Rating: 
Summary: Dances with Wolves ... er, Samurai
Review: In DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990), Kevin Costner is the emotionally drained Civil War soldier whose life is renewed on the Great Plains by a wild wolf and a band of Sioux when he adopts the lifestyle and values of the latter. He "goes Indian". As this film opens in 1876, ex-Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), formerly of the 7th Cavalry, is an alcoholic Civil War and Plains Indian War veteran reduced to making public appearances on behalf of the Winchester Arms Company, maker of the famous repeating rifle. He's rescued by his old commanding officer, Col. Benjamin Bagley (Tony Goldwyn), who arranges for Algren to help train the Japanese Imperial Army in modern warfare techniques. The pay is $500 per month. Because of an incident in the campaign against the Indians that still causes Algren nightmares, cost him his self-perceived honor, and drove him to drink, Nathan tells his ex-CO that he'll kill anyone in Japan for $500 a month, but would gladly kill Bagley for free. Army camaraderie is not all it's cracked up to be. In any case, off both sail to Japan. The Imperial government is bedeviled by rebel samurai warriors cranky about the increasing Westernization of society. In the first skirmish between Algren-trained troops and a samurai band led by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), Nathan is wounded and captured. He spends the winter in Katsumoto's village, where he's nursed back to health by Katsumoto's sister, Taka (Koyuki), whose husband Algren had killed in the recent battle. While a prisoner, Nathan discovers love with you-know-who and personal friendship with Katsumoto, whose life he saves at one point, and re-discovers Honor through proximity with and training in the Samurai Code. In the final confrontation between the samurai and Imperial troops led by Bagley, guess where Algren plants his standard? It's DANCES WITH WOLVES all over again, but without the wolf. The samurai even employ bows and arrows. THE LAST SAMURAI is a well-acted, engaging story that's shot in some beautiful scenery. Since New Zealand seems to be the location of moviemakers' choice lately (LOTR trilogy, PETER PAN), I wasn't surprised to see in the ending credits that some of this film, presumably that part in the samurai village, was located there. And speaking of scenery, there's Koyuki, a Japanese actress unknown on U.S. screens, who's exquisite. Unfortunately, the film is perhaps thirty minutes too long, and the climactic battle sequence is milked for all it's worth - and then some - including some unnecessary slo-mo footage. The term "maudlin" comes to mind. And it's this aspect of THE LAST SAMURAI which makes it, to me, inferior to that other action epic of 2003, the more tightly edited MASTER AND COMMANDER. THE LAST SAMURAI may win some Oscars, such as for cinematography or costuming. But, I perceive it as only one of the better films of 2003 as opposed to one of the best.
Rating: 
Summary: Katsumoto is the King
Review: It's 1876. Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) has been sent to Japan in order to help the Imperial Japanese Army become more 'modern' and less 'traditional' and ultimately prepare them to fight the legendary Samurai. Events occur that cause Tom Cruise to be a captive of the deadly but extremely polite Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) who is the leader of the Japanese Samurai. At this point, the viewer begins to learn why the Samurai are fighting to preserve their way of life against Western influences and Cruise's character becomes emotionally bound to them and he integrates himself into their society after working hard to earn their trust. However, the film is not solely about the struggle for the Samurai to keep their way of life, another subplot includes the low key and shy love relationship between Algren and Taka, a quiet widow (played with subtlety by Koyuki). Though it isn't a big part in the film, it highlights the emotional aspect of the film and shows that this is not a film about swords. Positive Points:
In my view, Cruise has been a decent actor with fluctuating performances but in this current effort, he has shown that he is improving and learning how to adapt to different styles of acting. He plays the tormented captain with surprising intelligence and conviction. I was very impressed to see him speaking Japanese - I loved the way this film mixed both English and Japanese toghether because it gave it a strong edge. However, The real star of this film is Ken Watanabe (Tom who?). He played Katsumoto with such a commanding and intense presence that it was hard to concentrate on Cruise or any other actor in the film. Without doubt deserves the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Special mention should go to Koyuki and Ujio (played by Hiroyuki Sanada). As supporting roles, they both acted convincingly without saying much but succeeded in showing that there are many more interesting characters besides Algren and Katsumoto. Great music score by Hans Zimmer and fantastic costume design that will not doubt trigger a trend in Samurai-influenced clothes. Negative points: While the film was entertaining, it focused too much on Cruise. The supporting characters were great too and people like Taka and Ujio should have had more developed personalities. What is Billy Connolly doing in this film? A Scottish man impersonating an Irish man? You didn't fool me Braveheart! But negativities cast aside, 'The Last Samurai' is an enjoyable, violent but immersing cinematic effort that shouldn't be missed if you are interested in Japan, a Cruise fan or if you just love historical dramas.
Rating:
Summary: When should Tom Cruise get an Oscar nomination and wins it ?
Review: When should Tom Cruise get an Oscar nomination and wins it ? I'm not a serious Cruise's fan, but I like his work and he works hard for his roles as many A-list actors do. Again, he should be nominated for best actor Oscar for his role in the Last Samurai. It has some of the modern themes of regional and global
superpowers dominations and attemp to change the inner cultures of other nations for the sake of self-centered interests and for the love of control. You'll find those elements somtimes hidden within the storytelling. The battle sequences are very well
performed yet they need to be longer in duration. The movie is visually stunning.
It is a very good movie to watch, and certainly one of the 2003
best movies.
Rating:
Summary: Last Samurai [is awesome]
Review: This is the best movie yet! action .. story line...Japanese history- they nailed it. Everything was awesome! its a must see movie! If you missed it at theatres, too bad...BUT catch it on DVD. Its exciting, scary, sad, funny, action packed- its everything!
Rating:
Summary: I am speechless
Review: Amazing! The movie really brought out the true beauty of Japanese culture and history, as well as the violence and conflicts. During the movie one just sits there, awed in silence, feeling sadness and tragedy as one witnesses the demise and end of an ancient tradition and lifestyle, bushido (way of the warrior). My older sister, a well-known artist, couldn't stop commenting on the exquisite acting of Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada,etc. I recommend this movie to people to have an interest in the Orient and its history and to anyone who enjoys a movie with a touching story, rich in sentiment and that evokes emotion. Bless you all, thank you!
Rating: 
Summary: Stupid Idea
Review: The Samurai sprilt encourage Jap to go on the World War 2, invade China ,and kill millions of people. Still Japanese have a samurai sprit, kind of expansioism. They now make use of Taiwan and Tibet issue to intervene Chinese policy and they admire the war criminals. This movie justify their stupid idea.
Rating:
Summary: A noble cinematic experience...
Review: Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), an ex-Army Captain, served in the Civil War and several battles against the Native Americans. Years after the wars Nathan suffers from post-traumatic stress, which he struggles to smother with alcohol. However, Nathan's past precedes him as his services are requested in Japan in order to squelch a rebellion by the few Samurai that holds on to the old traditions and who believe that the changes in Japan are moving too rapidly. In Nathan's first battle with the enemy he is captured by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), the leader of the rebellion, who intends to study Nathan as he wants to learn more about his enemy. This leads to a mutual respect and discovery of wisdom for both Nathan and Katsumoto as they both deepen their enlightenment of Bushido. Nonetheless, the mutual understanding between the two warriors has set them on a path of righteousness and honor that has been challenged by the Japanese rule. This means that the two men must live by the warrior code, which can mean certain death. Last Samurai is a story that fuses Western values with Eastern values, but both value sets are still intact as they merge. Zwick leaves the audience with a heroic tale about sacrifice, honor, friendship, love, and commitment that offers a noble cinematic experience.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, semi-accurate samurai adventure
Review: I enjoyed the Last Samurai. I won't pretend to be a professional cinema critic and, therefore, cannot have an informed opinion about things like the cinematography, so I'll mention in brief what I do know. Positives:
-Ken Watanabe delivers a phenomenal performance as Katsumoto.
-Costume design is not only beautiful, but largely accurate.
-Very entertaining as a whole, although people expecting a Braveheart level of action may be disappointed, as the battles are perforated with quieter moments of plot development and character insight.
-Many small details were nailed down with pinpoint accuracy, such as the combat stances and strikes of the samurai, the differences in speaking proficiency and dialects used between age groups and social groups amongst the Japanese.
-No gratuitous Taka nude scenes, geisha-esque stereotypes, etc. Negatives:
-Some portions of the script are needlessly saccharine (although I fell for them and cried like a baby: naming it doesn't make it ineffective).
-The movie does drag at times, although I only noticed this after having seen it three or four times.
-Tom Cruise, although he does a good job, constantly seems anachronistic, especially in contrast to other casting choices.
-Returning to the saccharine point, the movie often seems to be caught up in its own power (especially near the ending).
-Some historical event inaccuracy, although the level of inaccuracy depends on whose accounts you've read and believed. Misc. Notes:
-The title, "The Last Samurai," is plural: don't look for one man as "The Last Samurai," as you'll be disappointed.
-Yes, yes, "Dances with Wolves" had the same basic premise, get over it.
Rating:
Summary: Good flick -- could have/should have been better; so-so DVD
Review: "The Last Samurai" is a beautifully shot film that everyone seems to have thrown themselves into with gusto, but the movie somehow lacks the "oomph" that would have propelled it into the cinematic stratosphere. The result -- a darn good movie that, with two exceptional aspects, will not be considered a classic (and it could have been!). Directed by Edward Zwick (of the magnificent "Glory"), "Samurai" tells the story of Civil War hero Capt. Nathan Algren (Cruise, in an earnest performance). The story's parallels to Kevin Costner's "Dances With Wolves" are well-documented, but overstated -- Americans have forever been encountering "new" cultures (that have been around for centuries), and it's reasonable to deduce that many Americans (even given our stereotypical egotism, boorishness and hypocrisy that Hollywood loves to play up) would become enamored of these different cultures. It's 1876. Algren, a self-hating drunk, blows his last chance as spokesman for the Winchester rifle company, but is offered the job of going to the Orient to "kill Jappos." The first Japanese who speaks is a despicable character, fat and bewhiskered, who has obviously sold out to Western ideals. He stands in stark contrast to the first Japanese we see, Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe, who steals the movie), the Samurai lord -- we see him in his tranquil village having a vision of a tiger in a scene of stark, lethal beauty. Katsumoto, an honored advisor to the Emperor, is holding out against the Westernization of Japan. The Fat Japanese Man, also an imperial advisor, has isolated Katsumoto and has apparently steamrolled the Emperor, a young man clearly not up to his imperial obligations, to open Japan to the West. The goal is obviously to line the pockets of the Fat Japanese Man, and America is eager to get involved in the Westernization of Japan in order to exploit lucrative weapons contracts. Can you see where this is going? "Samurai" has a very predictable plot, but that should not have prevented it from making a powerful emotional statement. After all, we know how Hamlet is going to wind up, and it's still an emotional roller-coaster. "Samurai" certainly gets a lot of the visual elements correct -- the early battle scene involving the cavalry charge of the samurai through the mists, as if emerging from their own mythology, is a triumph. But overall the film lacks an emotional core that is necessary. Part of this responsibility must lie at Cruise's feet. It's not for a lack of effort -- Cruise obviously threw himself into this movie with everything he has. He is just a poor choice for narrator of this particular story. For one, Cruise does not abandon his anguish at any point in the story. (In this sense, he's similar to the casting of Leo as the lead in "Gangs of New York" -- too surly to be of much interest.) Contrast Cruise's performance with Costner's in "Wolves" -- Costner achieves a stronger emotional connection with the audience than Cruise does (and that's surprising, 'cause I generally consider Cruise to be a superior actor). The other problem with the movie is that it just moves too darn fast through some important aspects of the story. For one, the complex problems with the Westernization of Japan should have been given greater depth, as should have the role of the samurai in Japanese society. We do spend a lot of time with in the samurai village, and we see how important it is to train with weapons. But we needed to see more about how the imperial advisors favoring Westernization have "sold out" their culture. By making Katsumoto the only hold-out without much further explanation, it's harder to see Hatsumoto has the honorable preserver of traditions and easier to see him as the last desperate man, too eager to hold onto traditions. Other details seem to have been missed. At one point, we see the horrible shame for a samurai who has his cherished top-knot hairdo cut off. But why is it never explained why Katsumoto has a shaved head? We presume that Katsumoto has the shaved head only because it looks good to the eyes of the Western audience, which is probably not going to find the traditional samurai hairstyle very attractive. (To be fair, in many other ways the movie gets the look and feel of the period very well.) Ken Watanabe's portrayal of Katsumoto is the movie's high point. A complex man, capable of great emotion within his samurai stoicism, Katsumoto is intrigued by Algren and learns much from him. Eventually becoming brothers in arms, Katsumoto and Algren strive to save the samurai and bushido, the samurai code. Overcoming diplomatic pressure, official ostracism, and a lethal ninja attack, Katsumoto fights a noble battle to its unfortunate and inevitable end. The climactic scene, the last battle of the Katsumoto's samurai against the Western-armed and trained imperial army, is awesome. Set beautifully against a backdrop of falling cherry blossoms, the samurai evoke their own "charge of the light brigade," and their sacrifice and refusal to submit is truly ennobling. It's sad that the rest of the film doesn't quite live up to its incredible potential. This movie dared to tackle a huge, powerful story, and in many ways it works. It just doesn't quite measure up to what it could have been. The DVD extras are OK -- many interviews and promos, with some interesting details about the art design, but there's nothing to "ooh and ahh" over. A decent DVD for a very good, but not great, movie.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Samurai
Review: Although I have reviewed this movie with heightened interest,
are the facts portrayed historicaly valid, and if so,
where can I peruse more profound articles on the Internet
that depict the Mercenary involvement between the United
States and Japan? I am a Social Studies teacher and would
like to share this issue, if a true account, with other
teachers in my local area. Please respond by e-mail at your
earliest convenience. Thank you.
|
