Rashomon and Walter Benjamin

In Benjamin's essay, he talks about how actors are always portraying themselves in someway or another in every character they portray. In the opening scene we find the first three characters (the woodcutter, priest, and commoner) sitting at a completely broken temple. When this movie was made, it was after the destruction of two bombs. The actors in this film had to watch their lives and loved ones torn apart. I believe that the actors could use this painful experience in their acting. The woodcutter goes on to tell the horrible story he saw in the woods. The bandit's crazy performance could have been influenced especially by past experiences in Japan. I agree with Benjamin's perception on actors in this way.