One of my most anticipated films to rewatch after the Cannes Film Festival was Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and The Prisoner. When I first saw the film at Cannes, I only caught about half of the film’s dialogue. This was due to someone’s giant head blocking the subtitle screen, forcing me to twist and turn just to catch any of the captions. Sadly, my efforts were futile, as it felt like I missed many essential pieces of the film. It wasn’t the film’s fault, it was just someone’s giant head. Now, having rewatched the film, I am absolutely gobsmacked that this film wasn’t competing in Competition.
When Lord Murashige (Marashiro Motoki, Departures) rises up against the tyrannical Oda, he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious murders that shatter the fragile order of his cort, plugging the fortress into fear and suspicion. With Oda’s army closing in and a traitor hiding amongst his rank, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei (Masaki Suda, Cloud), a brilliant and dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon, as he must outwit his enemies and uncover the truth before time runs out.
On one hand, The Samurai and The Prisoner is a historical epic set during the Warring States period in Japan. However, instead of filling the film with large battle pieces and high stakes, Kurosawa takes a more intimate approach. The entire film takes place within the confines of Lord Murashige’s castle. Though Kurosawa manages to make the castle feel large and lived-in through period-accurate production and costume design, there is enough intimacy to capture the claustrophobic paranoia that brews while being besieged for over a year.
On the other hand, The Samurai and The Prisoner is also a murder mystery, the last genre you would expect to see in a historical epic. As the castle is being besieged, several murders take place, leading some members of the palace to believe they are divine intervention or punishment. Lord Murashige’s council and his wife, Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka, Himizu), believe that it is the work of the Buddha. Frustrated by his council, Murashige works with his prisoner, Kanbei, to get to the bottom of these murders. This “alliance” forces Murashige into an uneasy cat-and-mouse game, not only with his council but also with his prisoner, as he fears being overthrown from within.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa is known for his horror films, which are expertly crafted to create as much ambient dread as possible. In The Samurai and The Prisoner, he flexes his hidden cinematic muscle, making the film feel like it was pulled straight from the samurai epics that dominated Japanese cinema from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s. Utilizing intimate long takes that last well over 10 minutes, Kurosawa immerses you into this world. We see the toll that the siege and murders have taken on Murashige as he is plunged into a political game drenched in paranoia, where it feels like those acting against him are always ten steps ahead. He doesn’t know who he can trust and must act quickly before it is too late.
It’s an intriguing film that combines two genres, the historical epic and murder mystery. It’s a combination that we never would have expected to see together, yet somehow Kurosawa makes the combination work. The film is both intimate and suspenseful, using the claustrophobic setting of the castle to build a constant sense of paranoia as our characters try to figure out who they can trust. The film is well acted as the performances further add to the political tension and uncertainty that slowly takes over the castle. While it may not be the kind of historical epic audiences are expecting, that is exactly what makes The Samurai and The Prisoner so interesting. While it is undoubtedly a dense film, it feels like Kurosawa is taking a familiar genre and putting his own spin on it. Thus creating a film that is equal parts intriguing, nostalgic, and innovative.
My Rating: A-
The Samurai and The Prisoner is now in theaters nationwide.
Leave a Reply