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A classic remembered

15.09.11

In 1952, for the first time an International Film Festival had come to Madras and one of the films screened created a sensation. The film, from Japan, drew large crowds when it was publicly screened later at a city cinema hall, where it enjoyed an unusually long run. Many people watched the movie more than once because nobody understood what the ending was! And it had no conventional ending. The film was ‘Rashomon.'

The movie had created history in 1951 at the Venice Film Festival where it won a prestigious award, and later, it received the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in America.

With ‘Rashomon' (1950) a mega talent, who had been virtually unknown to the rest of the world, erupted on the global cinema scene. The filmmaker was Akira Kurosawa.

The Japanese Consul in Los Angeles accepted the Oscar on Kurosawa's behalf and in his acceptance speech, he never even referred to the celebrated director! His speech raised titters and when it ended, an ironical cheer arose that the Consul misunderstood and bowed repeatedly!

Source: The Hindu