The Fragmentation of Reality by Lavatch

Puzzle explanation

(Akira) KUROSAWA (born March 23, 1910), spelt out by choosing the correct letters from possibilities in Group A, made the films Rashomon and Seven Samurai, which appeared in the grid when Group B answers were correctly placed; SAMURAI is entered at 7dn to allow ringing of the figure 7 to represent the first word. In Rashomon, a Samurai, his wife, a bandit and a woodcutter all recount a crime in different ways, a theme which determined the structure of the puzzle, with four different types of clues and many possible solution grids. Clashes from Group C answers could be resolved either way and still make real words; the correct resolution allowed wife, bandit and woodcutter to appear in the grid, so all four main characters from Rashomon were represented.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Group A

No Wordplay Definition Explanation
Across
7 SORUS SORDS SO + RUS(a)
11 MIXES MIRES SEXISM < – S
14 MINOR MINAR MOOR, IN for O
25 EDDA EDDY (’D + D) in EA
28 NAVELS NAVEWS (L in AVES) after N
Down
6 HELPER KELPER (HE + ER) about LP
9 RENS RENT WRENS – W
29 ARISTA ARISTO ARIA about ST

Group B

No Correct no Answer Explanation
Across
1 → 21ac RASH TRASH – T
12 → 40ac STAVE ST + AVE
21 → 24dn NEAREST NET about ARES; the setter and editors apologise for referring to Ares as a Roman (rather than Greek) god
40 → 7dn SAMURAI (RUM < + A) in SAI
Down
7 → 35dn HASH H + ASH
18 → 1ac SAMARAS MARA in SAS
24 → 18dn STOVE (d)EVOT’S <
35 → 12ac DEAREST DEARES + T’

Group C

No Answer Explanation
Across
17 NIFE NE about IF
20 CLOD L(amb) in COD; lunchbox is slang for cod (in this meaning)
27 BULL BULLA – A
34 SCOT C in SOT; “silly” as noun
Down
1 SEROWS S + SWORE <
16 WOAD WO + AD
27 PANDIT DIT after PAN
30 CUTTER C + UTTER

Group D

No Answer Explanation
Across
13 REDISTIL LIST(en)ER I’D *
15 OLOGIES (LOG + IE) in OS
18 SERICON ON after SERIC
19 SISTRA SIS + ART <
32 AFFEARE FEARE after (A + F)
36 ORVIETO OR + I in VETO
37 DRAPE RAPE after D
38 STEATITE TEAT in SITE
39 INSERTS INS about TRÈS <
41 TAHRS TARS about H; this would also indicate THARS, but those are SEROWS, ie, 1 (dn)
42 STEWERS ST + EWERS
Down
2 AMELIA ELIA after MA <; meaning of name
3 MID-OFFS DO in MIFFS
4 RESIT TRIES * & lit
5 ASTEISM ASTERISM – R
8 ORIFICES OR + IF + ICE + S
10 STRAND STD (sexual disease) about RAN
19 SHLEPPER SH + homophone (leper)
22 AUFS A + US about F
23 ONAGERS (SO about Regan [King Lear]) <
26 DECEIVE R to D in RECEIVE
31 STOEPS SEPS about TO
33 OVATE OE about VAT
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