Rashomon and The Work of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Upon having watched the film Rashomon directed by Akira Kurosawa, I immediately began reading Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” in order to keep both fresh in my mind. Benjamin’s discussion of the availability of art allowed me to question how films extended such limits. The more traditional forms of art such as paintings and writings are not held in such high esteem or given as much publicity as movies in modern times. When turning on the TV it is almost impossible to watch without seeing a commercial or advertisement for a new movie. In my experience, I have never seen an add for art exhibitions or new works of literature of any kind aired on television. While films do remove barriers and increase availability of its art form, they restrict the awareness of other forms of art.