‘The Samurai and the Prisoner’ Review: The Verb is Mightier Than the Sword in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Dialogue-Laden Historical Mystery
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's latest film, 'The Samurai and the Prisoner,' is a historical mystery set in 16th century Japan. The story revolves around Lord Murashige, who betrays the powerful samurai leader Nobunaga Oda, and features a unique narrative structure that intertwines four mysteries. The film emphasizes an anti-war message and showcases Kurosawa's departure from his usual violent storytelling style, focusing instead on dialogue and character development.
- ▪The film is based on the prizewinning 2021 novel by Honobu Yonezawa.
- ▪It features a narrative that transforms a classic tale of treachery into interconnected mysteries.
- ▪Kurosawa's direction opts for a loquacious and theatrical approach rather than graphic violence.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Masahiro Motoki as Lord Murashige in 'The Samurai and the Prisoner.' Cannes Film Festival Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Japanese genre maven Kiyoshi Kurosawa is mostly known outside his homeland for eerie, visually inventive films like Cure, Pulse and Loft that brought the J-horror trend into the arthouse. But he’s also made psychological thrillers (Creepy), serial killer flicks (Serpent’s Path), science-fiction movies (Before We Vanish), a darkly comic anti-capitalist actioner (last year’s Cloud) and at least one great drama (Tokyo Sonata).
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hollywood Reporter.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Hollywood Reporter
