Cinema for Brunch THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER Review

Kiyoshi Kurosawa, usually known for his psychological horror, arrives with “The Samurai and the Prisoner”, a lyrical murder mystery and samurai epic that delivers on thought-provoking depth and ambiguous dread.

Synopsis

Inside sealed Arioka Castle during a rebellion against Oda Nobunaga, rebel Araki Murashige and captive strategist Kuroda Kanbei engage in a tense battle of wits to solve mysterious crimes.

Review
Kiyoshi Kurosawa. A name synonymous with acclaimed, prolific psychological Japanese horror. Taking a foray into a whole new genre – Jidaigeki – it’s no wonder people are excited for Kurosawa’s latest, the period piece “The Samurai and the Prisoner”. Set in 1578, the film follows merciful Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki) who isolates himself and his people within his castle as he rises against the tyrannical Oda (Bando Shingo). While finding himself at war, Murashige deals with a rising number of crimes within his own court, leading him down a mystery to discover who is the traitor within his court. With the help and counsel of brilliant and dangerous strategist Kanbei (Masaki Suda) imprisoned within his dungeon, the honorable Lord must figure out who is causing dissension among his ranks before time runs out. Kurosawa brings his critically-acclaimed ambiguous sense of dread to this mix of murder mystery and samurai epic. What unfolds is a fantastic, dialogue-driven, film noir-influenced parable of identity, loyalty and self-doubt.

“If a warrior living in wartime does not kill, he will suffer greatly” – a quote said within the film that summarizes the frustration of Murashige’s journey and plight. As death after death piles up and Murashige aims to know who is causing all this murder, he delves deeper into his own limitations as a samurai and as a Lord. Gaining opposition from not just his soldiers but also from his wife Lady Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka), the only person with whom he can share his true doubts and concerns is with the prisoner Kanbei. Therein lies the film’s most powerful secret weapon – the scenes between these two where different topics – war, betrayal, life – are discussed with depth and mystery. The prisoner speaks to the samurai in parables, slowly feeding him the guide to the answer while forcing him to use his pragmatic mind to bring him closer to the truth. As he keeps himself barricaded in his castle through different seasons, Murashige’s journey towards abstinence of violence becomes more challenging. His hand is forced, heartbreaking betrayals come to light and the price of war becomes ever more clear. Masahiro Motoki delivers a great leading performance, his inner battle of “violence vs mercy” showing on his war-ridden face. He brings unparalleled depth to his role and delivers great emotion in his scenes with Yoshitaka. Yoshitaka, who plays Chiyoho, delivers a performance that starts as understated and grows as the film progresses and we see different dimensions to this woman that serves as a loyal partner to her Lord.

Kurosawa delivers his unique style of ambiguous dread and psychological tension to the Jidaigeki genre. He also delivers on shining a light on his cinematic influences. Scenes where a light is casted on conflicted characters while standing in a sea of darkness harkens back to classic noir films. Kurosawa delivers terrific blocking in long takes where the introspective dialogue takes center stage, delivering an experience that is both thought-provoking and visually stunning. Another thing that makes “Samurai and the Prisoner” different from Kurosawa’s other works is the audacity of hope. Without giving anything away, even the film’s closing scene makes a promise of such a thing. Rather than leaving things in an ambiguous space where things may get worse beyond the credits rolling, Kurosawa leaves this world better than he entered it, showing that his skills are as strong in delivering the darkest depths of horror as they are in showing the most inspiring glimmer of hope.

Closing Thoughts
“Samurai and the Prisoner” is a welcome change of pace for the psychological horror maestro Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Weaving a lyrical parable of identity, war and choices, “Samurai” delivers great internal performances and great cinematography. While its dialogue-driven pace may not be for everyone, the film’s power lies within the spiritual journey of its violence-abstinent protagonist. As Kurosawa challenged the use of technology within his previous film “Cloud”, in this film he challenges the meaning of war and its lasting consequences within the souls of its participants. This film is for those willing to see a talented director like Kurosawa push himself and try his hand at a new genre with his own unique sensibilities still intact.

Trailer