The Samurai and the Prisoner: KUROSAWA Kiyoshi’s adaptation of YONEZAWA Honobu’s jidaigeki novel of the same name had his work cut out for him: the book is filled with characters (simply look at the poster to crush any doubts), episodes, and themes, making it hard to believe it could fit into a film as is. And, indeed, the film, which follows a Sengoku Era warlord as he has to deal with an approaching enemy force from without, constant bickering, and a few killings within, feels very rushed. Few (if any) characters are given the chance to develop, the investigation procedural is superficial, and the most interesting dialogues are thrown around without enough context. MOTOKI Masahiro, who plays the samurai protagonist, is quietly dignified, even if it’s hard to understand why he holds so much sway with his retainers; SUDA Masaki plays the prisoner somewhat indifferently; and YOSHITAKA Yuriko, as the samurai’s wife, gives probably the most interesting performance of the cast. Cinematographer SASAKI Yasuyuki’s work is elegant, making good use of the beautiful locations and competent costume and production designs.