The Last Samurai
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I could be wrong about this (I don't know that much about the Samurai), but I thought it was about Katsumoto's ideals. The Samurai were all about devoting themselves to perfection; Katsumoto was the one who believed in the Emperor, and wanted him to rule (having been his tutor for years).
"You make me think Hell is run like a corporation."
"It's the other way around, but yes."
Obaki, Too Much Information
"It's the other way around, but yes."
Obaki, Too Much Information
To an extent...but I can't think of a samurai in that film who didn't support his ideals. Samurai devoting themselves to perfection is pure romanticism. The vast majority, especially in the Tokugawa era, devoted themselves to sloth, indolence, hedonism, and social advancement . . . either that or robbing people blind.Rigel wrote:I could be wrong about this (I don't know that much about the Samurai), but I thought it was about Katsumoto's ideals. The Samurai were all about devoting themselves to perfection; Katsumoto was the one who believed in the Emperor, and wanted him to rule (having been his tutor for years).
In a historical context, Katsumoto would come across as absurdly naive to put his faith in a boy-emperor who is just as much a piece of furniture as the throne he sits upon. Nonetheless, it's kind of futile to criticise a film which functions as a complete fantasy.
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.
Yeahdanlo wrote:I mentioned Dances with Wolves before--this movie was kind of like John Dunbar meets the Samurai, wasn't it?
Or, dissolute, dissillussioned soldier cliche # 571 meets the samurai.
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.
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Fist and Faith
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Well, there ya go!Montresor wrote:Nonetheless, it's kind of futile to criticise a film which functions as a complete fantasy.
Really, you have to view it that way. Same with Gates of Fire, I suppose. These things can be extremely good stuff (Gates is, Samurai not as), even if not historically accurate. But, again, I understand that the time and place is an area of special interest to you, and it's a veeeeeery difficult thing to overlook what you actually know about it while trying to enjoy the movie.All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
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jacob Raver, sinTempter
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I used to absolutely adore this film...
But the last time I watched it I began to realize just how intentionaly over-the-top it is written and acted...
Still a good film...
'You guys seen 7 Samurai?
But the last time I watched it I began to realize just how intentionaly over-the-top it is written and acted...
Still a good film...
'You guys seen 7 Samurai?
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"I'm gonna eat your brains and gain your knowledge." - Tony Block, Planet Terror
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jacob Raver, sinTempter
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7S holds up very well considering how old it is...can't say that for all those Wayne westerns...
Sunshine Music
Deep Music
"I'm gonna eat your brains and gain your knowledge." - Tony Block, Planet Terror
Deep Music
"I'm gonna eat your brains and gain your knowledge." - Tony Block, Planet Terror
Some of those Wayne westerns are pretty good... well, at least one is. Big Jake.
"You make me think Hell is run like a corporation."
"It's the other way around, but yes."
Obaki, Too Much Information
"It's the other way around, but yes."
Obaki, Too Much Information
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jacob Raver, sinTempter
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I've only seen half of The Searchers and half of The Shootist...
...I guess I can see what he does really well...
...I guess I can see what he does really well...
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"I'm gonna eat your brains and gain your knowledge." - Tony Block, Planet Terror
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"I'm gonna eat your brains and gain your knowledge." - Tony Block, Planet Terror
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Cord Hurn
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The Last Samurai
I have checked out The Last Samurai (2003). In the late 1870s retired U.S. Army Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is hired by a Japanese Emperor's advisor named Omura (Masato Harada) to train imperial troops of the Emperor (Shichinosuke Nakamura) to go after and defeat the samurai warriors led by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). The imperial troops are sent against the samurai despite Algren's expressed misgivings that the troops aren't ready yet, and Algren gets surrounded by the samurai warriors. He keeps fighting them until Katsumoto decides to call off his warriors.
Katsumoto admires Algren's bravery, but keeps him as a captive until spring thaw allows passage for Algren to be escorted back to the Emperor's palace in Tokyo. One of the samurai Algren had killed before being captured was the husband of Katsuoto's sister Taka (Koyuki), and Algren is cared for and the guardian of Taka and her two sons. Katsumoto notes that Algren gave Tak's husband a "clean death" in battle, and so preserved her husband's honor. The movie has some romantic interest developing between Taka and Algren, which doesn't seem likely in a real-life scenario, and comes across as a worn-out Hollywood plot device.
When springtime comes around, Katsumoto honors his word to Algren and lets him leave the samurai village for Tokyo--but not before Algren helps Katsumoto repel soldiers sent by Omura to kill off the samurai. Back in Tokyo, Algren refuses Omura's offer to fight the samurai using rifles and cannon, both because he considers it dishonorable to use such weapons against warriors who only use swords and bows-and-arrows, and because he has come to love the bravery and honor exhibited by Katsumoto, Taka, and all others he has met during his sojourn in the samurai village.
Algren is pressured by his former commanding officer Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) to support Omura against the samurai, but refuses, and this is partly because he despises Bagley, who once had ordered him to kill many unarmed Native Americans during the frontier wars of the old American West.
I get annoyed by the same old "White Savior" story line that this movie espouses, and the violence and the movie itself seems to drag out too long. But I like that most of the cast in a movie set in Asia is actually Asian, not whites made to look Asian. And Algren does show respect for the samurai values, and that sincerity comes across in Cruise's acting. So as far as the features of The Last Samurai go, the blade does indeed cut both ways, so I liked it more than disliked it.
Katsumoto admires Algren's bravery, but keeps him as a captive until spring thaw allows passage for Algren to be escorted back to the Emperor's palace in Tokyo. One of the samurai Algren had killed before being captured was the husband of Katsuoto's sister Taka (Koyuki), and Algren is cared for and the guardian of Taka and her two sons. Katsumoto notes that Algren gave Tak's husband a "clean death" in battle, and so preserved her husband's honor. The movie has some romantic interest developing between Taka and Algren, which doesn't seem likely in a real-life scenario, and comes across as a worn-out Hollywood plot device.
When springtime comes around, Katsumoto honors his word to Algren and lets him leave the samurai village for Tokyo--but not before Algren helps Katsumoto repel soldiers sent by Omura to kill off the samurai. Back in Tokyo, Algren refuses Omura's offer to fight the samurai using rifles and cannon, both because he considers it dishonorable to use such weapons against warriors who only use swords and bows-and-arrows, and because he has come to love the bravery and honor exhibited by Katsumoto, Taka, and all others he has met during his sojourn in the samurai village.
Algren is pressured by his former commanding officer Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) to support Omura against the samurai, but refuses, and this is partly because he despises Bagley, who once had ordered him to kill many unarmed Native Americans during the frontier wars of the old American West.
I get annoyed by the same old "White Savior" story line that this movie espouses, and the violence and the movie itself seems to drag out too long. But I like that most of the cast in a movie set in Asia is actually Asian, not whites made to look Asian. And Algren does show respect for the samurai values, and that sincerity comes across in Cruise's acting. So as far as the features of The Last Samurai go, the blade does indeed cut both ways, so I liked it more than disliked it.
