While Ridley Scott hasn’t had a bona fide hit in quite some time, some movies have performed worse than others. Gladiator II made around $460 million at the global box office, but it cost a reported $300 million to produce. Similarly, Napoleon barely recouped its reported $200 million budget at the box office. But another recent movie directed by Scott emerged as one of his biggest bombs ever. The movie in question, The Last Duel, grossed just $30 million worldwide against a reported budget of $100 million, and featured the likes of Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, and Ben Affleck in the cast. It received tremendous reviews and has certainly fared better at home. The Last Duel was directly influenced by a classic that’s currently streaming on HBO Max, but not for much longer.
The classic was released in 1950, which makes it 76 years old. Such was its impact on cinema and culture that its title has come to define an entire narrative structure. The film tells the story of a samurai’s murder from three different perspectives. It starred the legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune and was directed by Akira Kurosawa. The recipient of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, the movie was also honored with the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Here’s How Long You Have Left to Watch the Japanese Classic on HBO Max
We’re talking, of course, about Rashomon. The movie now holds a near-perfect 98% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “One of legendary director Akira Kurosawa’s most acclaimed films, Rashomon features an innovative narrative structure, brilliant acting, and a thoughtful exploration of reality versus perception.” In addition to The Last Duel, films such as Reservoir Dogs and The Usual Suspects, and even the Star Wars show The Acolyte, have been influenced by Rashomon. Along with Kurosawa’s other classics Seven Samurai and Ikiru, the movie will be removed from HBO Max on September 30. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
-
August 25, 1950
- Runtime
-
88 Minutes
- Director
-
Akira Kurosawa
- Writers
-
Ryunosoke Akutagawa, Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto















You must be logged in to post a comment Login