The CMRS film series has returned! This semester, we're focusing on films about medieval Japan to align with the current course on Medieval Kyoto (MedRen 3211).
Movies are at 7:00 pm on Wednesday nights in 180 Hagerty Hall, followed by a brief talk and Q+A. Pizza and refreshments will be served. These screenings are free and are open to all. This semester's schedule includes:
August 27 - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
September 17 - Onmyōji (The Yin Yang Master) (2001)
October 22 - Rashōmon (1950)
November 19 - Battle League Horumō (2009)
This month's film is Rashōmon, (1950). A riveting psychological thriller that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice, Rashōmon is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. Four people give different accounts of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife, which director Akira Kurosawa presents with striking imagery and an ingenious use of flashbacks. This eloquent masterwork and international sensation revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema—and a commanding new star by the name of Toshirō Mifune—to the Western world. Rashōmon is now considered one of the most influential movies from the 20th century. It pioneered the Rashōmon effect, a plot device that involves various characters providing subjective, alternative and contradictory versions of the same incident. In 1999, critic Andrew Johnston asserted that "the film's title has become synonymous with its chief narrative conceit."
The AU25 course on medieval Kyoto specifically focuses on the city’s medieval period, from its founding in 794 to the late 16th century. This was a period in which Kyoto’s cultural identity emerged, and, in view of Kyoto as the site of national authority during this duration, the broader Japanese cultural identity. Studying this timespan in the life of Kyoto lets us follow transformations in the lived environments of the city as it moves from imperial to shōgun military rule.
Find more information on each movie in the series on their individual listing on our event calendar. Questions? Email cmrs@osu.edu with any questions.
Hosted by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and the Humanities Institute.
