Truth and Sin in "Rashomon"

Rashomon: a city gate, and a crime worse than famine or war.

Before I even watch the film, here's my initial question: how is the individual going to be addressed from a country that is traditionally based on the society instead of the individual?

Very interesting. It seems that individual goodness is the focus here, as well as the lies men tell to protect themselves and the sin behind those lies. All four storytellers tell a version of the same story to protect themselves from shame, guilt, or trouble. Finally, one man tells the truth, and the priest is spurred into believing him because he's willing to adopt an abandoned child. Is it really the truth? Who is really the good person, here? Is there one? Which truth is the real truth? Although I doubt that if we knew, it would change anything. The ambiguity is what throws the matter of truth into light.

I like how the judge or official hearing the case is never shown, and therefore the only people the stories are being told to are us, the viewers, and the man at the gate who scoffs at goodness and truth and takes the baby's kimono because someone else would have if he didn't. What if Kurosawa meant for the man to act as a sort of antithesis to the audience, most of whom would believe (at least somewhat) in the goodness of humanity, and the black and white nature of truth? Really truth is much more vague, and goodness much harder to achieve when nobody is watching, and you can lie to yourself about what really happened...

Favorite Quotes:
"Maybe good is just make-believe."
"What should a poor, helpless woman like me do?"
"This time, I finally lose my faith in the human soul. It's worse than bandits, the plague, famine, fire, or war."
"A bandit calling another a bandit. Now that's selfish."

Questions:
Lots of rolling around in the grass and leaves in this film. Dramatics of the 1950s Japanese cinema?
Crying and laughing were very exaggerated and therefore chilling. Intentional?
The medium: are we supposed to have a suspension of disbelief here? Or should we doubt the man's story simply because he's dead and can't tell it? Gotta say, the actress speaking the dead man's words was great: very creepy.