THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER

The latest film from Japanese genre master Kiyoshi Kurosawa (PULSE, CURE) is a unique, labyrinthine exploration of Japanese codes of honor and duty, exquisitely filmed in period detail. When Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki) rises against the tyrannical Oda (Bando Shingo), he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious crimes that shatter the fragile order of his court, plunging the fortress into fear and suspicion. With Oda’s army closing in and a traitor hiding among his ranks, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda), a brilliant yet dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon. Helped by his wife Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka) and his most loyal generals, Murashige must uncover the truth before the castle falls.