1. Jonghyun Choe
Period 4
15 November 2011
To what extent do you agree with the views of either Errol Morris or Roger Ebert with regard to
the film Rashomon?
Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film, Rashomon, examines different accounts of an incident
experienced by different characters: the samurai, the bandit, the wife and the woodcutter, who
explain different stories of samurai’s death and the rape of his wife. This film reveals different
ways of perception experienced by these four different characters, through their sight, sound,
taste, touch and smell. As people have dissimilar ways of feeling and perceiving the world, it is
often possible for truth to vary and be inaccurate. We see the ideas of different views on truth
through opinions of two critics, Errol Morris and Roger Ebert on Rashomon. Although both
viewpoints seem to be plausible and supported, Errol Morris’ idea of ultimate truth and reality
connects better to Rashomon than Roger Ebert’s thought which claims that Rahomon can only
provide us with limited answer: there can be no definite answer driven out from this film.
Roger Ebert makes an assertion for subjective reality where truth is relative and varies in
each individual. Believing that truth differs based on realm of consciousness, Ebert believes that
it is possible for people to possess multiple truths, gained by different perceptions and ways of
knowing. This becomes more evident when Ebert states that “all of the flashbacks are both true
and false” (Ebert: Rashomon Review). In addition, Ebert believes that humans have the motive
to lie when he states “it is unlike any of the original participants are lying for their own
advantage, since each claims to be the murderer”. This supports the idea that humans at times
can distort the real stories and truth for their self purposes making “the stories radically to a

2. disagreement” (Ebert: Rashomon Review). This claim becomes even clearer when Ebert
declares that the woodcutter “is travelling into another realm of reality”, making the flashbacks
“both true and false” (Ebert: Rashomon Review). Simply put, Ebert’s theory that subjective
reality can exist is supported in the film Rashomon where four different characters believe in
multiple truth and realities. Reasons for this can be due to multiple perceptions gained by each
character, and their tendency to “lie” and being “unable to be honest with themselves about
themselves” through their process of perceiving. This contradicts Morris’s opinion of absolute
truth in Rashomon, where Morris believes that there can be no certain way to figure out about
the actual incident that happened from different recounts that contradict each other.
While Ebert’s claim asserts that multiple truth can exist mutually at the same time, his
point seems to be disproved by Errol Morris who considers of ultimate truth and reality where
only one truth can exist. Morris does not believe in subjective reality “because just thinking
something does not make it so” (Interview with Errol Morris). This simple statement is further
discussed in relation to Plato, who believes that knowledge can be only achieved through
justification, truth and belief. Morris, who believes in the ultimate reality that there is only
knowledge that can be said as truth, claims that truth is independent of our perceptual
experiences. He thinks of Rashomon as a story that is “about self interest, self deception,
people imagining scenarios at variance with the truth” (Interview with Errol Morris). Although
according to Morris it is impossible to draw a definite conclusion about the real murderer of the
incident, Morris states that “truth exists, but people have a vested interest of not knowing it”
(Interview with Errol Morris). This indicates that the characters in Rashomon are utilizing
selective perception, using their perception to suit their needs rather than to tell of the actual
truth and reality. This contradicts Ebert’s viewpoint that multiple truths exist between
individuals because Morris believes that Rashomon is “not a movie but the subjectivity of truth”
and that “people see the world differently”, in another word, truth is relative and thus all
witnesses are at fault for changing the testimonies (Interview with Errol Morris). This evidently
shows us that Morris shares the same opinion as Plato that only one truth can exist.

3. Furthermore, Morris’s viewpoint can be additionally supported more through
connection with well renowned Greek philosopher, Plato. As mentioned from previous
argument, Plato’s definition of knowledge is composed of: justified, true, belief. This indicates
that first; there is only one truth that is eternal. Second, knowledge should be justified with
hard evidence and from reasoning, and lastly, knowledge should be an idea that must be
believed and truthful in order to be proved as knowledge. Although Morris’s idea may vary
slightly from Plato, in that Morris only believes in ‘truth’, Morris states that “idea that there is
no reality that truth is subjective, is foolish and unappetizing” (Interview with Errol Morris). This
clearly demonstrates Morris’s viewpoint that there is only concrete distinction between what
can be true or not; that truth is a black and white entity that cannot be affected by any external
factors such as human misperception. Morris’s idea differs greatly from Ebert’s in that as an
absolutist, Morris’s belief accepts only the objective reality. In relation to the Rashomon film,
Morris’s idea seems to be a better theory to follow because observing the case of the samurai’s
murder, it is almost certain that he was killed by one person. Ebert’s assertion that accepts all
four dissimilar stories seems implausible, because there was one incident regarding the murder,
thus one truth exists. We can relate Morris’s view on the scientific realism which is clearly
evident in Rashomon, where it would be proven that actual truth exists regardless of any
interpretations made by our five senses.
In reference to the views of perception and truth residing in the film Rashomon, both
critics Roger Ebert and Errol Morris provide their opposing viewpoints on subjective reality and
absolute truth. Although it is possible for humans to have different perceptual experiences thus
emphasizing the subjectivity of perception on recollection, known as the “Rashomon Effect”,
Errol Morris offers a logical viewpoint that only one truth can exist. We can draw not a definite
but a concise conclusion from Morris’s viewpoint about Rashomon: truth is absolute. If truth
cannot be proven from our experiences, coherence, experiences, we have to somehow discover
truth otherwise.

4. Works Cited
"Interview with Errol Morris." The Believer. Apr. 2004. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
"Rashomon :: Rogerebert.com :: Great Movies." Rogerebert.com :: Movie Reviews, Essays and
the Movie Answer Man from Film Critic Roger Ebert. 26 May 2002. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.