The Last Samurai Movie: Death and Beginning

THE LAST SAMURAI MOVIE

Year Released / Run Time / Genre / Cast / Characters / Director / Distributor / Production / Filming Locations / MPAA Rating

The Last Samurai (2003). 2 hrs. 34 mins. Action – Adventure – War Epic – Drama. Starring Tom Cruise (as Captain Nathan Algren), Shichinosuke Nakamura (as the Emperor), Koyuki (as Taka), and Ken Watanabe (as Katsumoto). Directed by Edward Zwick. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. A Radar Pictures / Bedford Falls / Cruise-Wagner Production. Filmed in Japan, LA California, USA, and New Zealand. Rated R for violence, strong language and battle scenes.

Movie Review / Story / Summary / Synopsis / Plot / Analysis

THE LAST SAMURAI

“On the other side of the world, one man lost his freedom, and found his destiny. Courage. Loyalty. Honor…”

Image via Wikipedia

Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a patriot of the Civil war, who once risked his life for honor, now finds despair in the vastly changing world.

The trend of the late 19th century pragmatism, clouds the values of chivalry, which has now been reduced to mere romanticist tales only serving to entertain. What only seem to be left are the sorrows and horrors of the previous war, and the now improvident campaigns, which Algren contemptuously attempt to drown in alcohol and sarcasm. Until…

The Emperor of Japan (Shichinosuke Nakamura) discovers and hires the Captain to train Japan’s newly drafted modern army. But while Captain Algren hopes to regain his sense of worth as a soldier, money and the lures of the Western political agenda have been blurring his sincere spiritual heroic conviction.

The Emperor of Japan as well, finds himself trapped in a critical choice between tradition and progress. Young and inexperienced, the Emperor helplessly yields to his advisers in negotiating with the Americans – eradicate the ultimate threat, the last strain of Samurais. The Emperor has been convinced that this would transform Japan into a secured Westernized trade ally.

The Samurais now seek to defend their way of life, against the Emperor and the Japanese government that they once served to protect.

Yet the honor, the sacrifice, and the courage are still theirs…

The Samurais succeeds in capturing Captain Algren, under the charge of Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). Still confounded by the Westerner’s lack of dignity in repulsing defeat through death, Katsumoto finally spares the Captain’s life, perhaps in the hopes of educating the Captain in the Samurai way of life. Who doesn’t understand the dignity in Harakiri?

Ironically, it is only in his period of captivity on enemies’ grounds that Captain Algren is reminded of the true honor of being a soldier. Impressed by the Samurai code of Bushido, the Way of a Warrior (finding honor in laying down one’s life in war, and embracing dignity in death rather than defeat), Captain Algren makes a crucial decision -to take sides with the Samurais.

Annihilation of the Japanese by fellow Japanese. Cannons against arrows, guns versus swords. Several lives are put to end. Numerous orphaned children of the Samurais.

Tragically, it is only after the sacrifice and death of the last line of Samurais, that Japan realized the honor in facing the modern world unafraid, though alone. It is only after the end of the last samurais, that Japan learned to embrace once again the value of endurance, more importantly that of autonomy and freedom from foreign demands. Hence, death gives birth to Independent Modern Japan.

Movie Score: B+ / 4 out of 5 stars for satisfying content, thrilling action, tragedy and drama.

(c) Ae Dechavez

Links or Websites:

Warner Bros Last Samurai: Official website (Battle in the Fog script, story board, and screen clips)

Yahoo Movies: Last Samurai movie still photos

Internet Movie DataBase: Last Samurai memorable quotes

Film Tracks: Last Samurai soundtrack

Wikipedia: Last Samurai historical background