两个僧侣

Masterpieceprecedes'Rashomon'.<br/>　　OneofthegreatestfilmsofalltimeisKurosawa's'Rashomon',whichfeaturesanunusualnarrativestructure:thesameeventsareshowninflashbackfourtimes,eachtimefromtheviewpointofadifferentcharacter.Thesubtledifferencesineachflashbackcompeltheviewerstodecideforthemselvesthetruthofwhatactuallyhappened.'Rashomon'(1950)provedtobesoinnovativethatseverallaterfilmshaveusedthesameidea.Icanthinkofatleastthreedifferentsitcoms,eachofwhichhasdoneanepisoderippingoffthe'Rashomon'premise.<br/>　　The1934Mexicanfilm'TwoMonks'usespreciselythissamenarrativegimmick,16yearsbeforeitwasusedin'Rashomon'.Unfortunately,because'TwoMonks'usesonlytwoconflictingflashbacks(ratherthanfour,asin'Rashomon'),theaudienceareputinan&quot;either/or&quot;situationratherthanapick'n'mix.Still,it'sintriguingtoseethatoneofthemostfamousnarrativeinnovationsintheentirehistoryoffilmwasusedinanobscureMexicanmoviemorethanadecadebeforeitwasemployedinthefilmthatbroughtittogreatnessandprominence.<br/>　　JuanandJavieraretwoyoungmen,rivalsforthecharmsofprettyAnita.Shedies,incircumstanceswhichareintentionallykeptobscure,andtherivalsgotheirseparateways.Javierbecomesamonk,andputshispainfulmemoriesbehindhim...until,onedayinthepriory,heencountersamonkwhoturnsouttobeJuan.Straightaway,JavierissoangeredthatheattacksJuan,givinghimanear-fatalblow.<br/>　　Thekindlyoldpriorconfesseseachofthetwomenseparately.Eachconfessionisshowninflashback,withfirstonemanandthentheothertellingthestoryofthetragictrianglefromhisownself-servingviewpoint.Nowwelearn--fromtwoconflictingviewpoints--whathappenedtoAnita.<br/>　　Theartdirectionthroughoutthisfilmisastonishing,andthereistheclevertouchofhavingeachoftherivalsdressedinwhiteinhisownflashback,butgarbedinblackintheotherman'sflashback:asplendidwayofhelpingtheaudiencetorememberthatthisnarrativeissubjective.<br/>　　'TwoMonks'deservestobemuch,muchbetterknown,andIeagerlyratethisfilm10outof10.