Takashi Shimura
Takashi Shimura appeared in over 200 films during his 47 year career as an actor, and of Kurosawa’s 30 films the actor appeared in 21. He began work in the theatre as well as doing radio plays and soon had his first speaking part in the ‘talkies’ in 1935. Shimura's character, in Rashomon, represents the choice that one has in life to either do good or bad. And, while his character doesn’t commit a crime, he lies about what he saw because he didn’t want to get involved. The woodcutter is the heart of this story, because if he had taken action during the bandit's attack, perhaps the story would have turned out very differently. In his choice to care for the child at the end of the film we see a man who is choosing to do good despite his past ambivalence.
Kichijiro Uedu
Kichijiro Ueda is The Thief in this film. What stands out in his performance is his indifference. He’s already made up his mind as to the way the world works, and he doesn’t believe it will change so, then neither will he. He represents the majority of people who are unwilling to examine their behavior and decide to change. Because, if the world won’t change, why should he?
Minoru Chiaki
Minoru Chiaki plays The Priest, a man of deep faith who is challenged in his beliefs upon hearing the story of the murder. What speaks most in Chiaki’s performance is the silences he chooses. What’s going on underneath gives the viewer a lot to watch as this character is a man of religion, but struggles also with being a man of the world. Chiaki would later appear in other Kurosawa films and had a long 40+ year career making films.
Toshiro Mifune
Toshiro Mifune is one of the most well known actors in Japan. He worked with Kurosawa on 16 films, making him a near staple in all of the director’s work. Kurosawa discovered Mifune as an unknown actor, but saw in him someone who could get across more to an audience than anyone he typically saw. Rashomon brought him and Kurosawa international recognition, and as the macho samurai cowboy, Tajomaru became known all over the world. The intensity and wildness with which Mifune plays Tajomaru makes the character feel almost like an animal trapped in a human body, thus making his bandit even more interesting and alarming.
Machiko Kyo
Machiko Kyo did nearly all of her film work during the 1950s. She trained as a revue dancer before becoming a film actress. Notably, she was nominated for a Golden Globe in The Teahouse of the August Moon alongside Marlon Brando. In Rashomon, one of her first films, Kyo brings a great fierceness combined with a fragility that serves the misunderstanding of the story beautifully. And, her mimicking Mifune’s animalistic laughter really brings out a side of the character we don’t expect to see, deepening the confusion we have about the story as well as the person.
Masayuki Mori
Masayuki Mori plays the samurai. We initially see him and believe that he is a man who knows how to protect himself and his wife, but as the story unfolds we see a man who appears to make poor choices, and has his own very real fears about dying. Mori appeared in many of Kurosawa’s films including The Idiot and The Bad Sleep Well over his 40-year career.
Noriko Honma
Noriko Honma plays The Medium in this film. She is very physical in this role which gives the character an eeriness that brought to life a woman channeling the dead. Honma did the majority of her film work during the 1950s. This was her first film working with Kurosawa, with whom she would later work in such classics as Ikiru and The Seven Samurai.
