Assessment discussion of Rashomon: The first half of class is a discussion about the narrative structure of Rashomon. These questions may help prompt students:

• What were your observations about the narrative structure of Rashomon?
  
• How were the four different versions of the murder different?
  
• How did the narrative structure help to convey uncertainty and moral ambiguity in the film? Why do you think Kurosawa chose to structure the film in this way?
  

Since their responses should already be turned in, it will be helpful to review the students' responses. From these responses, choose particular interesting/competent portions of responses and have those students comment on what they have written.

Anticipatory set: Transition from the discussion of narrative structure by asking the students to think about how the camera moved in the films that they have already watched. In Amélie, Jeunet used some very elaborate camera movements, while Rashomon was shot with in a very static manner. The comparison of these two films should lead to a discussion about interesting choices in camera movement.

Questions such as these may help prompt discussion:

• How does the camera movement in these films differ?
  
• Considering what you have already thought about Amélie, what does Jeunet possibly convey through his chosen camera movement? What does Kurosawa convey in the camera movement of Rashomon?
  
• Why did these filmmakers choose to move the camera as they did?
  

This should lead into a discussion about the significance of camera movement—the meaning and connotation inherent in the moving camera.

Lecture: There are several ways a camera can move in a film. “The pan (short for panorama) movement rotates the camera on a vertical axis. The camera as a whole does not move to a new position. Onscreen, the pan gives the impression of a frame horizontally scanning space. It is as if the camera 'turns its head' right or left . . . .

“The tilt movement rotates the camera on a horizontal axis. It is as if the camera's head were swiveling up or down. Again, the entire camera does not change position. Onscreen, the tilt movement yields the impression of unrolling a space from top to bottom or bottom to top . . . .

“In the tracking, or dolly or trucking, shot,, the camera as a whole does change position, traveling in any direction along the ground—forward, backward, circularly, diagonally, or from side to side . . . .

“In the crane shot the camera moves above ground level. Typically, it rises or descends, often thanks to a mechanical arm that lifts and lowers it” (Bordwell and Thompson 267).

“Visually, camera movements have several arresting effects. They often increase information about the space of the image. Objects become more vivid and sharper than in stationary framings. New objects or figures are usually revealed. Tracking shots and crane shots supply continually changing perspective on passing objects as the frame constantly shifts it orientation. Objects appear more solid and three-dimensional when the camera arcs (i.e., tracks along a curved path) around them. Pan and tilt shots present space as continuous, both horizontally and vertically” (Bordwell and Thompson 269).

Camera movement is often employed to further convey meaning in films. Moving a camera is a deliberate action that usually carefully planned for a specific purpose. Likewise, camera stasis is also often a deliberate choice. Thus, recognizing how the camera moves and why is an important part of analyzing a film.

Discussion: After these remarks on how filmmakers choose to move the camera to capture the images of the film, prompt discussion about structure by asking questions such as:

• What other films have you seen that employed significant camera movement? How did the camera move? Why did it move?
  
• What impression did the camera movement leave on you? How did it affect the film?
  

Classroom practice: This discussion should prepare the class for the next segment of the lecture, in which the class will watch a clip from Rashomon that will help to reinforce what they have already seen in that film and help to introduce them to deliberate camera movement. To prepare the students, inform them that you will be watching a clip from Rashomon to build on their initial approach to the film by looking for something new. This time they will be looking for how the camera moves within the film. In the scene at the end when the men find the baby, the camera deliberately moves around the wall to show the men with the baby. This is one of the few moments in the film in which the camera moves much at all.

Check for understanding: After showing the clip, have students share their observations about how the camera moved and the meanings/messages conveyed through it. These questions may help to prompt discussion:

• How does the camera move in this scene?
• Drawing from what you know about the film having seen it, what do you think is being conveyed through this camera movement? Introduction of Shall We Dansu?:
  

The practice with Rashomon should prepare the students to observe camera movement in Shall We Dansu?, the film that they will watch during the week. Background information: Shall We Dansu? was made in 1996. It was written and directed by Masayuki Suo. This was his seventh film; however, it was his most successful. At the Japanese Academy Awards it won 14 awards: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Film, Best Lighting, Best Music Score, Best Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Newcomer of the Year.

In the film, the main character, Sugiyama, is a salaryman who finds himself bored with his mundane life. He just goes to work and then goes home. His life is monotonous and uneventful. However, on his subway ride home after work everyday, he sees a beautiful woman standing in the window of a ballroom dance studio. After mustering the courage, he finally enrolls at the studio and begins learning to ballroom dance. As he learns to dance, his life changes.

However, throughout the film, the camera movement is also a character in the film. The camera movement is a mix of static shots and moving shots. When the camera moves, often in tracking shots, the camera seems to be dancing with Sugiyama and the other dancers.

Film clip: After setting up the film, show a clip from the film itself. At the very end, after Sugiyama dances with Mai (and the camera), the camera allows them to dance away becoming a part of the rest of the dancers. In this instance, it is reinforced that Sugiyama is an Everyman. He represents everyone; anyone could take his place, and it is important that everyone learn to find something that they love in life and to embrace it. This is a good introduction to the camera movement in the film.

Follow up the clip by asking students to share their observations about the movement of the camera in the clip. This should help them be prepared to look for camera movement as they watch the film on their own.

Closure: This discussion should lead into a wrap-up about camera movement. Re-emphasize the importance of how the movement of the camera creates meaning in addition to the other elements of the film. Introduce the assessment assignment.

Each student will write a 1-2 page response paper to their out-of-class screening of Shall We Dansu?, focusing their remarks on the camera movement in the film. The response papers should be turned in before the next class. Also, the first half of the next class will be a discussion about Shall We Dansu? for which they should be prepared.

Written by Brett Stifflemire.