Last Samurai=A Traitor's Tale?

PABAAH: Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood ^

[jonalvy44]

Seems my initial thoughts concerning the new Tom Cruise movie may ring true, according to one of the reviews at Ain't It Cool...It will be interesting to see if there is any outcry over this...Will he be fighting any US soldiers in the end or just the new Japanese army? Is the West viewed as the bad guy? It would appear so...those evil Westerners...

From Ain't It Cool News:

Review: ...Don’t worry, though, because Mr. Cruise also has some fine moments. Most notably when he is dealing with the disgust he has for being a part of the genocidal white race.

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16602

[jonalvy44]

Looks like Dances with Wolves in the Orient meets Johnny Taliban

[jonalvy44]

Hollywood ping

[Pahuanui]

Ah, I see the entire point was utterly lost on you.

It's fiction, set well over 100 years ago, having no bearing on reality.

[Dead Dog]

The battle this is based on actually happend, and was featured in Military History Mag. Last year. Good read. Would be interesting to see how much of the modernization Japan was embrasing is going to be portrayed as US "Imperialism". Could be a good movie, could be worthless drible.

[js1138]

Could be a good movie, could be worthless drible.

More than likely, both.

[Snuffington]

Looks like Dances with Wolves in the Orient meets Johnny Taliban

I have a bigger credibility problem than that.

The Japanese of the time were ferociously xenophobic, and very rigidly bound to their class. The notion that they'd take a gaijin who was defeated in battle, elevate him to their highest class, and allow him the honor of fighting with them stretches plausibility about as far as it can go.

But the battle scenes look pretty cool.

[Maceman]

Personally, I can't wait to see it. I used to study sword fighting as a martial are, and went through a long phase where I was passionately interested in learning about the Samurai way.

(I actually once got into a friendly parking-lot sword fight with the sushi chef at a local sushi restaurant.)

[GluteusMax]

Ah, I see the entire point was utterly lost on you.

Please, enlighten us.

It's fiction, set well over 100 years ago, having no bearing on reality.

Works of "fiction" are often useful tools for propagandists.

[Billthedrill]

It's a critical period in Japanese history, ending in the downfall of the Shogunate (which had been around for 260 years) and the re-empowerment of the Meiji Emperor. I'm planning on giving it a look - even though I think Cruise is a wuss...

[Dead Dog]

Here's an interesting take from Ground Zero:

http://www.gethiroshima.com/en/gethiroshima/Hype/2003/11/24/lastsamurai


The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai is an ill-conceived, wrong headed and unnecessary film. Despite competent acting, wonderful cinematography, attractive sets and convincing costume there is little reason to waste two and half hours on this silly story.
Tom Cruise's Captain Nathan Algren is a lost and deeply troubled Civil War veteran haunted by his experiences in campaigns against the Indians. Recruited by his former commanding officer he accepts a job training Japan's modern army, who are trying to put down a rebellion by the renegade samurai, Katsumoto, played by Ken Watanabe. In the Japan of 1876-7, Algren is impressed by the samurai he is hired to destroy and through the encounter finds himself again.




This all may seem like a harmless bit of fun, and if you care nothing for a decent story and a degree of historical veracity you may well enjoy it. However, if you know even the tiniest bit about this extraordinary period of Japanese history then this film seems more like a pointless cringe-making cliche littered with stereotypes and irresponsible invention.
The central premise of the film is that the samurai, exemplified by a tiny group who live in an pretty little village, are a repository of a centuries old, beautiful Japanese tradition which will shortly be extinguished by the modernizing Japanese state under its new emperor. Writer John Logan, is presumably basing his tale on a siginficant samurai rebellion under Saigo Takamori which occurred in 1876. Katsumoto is probably inspired by the historical Saigo.

Unfortunately, The Last Samurai largely ignores the fact that it was the samurai themselves who overthrew the old Tokugawa regime in 1868, who sought to modernize Japan, who sent for experts to gain knowledge of the world, and ultimately to extinguish themselves as a class.

That they could do this is remarkable and complex story, but one reason is that in the 260 years of Tokugawa peace these warriors had become bureaucrats. Warriors as depicted in The Last Samurai hadn't existed for years.

And, to suggest that all this modernizing was done by the emperor is also absurd. The young emperor, who is incidently very well cast in the film, played no part in the decision making at all as this was done by a powerful group of oligarchs - mainly samurai from the provinces of Satsuma and Choshu. Further, to suggest that the United States was supporting the governement in order to gain trading privieliges is as insulting as it is false. The United States, using its military and political power, had already secured highly advantagous treaty arrangements to Japan's detriment. The Meiji governement of the time was embracing western modes, manners and morals in a attempt to have these unequal treaties repealed.

Ignoring all this historical stuff, what do you have left? Competent acting. Cruise is good as are other members fo the supporting cast. Timothy Spall's is well cast as the too long in Japan ex-pat Englishman. The Japanese actors are fine, Hiroyuki Sanada especially. The action scenes are not awful. The romance is not quite as creepy as it might have been. But even if you don't mind a story which messes with some crucial bits of Japanese history and which includes every stock Japanese image you can imagine, The Last Samurai still falls flat as a drama or action film. There is no suspense and no emotional engagement. Sadly, it isn't the kind of film you can have a few laughs at either. It all feels so self-important and earnest. The Last Samurai hammers home its message that modernity comes at a terrible price. Perhaps some of us knew that already.

Those interested in finding out what was really going on during this fascinating period of Japanese history might like to try

Looking for the Lost Alan Booth a travelogue full of wry observations about Japan and includes a very good section on Saigo's rebellion. And Andrew Gordon's very readable The Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present.

Have your say here

[Hammerhead]

Tom Cruise = movie sucks.


damned scientologist pretty boy.

[Tax-chick]

I won't see anything with Tom Cruise. Gives me nightmares. Maybe I'll rent a Kurosawa film this weekend.

[jonalvy44]

good point...

[Sloth]

Minority Report was quite good.

[Simmy2.5]

Had a feeling it will be an anti-American film...or at least an anti-imperialist film (since it is quite clear that Tom Cruise's character switches sides and becomes a part of the Japanese isolationist).

Funny how, while this movie seems to take the side of the isolationist, a Japanese anime series, Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X in the US), actually takes the side of the imperialist and makes them out to be the good guys (well, mostly good guys at least. There are some "imperialist" that are bad. I.E. not everyone on this side is perfect. But for the most part, this Japanese produced series takes the imperialist side). Even the the hero of the series, who becomes a realitive pacifist by vowing never to kill again, is willing to defend his beliefs and the imperialist when required.

And now, an American film appears to have choosen the other side. All well, still want to see it. It looks visually amazing at least.

[jonalvy44]

just making an observation...appears that the main plotline of the movie is:

1. white man bad

2. some good white man fight bad white man to be good white man and side against bad white man

3. west bad

(Hmm...what other groups today feel this way?)

[Pahuanui]

Ah, I see the entire point was utterly lost on you.

Please, enlighten us.

The point is that's it's a movie. It's not a political treastise, it's not a manifesto, it's not some call-to-arms for Tom Cruise fanatics. It's a fictional portrayal of something that never happened.

It's fiction, set well over 100 years ago, having no bearing on reality.

Works of "fiction" are often useful tools for propagandists.

Please. How many Tom Cruise movies are used in what ways by which propagandists?

Tom Cruise movies are star vehicles for Tom Cruise.

[PJ-Comix]

Don’t worry, though, because Mr. Cruise also has some fine moments. Most notably when he is dealing with the disgust he has for being a part of the genocidal white race.

Unlike the kindly Japanese who entered Nanking with nothing but love and the best of intentions for the residents.

[Fenris6]

I refuse to spend any more money on Hollywood BS.

Also thinking of tossing my television out the window.

Everything I need is on the net :)

[Paul C. Jesup]

Funny how, while this movie seems to take the side of the isolationist, a Japanese anime series, Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X in the US), actually takes the side of the imperialist and makes them out to be the good guys (well, mostly good guys at least. There are some "imperialist" that are bad. I.E. not everyone on this side is perfect. But for the most part, this Japanese produced series takes the imperialist side). Even the the hero of the series, who becomes a realitive pacifist by vowing never to kill again, is willing to defend his beliefs and the imperialist when required.

I thought the something. RK is an okay series. Also, if I wanted to watch a movie or mini-series about a Westerner in Feudal Japan, I'll watch my VHS copies of Shogun.