Movie Reviews

The Last Samurai is one of those uncommonly good movies that impresses you with a world that you rarely, if ever, see in film. Obviously the 'world' in this film is that of the Samurai, a peaceful, cultured world that was loyal to a fault to Japan and its emperor, but when called upon to defend its ways, it was fierce, brutal, and unrelenting in battle.

Tom Cruise plays Nathan Algren, an American Civil War veteran who is called upon to consult with the Japanese emperor on the modernization of Japan's military. The emperor is keen on the 'westernization' of his country, while the Samurai believe strongly in their traditions. A civil war between the two Japanese factions is being waged, and Algren has been asked to help instruct the emperor's "modern" army towards a defeat of the Samurai uprising. In battle however, Algren is captured by the Samurai is taken as prison, where he learns their ways and traditions and essentially becomes one of them himself.

It all sounds like a potentially unexciting setup for an overly-historical, Oscar-baiting type of film. Thankfully it's much more than that. First, it has some truly amazing battle scenes. The late 19th century was an interesting period for warfare, as new-fangled war-machines were beginning to come into play against more traditional things like swords and horses. The Last Samurai shows that it certainly wasn't always the best weaponry that won all the battles, however.

Second, the film isn't really about the fighting between the emperor's army and the Samurai. It's really about the Samurai themselves, and their fascinating way of life. They were a very complex bunch of people. Take Katsumoto (played excellently by Ken Watanabe) for example: as the leader of the Samurai, he is responsible for the uprising against the emperor. Yet at the same time he is fiercely loyal to Japan, which by association also means that he is fiercely loyal to the emperor. He makes it clear that he would sacrifice himself without thought if the emperor were to simply ask for it.

Tom Cruise is pretty darn good too -- his role requires a dirty, gritty performance and he delivers it without the sort of 'Hollywood charm' that he exudes in some other films.

The Last Samurai is one of the best films of the year. It's a beautifully crafted and told story about a beautiful lost civilization.