Review of The Last Samurai (2003) by Hoops2448 — 30 Jul 2012

The Last Samurai reminds me of the kind of poetry I used to read in school, well the good poetry. It had the ability to be both profound and silly, uplifting and devestating and it could affect me in the way it toyed with my emotions.

The Last Samurai does exactly that as it juxtaposes the blissful serenity of pre industrial Japan with the horror and devestation brought by the more technologically advanced Americans. The fact that the film follows the viewpoint of an American as he learns the customs of not just the Japanese but the Samurai allows the film to slowly convince the viewer of the beauty of a simple yet disciplined life.

The film follows Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) an American captain charged with training the Japanese army to fight like the more advanced (at least tactically) American forces he belongs to. However Algren is a conflicted character as he is serving a master he loathes (the US army) and because he cannot bring himself to leave, that loathing is only aimed at himself.

He has deep regret for his actions as a soldier but also extreme hatred of his superiors and almost everyone around him. Cruise provides one of his best performances as he manages to provide subtle nuances to a character that is already richly written.

The film follows Algren though his training of the Japanese army but also his capture and imprisonment by the Samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). Watanabe is the perfect foil for Cruise whose performance is energetic but emotional in comparison to Watanabe who is subdued yet engrossing.

Their interaction make the movie as they are written in a way that doesn't preach about why the the Samurai way is much more respectable than that of the ever changing Japan but meerly implies it. The slow establishment of a deep and meaningful friendship (Bromance?) between the two is where the heart and soul of the film lies.

Director Edward Zwick sets the right pace for the film as it takes the time to display the beauty of Japan and what the Samurai are trying to hold onto but it also progresses the story at an acceptable tempo so that the viewer doesn't lose interest.

The film has a great supporting cast although Billy Connolly seemed a little out of place. Overall the film has a power and emotion unlike many films as it takes its inspiration not just from history but also from nature and the beauty in it.

It's a film entirely about redemption and I can think of no better place to do it than the Japanese mountains. Nathan Algren is a lucky man.