'Rashomon': one murder, four points of view. What really happened?

The cast of the play 'Rashomon', which centres on a murder in a bamboo forest in feudal Japan. Photo: TRBANPHOTO

It's a case that would frustrate even the most qualified lawyer.

In classical Japan, a samurai has been murdered and his wife raped. A woodcutter discovers the body, and a notorious bandit claims responsibility for the crime. A trial is held, and testimony is heard from the bandit, the woodcutter and the wife. Even the samurai manages to tell his side of the story, after being summoned by a medium.