In Rashomon, a fairly straightforward story of rape and murder twists and turns as it is told and then retold three times from the point-of-view of the bandit perpetrator, the murdered samurai, his wife and a nameless woodcutter.
In Hero, the unidentified Hero (known only as Nameless) comes before the King of Qin to claim the reward the King has offered for the defeat of three legendary assassins. As Nameless tells his tale, the King expresses skepticism, and the perspective of the assassins is also incorporated as Nameless and the King conduct a verbal dance to discover (or conceal) the truth.
Which school does it better -- the old, or the new? Duke it out tonight; the first film screens at 6 p.m. at the Starz FilmCenter in the Tivoli, followed by a pizza-and-soda intermission and the second film. Admission is $12 to $15; visit www.denverfilm.org or call 303-595-3456.
Fri., Dec. 19, 2008