The Samurai and the Prisoner: Sunday, October 11

Admission $5
Showings @ 2pm and 5:00pm

Japan, Drama/Mystery, subtitled, 2 hours, 27 minutes

Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

When Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki) rises up 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.

“In a sense, this is Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, one of the other Kurosawa’s unequivocal masterpieces, and it earns that comparison in every way.” —RogerEbert.com

“A samurai picture that feels simultaneously classical and modern, austere and capacious, familiar and surprising.” —New York Times

“What ultimately emerges is a fascinating existential drama about mercy and sacrifice, about the individual and the state.” —New York Magazine