{"id":729340,"date":"2026-05-24T17:55:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T14:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-samurai-and-the-prisoner-review-the-verb-is-mightier-than-the-sword-in-kiyoshi-kurosawas-dialogue-laden-historical-mystery\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T17:55:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T14:55:12","slug":"the-samurai-and-the-prisoner-review-the-verb-is-mightier-than-the-sword-in-kiyoshi-kurosawas-dialogue-laden-historical-mystery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-samurai-and-the-prisoner-review-the-verb-is-mightier-than-the-sword-in-kiyoshi-kurosawas-dialogue-laden-historical-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The Samurai and the Prisoner\u2019 Review: The Verb is Mightier Than the Sword in Kiyoshi Kurosawa\u2019s Dialogue-Laden Historical Mystery \u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a214add32363\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a214add32363\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-samurai-and-the-prisoner-review-the-verb-is-mightier-than-the-sword-in-kiyoshi-kurosawas-dialogue-laden-historical-mystery\/#Kiyoshi_Kurosawa\" >Kiyoshi Kurosawa<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tJapanese genre maven Kiyoshi Kurosawa is mostly known outside his homeland for eerie, visually inventive films like <em>Cure<\/em>, <em>Pulse<\/em> and <em>Loft<\/em> that brought the J-horror trend into the arthouse. But he\u2019s also made psychological thrillers (<em>Creepy<\/em>), serial killer flicks (<em>Serpent\u2019s Path<\/em>), <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>-fiction <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> (<em>Before We Vanish<\/em>), a darkly comic anti-capitalist actioner (last year\u2019s <em>Cloud<\/em>) and at least one great drama (<em>Tokyo Sonata<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe auteur can now cross another genre off his bucket list with <em>The Samurai and the Prisoner <\/em>(<em>Kokurojo<\/em>), a stately and rather stagy historical mystery set during the 16th century, at a time when warring clans fought and outmaneuvered each other for control of the land.<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-summary-card\">\n<div class=\" lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-a-125 u-background-color-honey-light \">\n<div class=\"lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column u-width-275@tablet u-border-b-1@mobile-max u-border-r-1@tablet u-border-dotted lrv-u-margin-r-150 lrv-u-padding-r-150 lrv-u-margin-r-00@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-r-00@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-b-125@mobile-max lrv-u-margin-b-075@mobile-max\">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  lrv-u-font-family-primary u-font-size-34 u-font-size-38@desktop-xl lrv-u-line-height-small lrv-u-margin-b-125 \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kiyoshi_Kurosawa\"><\/span>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tKiyoshi Kurosawa \t\t<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-font-family-accent lrv-u-font-weight-bold lrv-u-color-brand-primary lrv-u-font-size-16 lrv-u-display-block\">The Bottom Line<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-span  u-font-size-22@tablet u-font-style-italic lrv-u-font-family-secondary\"><\/p>\n<p>\tKatanas Out.<br \/>\n\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Venue:<\/strong> Cannes Film Festival (Cannes Premi\u00e8re)<br \/><strong>Cast: <\/strong>Masahiro Motoki, Masaki Suda, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Munetaka Aoki, Bando Shingo<br \/><strong>Director, screenwriter:<\/strong> Kiyoshi Kurosawa, based on the book by Honobu Yonezawa<br \/><span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 hours 27 minutes\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tBased on the prizewinning 2021 novel by Honobu Yonezawa, the film tells a story that will probably be familiar to anyone who grew up in Japan. It then takes that classic narrative and adds a few new twists, as well as a decidedly anti-war message that seems to be speaking to our time as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe tale of Lord Murashige Araki (Masahiro Motoki), who betrayed the infamous samurai leader and \u201cgreat unifier\u201d of Japan, Nobunaga Oda (Bando Shingo), is usually depicted as one of treachery and cowardice: an ambitious underling breaks ties with his powerful boss, holes up in his own castle surrounded by a small but faithful army, then eventually decides to abandon ship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tKurosawa, who adapted the screenplay himself, transforms Murashige\u2019s long last stand into four interconnected mysteries each spanning a single season. Not unlike an Agatha Christie whodunit, but featuring katanas instead of poison and revolvers, the stories all depict a seemingly impossible crime Murashige has to somehow solve. Unable to do that on his own, he enlists the help of Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda), a faithful Nobunaga lieutenant who\u2019s been taken prisoner in the castle and offers to serve as a Watson to Murashige\u2019s Sherlock, even if the detainee is not to be trusted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThis sounds like the perfect set-up for a suspenseful feudal thriller \u2014 think <em>Knives Out<\/em> meets <em>Throne of Blood <\/em>\u2014 in which Kurosawa (no relation to Akira) could showcase his talent for capturing violence and madness, this time within the elegant medieval sets designed by Harada Tetsuo (<em>The Last Ronin<\/em>). But the director more or less opts to eschew violence altogether, delivering a loquacious and theatrical drama that\u2019s more traditionally made than probably anything he\u2019s directed up until now. Even when there is a bit of action thrown in, it\u2019s rather short and bloodless \u2014 more suggestive than visceral.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn some ways this makes sense: The whole reason Murashige thwarts Nobunaga in the first place is because he rejects his leader\u2019s brutal ways, as evidenced during a flashback in which he\u2019s obliged to decapitate a bunch of innocent women. (Okay, so there are some beheadings here, but even those look rather clean.) Unlike most samurais of his time, Murashige is thoughtful, erudite and believes violence is never the answer \u2014 a philosophy that comes back to haunt him, especially in the final act.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe director\u2019s sober if mastered <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach to such material doesn\u2019t necessarily tantalize the viewer, although Japanese audiences familiar with the characters and stakes may be sucked in more easily. One problem is that Kurosawa winds up repeating the same scenario each time, even if the crimes, victims and culprits are all different: After investigating for a while on his own, Murashige confides in his wife, Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka), who turns out to be less innocent than she initially appeared. Then he heads down to the dungeon for a long chat with Kanbei, who sifts through piles of calligraphy scrolls like a detective mulling over evidence files, offering up an hypothesis as to what really happened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tNot that there\u2019s a lack of intrigue here, but anyone expecting that a film called <em>The Samurai and the Prisoner<\/em> would be filled with chopsocky action scenes will be disappointed. Kurosawa has instead chosen to direct a refined murder mystery dressed up in sumptuous feudal garb, offering his own take on one of the oldest Japanese genres. More than that, he\u2019s made a work that questions the kind of violence that has characterized most of his cinema, celebrating a legendary character who decided to walk away from war rather than waging it. Classic and contained (the action rarely ventures outside the castle), this is a samurai flick that ends up denouncing the sacred code all samurais used to live by.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-reviews\/the-samurai-and-the-prisoner-review-kiyoshi-kurosawa-1236605158\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s also made psychological thrillers (Creepy), serial killer flicks (Serpent\u2019s Path), science-fiction movies (Before We Vanish), a darkly comic anti-capitalist actioner (last year\u2019s Cloud) and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":729341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kokoueojo-The-Samurai-and-the-Prisoner-198491-H-2026.jpg?w=1296&h=730&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[28928,160788,32193,66733],"class_list":["post-729340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-cannes","tag-cannes-2026","tag-cannes-film-festival","tag-kiyoshi-kurosawa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=729340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/729340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/729341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=729340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=729340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=729340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}