“Kokurojo – The Samurai and the Prisoner”, interview with the director Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Presented in the Cannes Première section of the 79th edition of the Festival de Cannes, “Kokurojo – The Samurai and the Prisoner” marks the first classical samurai film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Known internationally for works that span horror, thriller, and psychological drama, the Japanese filmmaker approached the jidaigeki genre through the figure of Araki Murashige, a 16th-century samurai remembered in Japanese history as a coward and traitor.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa explained that the project began when a producer gave him the novel that later became the basis for the film. What fascinated him was not Araki Murashige‘s historical reputation but the possibility of understanding the reasons behind his actions.

“He is known as the samurai who abandoned his people and escaped alone,” the director said. “But in this story, I could finally see why he may have done that.”

For Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the character’s refusal to obey the rigid values surrounding him creates a direct connection with contemporary society. Rather than portraying Araki Murashige as merely weak or dishonourable, the filmmaker sees him as someone attempting to free himself from systems that imprison individuals psychologically and morally.

Beyond the Anti-Hero

Although Araki Murashige can easily be described as an anti-hero, Kiyoshi Kurosawa resists that definition. The director acknowledged that the character appears unconventional within the samurai tradition, yet he believes the essence of heroism lies precisely in choosing one’s own path despite social judgment.

“Even if people call him an anti-hero, he follows the path he believes in,” he explained. “To me, somebody like that is a true hero.”

This perspective shapes the emotional core of “Kokurojo – The Samurai and the Prisoner”. Rather than celebrating military glory or codes of honour, the film examines personal freedom, fear and moral ambiguity. The historical setting becomes a way to question modern structures of conformity and obedience.

Fear, Power and Paranoia

The film also incorporates elements of mystery, betrayal, and growing suspicion among political figures. Asked about the role of paranoia in systems of power, Kiyoshi Kurosawa offered a reflection that extends beyond the film’s historical setting.

According to the director, power itself generates fear. The more authority individuals accumulate, the more terrified they become of losing it. That fear ultimately creates isolation and paranoia.

“The more power you have, the more fear increases,” he said. “People begin imagining terrible things that might happen if they let go.”

Without naming contemporary political figures, Kiyoshi Kurosawa suggested that modern leaders could learn something from Murashige’s decision to escape the structures surrounding him.

“I would be happy if even one person with power could let go and walk away,” he remarked. “That would require real courage.”

Returning to the Golden Age of Jidaigeki

Despite a career spanning several decades and genres, Kiyoshi Kurosawa continues to seek new cinematic challenges. For this film, however, innovation meant returning to the past.

The director explained that he revisited many Japanese jidaigeki masterpieces from the 1950s, a period he considers the genre’s peak. Rather than imitating those films directly, he used them as a foundation to rethink how period cinema can exist today.

“I wanted to relearn from the masterpieces,” he said. “That became the new challenge for me.”

For Kiyoshi Kurosawa, engaging with film history is not an exercise in nostalgia. Instead, it represents a way of creating something contemporary while acknowledging forgotten cinematic traditions.

“Doing something new is often connected to rediscovering something from the past,” he noted. “That process itself becomes a new form of filmmaking.”

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