| THE LAST SAMURAI |
 2003 - USA / New Zealand / JapanDirector: Edward Zwick - Reviewed by Darrell
The Last Samurai is set in the early Meiji Period during Japan's early modernization efforts. It is loosely based on real events. In this time the young Emperor Meiji dreamed of a new, more modern Japan—a Japan that could one day stand up to the influence and military strength of the west. The samurai class, who once held high ranking positions as scholars, artists, and honourable servants of the Emperor, were being thrown out of their positions of power and respect and demoted to a class of mere peasants. No longer needed by a quickly modernizing society, the samurai grew discontent and rebellious. In the name of the Emperor, they fought against the changes they saw happening to their country. What Captain Algren quickly sees is that these are not vicious savages that he has been sent to kill, but they are educated, philosophical and devoted people fighting to preserve the ideals that had been around for a millenia. Is there anyone more cool than Ken Watanabe? Wow! His performance as Lord Katsumoto made this film fantastic instead of typical. In fact, Watanabe's screen presence takes over the film. You can literally not take your eyes off him for one second when he is on screen. Tom Cruise puts in quite a performance as well, as his character has to go through a dramatic arc in order to find his inner peace. Even if you are not fond of Tom Cruise as an actor, a lot of credit should be given to him for this role—it is obvious that he gave 110% effort to make his work on screen the best he possibly could. The film is beautifully photographed and the scenery is breathtaking. The action is amazing and the battle scenes are gruesome and beautiful at the same time. But what makes this film shine are the characters and their personal struggles. It is great to see a director (Edward Zwick) who knows that good characters and good writing make a good film, not a lot of flashy effects. The effects are there, but they are very subtle and in just the right place at the right time. At points The Last Samurai had me shivering in my seat from its emotional power and scope. Of course this part is no fluke. Edward Zwick knows what he is doing when it comes to this type of war film. He did it before with the civil war epic Glory in 1989, a film that earned five Academy Award nominations and won three. He knows how to create great supporting characters. In The Last Samurai, the supporting characters are fantastic, especially within the samurai clan that Algren (Tom Cruise) finds himself stuck with. The samurai men lead by Katsumoto are the absolute definition of cool and for that reason alone this film should not be missed. This is a fantastic film, and should have earned Moviepie's highest honour of a full pie... except that it was about four minutes too long, and I felt the last few scenes after the climax were not really necessary. Also I want to say how impressed and pleased I was that a non-Japanese director has put so much passion and love into a film about Japan. Not only is it entertaining and appealing to a worldwide audience, but it is done in a way that is respectful and elegant without being the least bit of cliché. |
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The Last Samurai is an epic film with deep and
resonating emotions. Tom Cruise plays Captain Nathan Algren, a washed-up
survivor of General Custer's army, who is very much troubled by visions of his
past. After killing innocent Native American families under Custer's command, he struggles
with emotional scars and a serious alcohol problem. Fired from a stint of
showcasing rifles at a carnival, he is offered a job: training Japan's new
military to take on rebel samurai groups (the samurai are jeopardizing the newly-formed government and the expansion of the railroad in Japan). He has nothing to lose, so he takes the offer. But when Algren's
inept Japanese soldiers are pushed into battle before they are ready, they fail miserably
against the well-trained samurai. Captain Algren is captured in the fight, but rather than having him killed, Lord Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) of the samurai decides that he can
benefit more from learning from Algren instead, and brings him to his home.
