'The Samurai and the Prisoner' Review
- Trevor Leavell
- Aug 15
- 2 min read
Release Date: 07/31/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Drama. History. Mystery. Thriller. War.
MPAA: Not Rated.
Distributor: Janus Films.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Coming up to Cannes this year, Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa surprised his fans when he announced that his next feature would be a period drama surrounding 16th-century feudal Japan; specifically, a procedural drama centered around Oda Nobunaga's conquest of Japan, and Akari Murashige's hold against his coming army, and a string of murders within his fortress’s walls. After imprisoning an envoy sent by Oda, Kuroda Kanbei, he secures their help to stop the string of mysterious murders within his fortress in exchange for Kuroda's life. At the same time, Murashige struggles with his defiance of the samurai code and with whether his choice of mercy will save his people in the end.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa is most notable for his foreboding psychological horrors, most notably Cure from 1997, but his body of work is vast, deep, and of high quality, to say the least. Despite such a long body of work, this film is still a step in a different direction for Kurosawa. Sure, he's no stranger to the procedural, but this is the first period piece in Kurosawa's catalog. Not only that, he trades a foreboding atmosphere for something more delicate and contemplative. So, here, Kiyoshi takes the historical and political context not only to deliver a compelling mystery but also to provide philosophical reflections on the limits of mercy, the costs of war, and the duty of power. It is a DENSE film subtextually, and it's great stuff to chew on, and Kurosawa's onscreen craft remains breathtaking as always.
Surrounding Murashige's fortress, there's so much eye candy in the way Kurosawa captures the environments around Murashige. Still, as the tension grows tighter and tighter, Kurosawa closes the walls in on us, literally and metaphorically. This has one of my favorite climaxes of any film so far this year, and the way it's staged is absolutely breathtaking. Not to mention how its revelations really compliment and enhance what came before. I, however, do want to revisit this film to get a feel for its structure. It is long, but also quite patient and methodical.
The Samurai and the Prisoner is a welcome entry in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's filmography. It's a calm, delicate film, and one that requires patience. However, the ending brings so much to chew on, not to mention an amazing lead performance from Masahiro Motoki. Definitely seek this one out if it is playing near you.
