Although Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and the Prisoner may look like a sweeping samurai epic, it is a different film. Masaki Suda plays Kanbei with lively, mischievous energy. Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and the Prisoner trades swordplay for psychological warfare in a tense, intelligent tale of power and deception. Overall, uneven pacing aside, The Samurai and the Prisoner is an intelligent, beautiful film with spectacular performances by Motoki and Suda. Rating: 4/5 atomsThe Samurai and the Prisoner hits theaters on July 31st.