Rashomon Budget
Updated
Synopsis
A priest, a woodcutter and another man are taking refuge from a rainstorm in the shell of a former gatehouse called Rashômon. The priest and the woodcutter are recounting the story of a murdered samurai whose body the woodcutter discovered three days earlier in a forest grove. Both were summoned to testify at the murder trial, the priest who ran into the samurai and his wife traveling through the forest just before the murder occurred. Three other people who testified at the trial are supposedly the only direct witnesses: a notorious bandit named Tajômaru, who allegedly murdered the samurai and raped his wife; the white veil cloaked wife of the samurai; and the samurai himself who testifies through the use of a medium. The three tell a similarly structured story - that Tajômaru kidnapped and bound the samurai so that he could rape the wife - but which ultimately contradict each other, the motivations and the actual killing being what differ. The woodcutter reveals at Rashômon that he knows more than he let on at the trial, thus bringing into question his own actions. But another discovery at Rashômon and the resulting actions from the discovery bring back into focus the woodcutter's own humanity or lack thereof.
What is the budget of Rashomon?
"Rashomon," a crime released in 1950, was directed by Akira Kurosawa and stars Toshirō Mifune, Machiko Kyō. The production budget was $250,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for crime productions of the 1950s.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a crime production like this include:
- Talent & Director Compensation: Thrillers depend on compelling lead performances to sustain tension, making cast compensation a primary budget concern. Directors with proven thriller credentials command premium fees.
- Cinematography & Location Photography: Thriller aesthetics demand specific visual languages , surveillance-style photography, claustrophobic framing, or expansive location work across multiple cities or countries.
- Editorial & Sound Post-Production: Precision editing , controlling information flow, building suspense through pacing, and orchestrating reveals , requires extended post-production schedules.
- Development: According to Donald Richie, Akira Kurosawa began developing the film circa 1948, and both Kurosawa's regular production studio Toho and its financing company, Toyoko Company, refused to produce the film, with the latter fearing it would be a precarious production.
What were the major cost factors in Rashomon?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Rashomon."
- Talent: Talent & Director Compensation is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.
- Cinematography: Cinematography & Location Photography is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.
- Editorial: Editorial & Sound Post-Production is one of the primary cost drivers in crime productions of this scale.
How Does Rashomon's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $250,000, Rashomon sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- High and Low (1963): Budget $250,000
- The Kid (1921): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $5,450,000
- Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (2025): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $1,561,361
- Terrifier 2 (2022): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $15,741,780
- Shiva Baby (2021): Budget $250,000, Worldwide Gross $359,247
The median budget for wide-release crime films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Rashomon Box Office Performance
"Rashomon" earned $46,808 domestically and $117,668 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $250,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Rashomon," that break-even threshold was roughly $500,000. With worldwide earnings of $117,668, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $250,000
- Worldwide Gross: $117,668
- Net Return: −$132,332
- ROI: approximately -52.9%
At -52.9%, "Rashomon" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Rashomon Production History
According to Donald Richie, Akira Kurosawa began developing the film circa 1948, and both Kurosawa's regular production studio Toho and its financing company, Toyoko Company, refused to produce the film, with the latter fearing it would be a precarious production. Following the completion of Scandal, Sōjirō Motoki offered the script to Daiei who also initially rejected it. Regarding Rashomon, Kurosawa said: I like silent pictures and I always have...
Kurosawa wrote the screenplay while staying at a ryokan in Atami with his friend Ishirō Honda, who was scripting The Blue Pearl (1951). The pair regularly commenced writing their respective films at 9:00 a.m. and would give feedback on each other's work after each completed roughly twenty pages. According to Honda, Kurosawa soon refused to read The Blue Pearl after a couple of days but "of course, he still made me read his".
Kurosawa had initially wanted the cast of eight to consist entirely of previous collaborators, specifically counseling Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura. He also suggested that Setsuko Hara,who had played the lead in No Regrets for Our Youth (1946),portray the wife, but she was not cast since her brother-in-law, filmmaker Hisatora Kumagai, was against it; Hara would subsequently appear in Kurosawa's next film, The Idiot (1951). Daiei executives then recommended Machiko Kyō, believing she would make the film easier to market.
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 9 wins & 5 nominations total
- Golden Lion
- Academy Honorary Award (24th Academy Awards)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Rashomon (1950)?
The production budget was $250,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $125,000 - $200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $375,000 - $450,000.
How much did Rashomon (1950) earn at the box office?
Rashomon grossed $46,808 domestic, $70,860 international, totaling $117,668 worldwide.
Was Rashomon (1950) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $117,668 against an estimated $625,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Rashomon?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Toshirō Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Takashi Shimura); talent compensation, location cinematography, and tension-driven editorial.
How does Rashomon's budget compare to similar crime films?
At $250,000, Rashomon is classified as a ultra-low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release crime films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: High and Low (1963, $250,000); The Kid (1921, $250,000); Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (2025, $250,000).
Did Rashomon (1950) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Rashomon?
The theatrical ROI was -52.9%, calculated as ($117,668 − $250,000) ÷ $250,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Rashomon (1950) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 9 wins & 5 nominations total.
Who directed Rashomon and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Akira Kurosawa, written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa, shot by Kazuo Miyagawa, with music by Fumio Hayasaka, edited by Akira Kurosawa.
Where was Rashomon filmed?
Rashomon was filmed in Japan. Due to its small budget the film had only three sets: the gate; the forest scene; and the police courtyard. Filming began on 7 July 1950 and ended on 17 August. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Rashomon
Official Trailer
Budget Templates
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
Start Budgeting Free
