time to mind everyone’s feelings.

—You selfish …. —What’s wrong with that?

Dogs are better off in this world.

If you’re not selfish, you can’t survive.

Damn it.

Everyone is selfish and dishonest.

Making excuses.

The bandit, the woman, the man and you!

And you aren’t? That’s funny.

You may have fooled the court, but not me.

So what did you do with the dagger?

The valuable one with the pearl inlay

that Tajōmaru was talking about?

What happened to it? Did it disappear in the grass?

If you didn’t, who stole it?

It seems I’m right.

A bandit calling another a bandit. Now that’s selfish.

Do you have anything else to say?

If not, I’ll be going.

What are you doing? Taking what little it has left?

I have six kids of my own.

Another one wouldn’t make a difference.

I am ashamed of what I said.

It’s inevitable to be suspicious of others on a day like this.

I’m the one who should be ashamed.

I don’t understand my own soul.

No, I’m grateful to you.

Thanks to you,

I think I can keep my faith in man.

Don’t mention it.

THE END