communication breakdown

Movie Review: The Last Samurai (2003)

[ 6 / 10 ] Tom Cruise's latest epic presents the story of an American looking for redemption in a country preoccupied with honor and duty. Cruise plays the part of Nathan Algren, an American captain with a harrowed past. The story takes place in the late 19th century, during the American-Indian wars - soon after Little Bighorn and the fall of Custer. Algren is haunted by persistent memories of ravaging Indian towns and killing women and children. At the start of the film we find him depressed and dejected, no longer serving in the army but instead making pitches for a gun salesman in a small Western town...

He is approached by a Japanese noble named Omura, and his former captain, Colonel Bagley (a man Algren hates for ordering him to commit the atrocities which follow him) - and they make him an offer he can't refuse. The Japanese Emperor has decided that his country's war machine needed modernization - weaponry, trained soldiers, and updated military strategies. Japan offers to pay Algren handsomely to travel to the East and train the new Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare. Helping a country which has long since depended on the individual efforts of samurai warriors will be no small task, but Algren clearly has no better alternative, so he consents to the request. Thus the stage is set for the central focus of the film.

Algren arrives to find a poorly-prepared Japanese army. He begins his task of getting them into shape, giving us a few glances of his prowess in regards to warfare and military training. However, the campaign is thrown into confusion when Colonel Bagley prematurely orders the troops into battle against a rebel samurai force which has respectfully defied the Emperor as a protest against the "changing of the guard" being led by Omura. Against his own wishes, Algren grudgingly agrees to lead them into war against the "outdated" samurai, but as expected, the unprepared soldiers are massacred and Algren is captured by the samurai rebels.

From here the whole focus of the movie shifts, and unfortunately, becomes quite predictible. The leader of the samurai, Katsumoto, takes an interest in Algren and desires to learn all he can about his "enemy". A strange relationship begins to grow between the two, and Algren himself changes as he becomes accustomed to life among the samurai. Eventually his whole perspective changes, and as he learns more about their way of life, he begins to sympathize with their plight.

The film is really about the battle between tradition and change. It also places focus upon duty, redemption, and forgiveness. While it makes a valiant effort at justifying its claims, it does so without taking any chances or trying anything new. The main story, in its base form, has been done countless times by better films. There's just nothing new here that makes this film special.

Perhaps the highlight of the film is the filming itself. The sets and costumes are extremely well-done, the locations are perfectly chosen, and the cinematography is stellar. Feudal Japan in all its beauty is captured marvelously throughout the movie.

The acting also isn't bad - Cruise is probably about as good as he can be. There are some moments where he's just plain out-of-place, but for the most part, he plays the role with a quiet dignity. The woman playing the role of Katsumoto's sister Taka is very good in limited exposure. Even the Emperor Meiji does well with minimal screentime, depicting himself as equal parts confident "god on earth", and confused, misguided young man. But Ken Watanabe is the brightest star as the samurai Katsumoto. He is intense yet compassionate, a fierce warrior but at the same time a loyalist and a scholar. He expertly guides his character through the plot, undergoing as much of a transformation as Cruise's character, but you can feel his pain and the weight of his sorrow. In my opinion, he was the real protagonist of the film.

As you would expect from this kind of movie, the fight scenes are well-done, especially the fantastic night ambush scene in the samurai village. There's plenty of action, but an epic lives and dies on the emotion and struggle of its characters, and the quality of its story. Here is where The Last Samurai ultimately falls short. It's a compilation of countless other culture-clash films, and in its conclusion, even becomes somewhat pretentious, depending on your interpretation of the meaning of the movie's title. It's entertaining, but the return on investment leaves something to be desired.