Bushido Blade

Admittedly, I was concerned about this film beforehand. While I think Tom Cruise is one of the best mega-star actors Hollywood has to offer, I was concerned that The Last Samurai could do for him what Braveheart did for Mel Gibson and Gladiator did for Russell Crowe: swell their egos past their abilities. Thankfully, this film works well enough by its own right that it doesn’t have to keep Cruise in the limelight all the time; and he’s quite happy to have it that way. The movie is respectful enough of its subject matter not to put all the glory around its central character and that is what helps this movie to shine.

The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Cruise), a courageous American soldier who is plagued by the guilt of a slaughter of innocent Indians ordered by his commanding officer. Using what’s left of his fame to sell Winchester rifles, Algren spends his days in solitude drowning in a bottle. That is, until he gets an offer from the Japanese government for $500 per week to train their soldiers to fight against a band of Samurai who have rebelled against their quest for modernization. But it is only after his band of hastily trained soldiers is attacked and Algren is captured by the rebels that he learns of their true fight: to preserve their way of life that is being threatened by western civilization. Through contact with these “enemies” he is able to learn of honor, value and love.

I’m sure the cynics will say a movie like this throws the audience into melodrama, but they’ll likely say the same about any film in which we are expected to genuinely care about the characters. Cruise is a fine lead actor, never stealing the spotlight, but always commanding enough presence for us to believe the film. And while I wasn’t always buying him as a genuine Samurai, he throws himself into the role with such determination that he deserves to be commended for his efforts, despite the fact that he is a Hollywood megastar (which is hard to see past, regardless of how good the performance is.)
Katsumoto, The leader of the Samurai village, is played with an Oscar-worthy performance by Ken Wanatabe, and is easily the film’s best character. He is a fierce, honorable warrior, but also a loving leader who seeks to understand that which is outside his culture.
Of the film’s villains, I can’t be so praiseworthy. While they do work fine in the framework of the story, they are the same static antagonists we see in every film like this, where their lust for “progress” gets in the way of human dignity, although, perhaps this can be blamed on the story itself.

Don’t get me wrong, the story is great. It works perfectly for the film, because this is a character drama and a war epic, not a story-driven film. There is no need for an overly complex plot, because what we’re expected to be drawn to here is these people and why they’re so willing to fight for what they believe in. It may not be wholly original at all, but it works. And that’s all that matters.

That being said, the film settles into that mold and shines beautifully. The environments here are breathtaking. The valley where the Samurai village resides is quite possibly one of the most beautiful set pieces in cinematic history. Its citizens are well portrayed as well. These are not savage warriors as the early goings of the film would have us believe, but they are families, fathers fighting to give their children some tradition to cherish. The costumes are spot on, especially the Samurai armor. When we first meet them thundering through terrestrial mists on horseback, it truly is a fearsome sight.
The film is beautifully scored, from the soft pieces of quiet reflection to the epic pieces of battle, and is probably one of the only soundtracks so far this year that might be worth buying (Return of the King being the exception). Hans Zimmer captures everything good about the film and translates it musically.

And the fight scenes, oh the fight scenes! Wow! The film is intensely violent and has a body count that could rival even Kill Bill. It’s not simply all out war, but it’s stylistic in its approach as well. The film has one-on-one sword fighting, finding a windswept and rain-soaked Cruise continually training himself in the way of the Samurai. There is a carefully plotted final battle that doesn’t cheat the viewer by simply having the soldiers run out and kill each other. The Samurai fight for their honor against thousands of Japanese infantry, and the battle is simply spectacular. It is perfectly shot and perfectly directed to an emotional resonance not often found outside something like Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. Zwick even respects the intelligence of the viewer by knowing the importance of military strategy in battle. It is a truly epic thing to see, with characters we have come to care for fighting for everything they believe. There’s even a scene with Samurai VS Ninjas! It doesn’t get much better than that. And you can quote me that the final battle here is epic enough that it could rival even Pellannor Fields in Return of the King

Amidst the battle scenes are long moments of quiet reflection, light humor, and poignant dialogue, all of which serve to draw us further into the story and connect emotionally with the characters. Cruise trains fiercely with the town warriors, refusing to stop until he can no longer move, and earning the respect of the villagers. He becomes a friend to the people, and a father figure to the village children. In short, he realizes that these people are not the bad guys. They’re noble men of good character who only wish to preserve that which they have grown to love. Katsumoto says to Nathan on the dawn of battle, “You think a man can change his destiny?” to which Cruise replies, “I believe a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.” Good stuff.

The Last Samurai is an epic action film that has a heart and a brain. There is intelligence, emotion, humor, and style. It slows down to let us connect with its characters, and then it throws those characters into a visual orgy of blood and carnage. The movie conveys the strength of the Samurai and the honor they live by, and the beauty of the ancient Japanese culture. Everything about this film is beautiful and I would go as far as to rank it one of the year’s best films.