The Rashamon phenomenon is simply the way that we gather and interpret information in our own minds and distinguish truth from falseness. Simply put, it is the way that we each rationalize and interpret what is being told to us. This is how two individuals can see the same movie or show and come up with two very different purposes or interpretations of what it was about. It is objectivity at its finest.
In the movie, I was drawn to the story of the wood cutter. He was not directly linked to the murder and rape, but was a witness to events. While it became clear in the end, he initially lied because he did not want to get involved with what was going on, he presented the story that showed little signs of self preservation. With each of the other stories, each character seemed to be telling events that made them victims in a since (the woman) and heroic in others (dead man) or overly strong (the bandit). Each character presented the need to tell the story in their favor except for the woodcutter. Even after admitting that he had lied, the woodcutter showed his humanity in telling the story and he told it while confirming events told by each of the other parties involved but with an unbiased and un-sensationalized viewpoint. After being humiliated by the beggar to whom he was telling the story, he continued to show his honesty and need to make amends by taking the infant home to be raised by him and his wife.
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