The Last SamuraiOne of the greatest paradoxes of warfare is that to gain an advantage, you must know your enemy; but in the process, you may discover that you and your enemy are not so different. The Last Samurai is a period drama and action film, following the journey of former soldier, Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), who is commissioned by the government of Japan to instruct their armies in the ways of modern warfare, in order to quash a rebellion of samurai led by Lord Moritsugu Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). When Algren is captured by Katsumoto, he is forced to reevaluate his worldview, and instead allies himself with his erstwhile captors.
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While Nathan Algren was not an actual person from history, he is a composite of similar men who came to the East and introduced elements of Western civilization to the East. Nathan Algren is a reluctant protagonist, first seen in an alcoholic stupor, hocking Winchester rifles for a sideshow. He was a one-time "hero" of the Civil War, and then a crucial figure in defeating the Native Americans in an event implied to be the Sand Creek Massacre. In reality, Algren's participation in this slaughter was under protest, through the orders of his commander--and now liaison to Japan's greedy industrialist, Omura (Masato Harada)--Lt. Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn). Bagley offers him substantial money to come to Japan, seeking to capitalize on Algren's reputation as a warrior to create other warriors. In this, Algren is depicted as being a central figure in a radical, global transition in the latter 19th century, first in America and then in Japan. The Meiji Restoration--named after the Emperor (Shichinosuke Nakamura)--was a dramatic paradigm shift for Japan, forever altering the landscape of the Land of the Rising Sun. This first becomes evident from the moment when Algren arrives in Yokohama, seeing a city which is similar to the San Francisco he left behind, including electrical cables rising above the rooftops. The portrayal of modernization in The Last Samurai is one of an escalation of power sought by the greedy, like Omura, but at the cost of the "soul" of the nation, represented in samurai like Katsumoto. Thus, the depiction of the rebellion--which is inspired by 1877 Satsuma Rebellion--represents the samurai as resistance fighters and keepers of the traditions of Japan, while the Emperor is depicted as being a young man, overshadowed by corrupt tyrants whose only interest is in exploiting their homeland, eager to establish a foothold for global dominance. The reality of the Meiji Restoration is somewhat different; historians have asserted that the samurai were essentially a gentry caste that had become corrupt, but The Last Samurai prefers to view the conflict as one of honor lost and reclaimed, both for Algren and Japan. While much of The Last Samurai deals with Algren's transformation from the cynical "barbarian" from the West and into the clear-headed man of honor, the film also features a multitude of thrilling action sequences. These are episodes of tightly choreographed sword fights building to the climactic showdown in the battlefield, with multiple strategic twists and turns. These include moments like the one where Algren--now trained in the ways of the samurai--faces down a half dozen assassins in the streets of Yokohama. This encounter recalls some of the best and most intense sword fights from samurai films staring the legendary Toshiro Mifune, while Algren's spiritual journey of self-discovery among people under attack by an unsympathetic government is reminiscent of another 19th century period piece, Dances with Wolves.
Algren and Katsumoto are represented like two sides of the same coin, two men who have a deep understanding and appreciation for warfare and its impact on their respective people. Algren has become so disillusioned with his world and its preference to eliminate its enemies without honor or mercy, that his status as a "hero" not only gives him no pleasure, it is like a blade repeatedly jabbed into him, a pain he attempts to assuage with alcohol. His utter pessimism leads him to commit reckless, even suicidal acts to end his suffering, although he retains his desire to see no more harm to come to those who cannot help themselves. For example, when Bagley and Omura goad him into launching an assault using his as of yet untrained army, he makes an example of their ineptitude by commanding a nervous soldier to try to shoot him with a rifle. Algren sees warfare as a game played by tyrants and rich men, all too comfortable to sacrifice the lives of soldiers for their own glory. In Katsumoto, Algren discovers a man who is not only benevolent to his prisoner, but wise and even humble. Algren understands the most crucial strategy of warfare: you must know your enemy to overcome him, which is why he employs chronicler and translator Simon Graham (Timothy Spall) to translate books on the samurai for him from Japanese. When Algren meets Katsumoto, he discovers that the leader of the samurai speaks English fluently, and converses with Algren this way. It is evident that Katsumoto has learned English because of the inherent threat that westernization has over the political (and by extension, legal) perception of the role of the samurai in the new era. Paradoxically, Katsumoto asserts that he still serves the Emperor, but how he serves the Emperor is by embodying the traditions of his ancestors and their way of life, one which is over nine hundred years old. Just as Algren and Katsumoto embrace this philosophy, so does Omura, as corrupt as he is. He also speaks English with Algren, and even has the advantage of understanding the subtleties and mannerisms. This makes it clear to him that by the time Algren has returned from his captivity with Katsumoto, he is no longer loyal to their cause. Omura claims his enemy is--in essence--the world; his claim in embracing Western civilization and modernization is to make Japan an independent nation that can withstand the might of enemies abroad, although his actions suggest a deeper motivation of self-aggrandizement. But hatred clouds Omura's mind, and allows the darkness of greed to overtake his purported patriotism. This conceit that one's negativity impedes their ability to reach their full potential is alluded to when Algren is trained in the ways of the sword by the stern samurai, Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada), who consistently thrashes Algren until the westerner is willing to clear his mind of distractions and outside influence. In Katsumoto's village retreat, Algren is reluctantly attended to by Taka (Koyuki), the widow of a samurai who Algren slew in battle. Taka begrudgingly--yet with characteristic politeness--obeys Katsumoto's wishes by administering to Algren during his recovery, and as a result helps to purge the demon of alcoholism from him by refusing him sake. This helps Algren obtain clarity and end his figurative self-imposed exile from the world; when he does, he awakes to the purity and disciplined world of the samurai. More than a form of Stockholm Syndrome, Algren sees what he has longed for deep in his soul in the modest and wholesome lifestyle of the samurai. At first, Algren struggled to communicate with the samurai, speaking only English; but as his stay continues, his broken Japanese becomes more fluent. The implication of this is that it is more than just dedication but sympathy for the Japanese and the way of the samurai that allows this aptitude for the language to flourish in Algren.
Recommended for: Fans of a dramatic period piece about a fading way of life, set in 19th century Japan. It is a story about honor and sacrifice, reclamation, and how understanding your "enemy" will give you new perspective, and in turn enrich your life.
Algren and Katsumoto are represented like two sides of the same coin, two men who have a deep understanding and appreciation for warfare and its impact on their respective people. Algren has become so disillusioned with his world and its preference to eliminate its enemies without honor or mercy, that his status as a "hero" not only gives him no pleasure, it is like a blade repeatedly jabbed into him, a pain he attempts to assuage with alcohol. His utter pessimism leads him to commit reckless, even suicidal acts to end his suffering, although he retains his desire to see no more harm to come to those who cannot help themselves. For example, when Bagley and Omura goad him into launching an assault using his as of yet untrained army, he makes an example of their ineptitude by commanding a nervous soldier to try to shoot him with a rifle. Algren sees warfare as a game played by tyrants and rich men, all too comfortable to sacrifice the lives of soldiers for their own glory. In Katsumoto, Algren discovers a man who is not only benevolent to his prisoner, but wise and even humble. Algren understands the most crucial strategy of warfare: you must know your enemy to overcome him, which is why he employs chronicler and translator Simon Graham (Timothy Spall) to translate books on the samurai for him from Japanese. When Algren meets Katsumoto, he discovers that the leader of the samurai speaks English fluently, and converses with Algren this way. It is evident that Katsumoto has learned English because of the inherent threat that westernization has over the political (and by extension, legal) perception of the role of the samurai in the new era. Paradoxically, Katsumoto asserts that he still serves the Emperor, but how he serves the Emperor is by embodying the traditions of his ancestors and their way of life, one which is over nine hundred years old. Just as Algren and Katsumoto embrace this philosophy, so does Omura, as corrupt as he is. He also speaks English with Algren, and even has the advantage of understanding the subtleties and mannerisms. This makes it clear to him that by the time Algren has returned from his captivity with Katsumoto, he is no longer loyal to their cause. Omura claims his enemy is--in essence--the world; his claim in embracing Western civilization and modernization is to make Japan an independent nation that can withstand the might of enemies abroad, although his actions suggest a deeper motivation of self-aggrandizement. But hatred clouds Omura's mind, and allows the darkness of greed to overtake his purported patriotism. This conceit that one's negativity impedes their ability to reach their full potential is alluded to when Algren is trained in the ways of the sword by the stern samurai, Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada), who consistently thrashes Algren until the westerner is willing to clear his mind of distractions and outside influence. In Katsumoto's village retreat, Algren is reluctantly attended to by Taka (Koyuki), the widow of a samurai who Algren slew in battle. Taka begrudgingly--yet with characteristic politeness--obeys Katsumoto's wishes by administering to Algren during his recovery, and as a result helps to purge the demon of alcoholism from him by refusing him sake. This helps Algren obtain clarity and end his figurative self-imposed exile from the world; when he does, he awakes to the purity and disciplined world of the samurai. More than a form of Stockholm Syndrome, Algren sees what he has longed for deep in his soul in the modest and wholesome lifestyle of the samurai. At first, Algren struggled to communicate with the samurai, speaking only English; but as his stay continues, his broken Japanese becomes more fluent. The implication of this is that it is more than just dedication but sympathy for the Japanese and the way of the samurai that allows this aptitude for the language to flourish in Algren.
Recommended for: Fans of a dramatic period piece about a fading way of life, set in 19th century Japan. It is a story about honor and sacrifice, reclamation, and how understanding your "enemy" will give you new perspective, and in turn enrich your life.