Saturday, January 24, 2004
the last samurai is an absolutely stunning looking film.the sets and costumes are completely believable,the cinematography is amazing with many breathtaking shots,the battle scene that takes place near the end was spectacularly filmed.having read the draft script a few months back,the movie was nothing short of what i expected.in fact i was totally floored by it.it opens with a white tiger surrounded by a pack of dogs snarling and gnashing their teeth.the tiger's eyes burn with fury as it wheels in a circle,lunging at one and clawing at another,keeping them all at bay and suddenly the tiger leaps over the dogs and transforms into a white bird,soaring majestically into the sky.the scene fades to the face of katsumoto (ken watanabe) as he sits up sweating,waking from a dream.
itz 1876 and captain algren (tom cruise) is a drunk burnt out calvary war hero making money as a spokesman for winchester rifles at amusement shows.he is recruited by his former commander col. bagley and a jap businessman omura to train the japanese emperor's army in modern warfare and defeat the emperor's former advisor and teacher,katsumoto,who is a samurai.though bagley betrayed algren in the past,leading to his tortured soul,he accepts the post.contrary to algren's advice an unprepared imperial army engages katsumoto's army and is defeated.algren fights valiantly but is captured.katsumoto keeps him alive 2 'learn his enemy'.in a strange twist of fate,he has his sister,taka,to care for algren.
in katsmoto's village,algren begins training in the way of the samurai.director zwick does this eloquently.he does not romanticize tbe samurai.the samurai would kill his enemy or take his own life in dishonor when commanded.along with the rigorous martial arts training,zwick shows the samurai meditating,composing poetry in tea ceremony,and practising calligraphy.zwick and cruise really honor this medium.cruise performed the martial arts sequences expertly.all the fight scenes are exquisite.
watanabe is simply a noble and commanding presence as katsumoto.he is a great actor whose acting is effortless..charismatic,making his presence felt in every scene he's involved.his transformation from algren's enemy to partner is key to the story.algren fighting beside katsumoto in an assassination attempt.conversations of two strong and smart men who have seen too much of war and death.their relationship is poignant and inspiring.the japanese cast is incredible.koyuki as taka is amazing and stunningly beautiful.she is the traditional japanese woman who downplays her strength and wisdom yet she's the emotional anchor of 'samurai'.shin koyamada as nobutada is brash with a great warrior spirit,sosuke ikematsu is touching as taka's young son growing up samurai.
this is one of cruise's best performances.aside from some of the peripherals like martial arts and speaking Japanese effectively,his performance as nathan algren is captivating.the transformation from a burnt out war hero to the honorable and compassionate leader of men is moving.you see it in the actor's eyes and hear it in his speech as algren begins to care and honor himself.cruise enrolls us all in algren's path to be at peace with himself,playing the vulnerable and humane hero.
a hollywood styled ending,but all in all a powerful war epic giving great insight on the mysterious and intriguing life of the samurai.mark my words,this film is definitely oscar material.
"A perfect blossom.You could spend your whole life searching for one,and it would not be a waste."
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vanna
23:46
Thursday, January 22, 2004
supposedly a joyous occasion yet its of little significance to me.and i would say the same for many others as well.the tradition has long died away with the older generations and whats left is a rather twisted and modernized version.i've yet to understand what all visiting and red packet giving is all about.from my point of view,itz just an exaggerated way of celebrating the beginning of a new year in the chinese calendar,coupled with superstitious beliefs of dos and donts.so when someone asked if i would stillt wake up early in the morning these few days had there been no red packets,im not ashamed to say,my answer is a resounding 'no'.terrible as it may sound,is this not whats on the mind of most people of the younger generation?a realistic and materialistic world where money can make the difference,where status is determined by how fat your bank account is,where the rich thrives and the poor struggles.money is not everything but its the only thing.thats the blatant truth.so do you still think im being disrespectful of cultures?i think not.
every footstep brought memories.memories with trains of thoughts.things that were,things that are,things that yet may be.too many illusions does make one blind.be it momentary or permanent madness.i shant go on in case i kill your festive spirit.i need a reality check...
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vanna
17:48
have you ever wondered if all the effort you put in is worth it?all the hours sacrificed in exchange of doing something that could have been more meaningful.maybe time would have just been idled away.but still.lets use a simple analogy.i for one,never liked sitting in somebody else's car when im in a rush.coz i know i would push the blame on the driver if i arrive late.regardless of the situation.whether is it a traffic jam or whatsoever.but the case would be different if i were to reach the destination late myself.either by driving or simply walking.it would not be quite possible to direct the blame on oneself.the same thoery applies.when you have all the time in the world. but choose to do nothing,you cant point your finger at anyone if the required job is not done in time.however if activities are organized in such a way that takes away a large portion of your time and you didnt manage to complete it,you have an excuse.
some people do not understand that certain things are not changeable.maybe bcoz they themselves have not actually been stuck in this sort of situation.or maybe they simply want to stick to their own decisions.i dont know.and do not really give a damn.yes,great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance.so what.i can take anything you dish out.im twice the man you are.
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vanna
23:37
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
What attracts people to you? brought to you by Quizilla
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vanna
18:10
this is as far as i can escape from reality.the illusions slowly faded away,exposing the plain ugly truth beneath.no longer can i feign ignorance for there on the table lay a single sheet of paper.
it was expected.wasnt it.maybe just waiting for the shock of the suddenness to subside,thats all.recovery chances dropped to nearly zero.all hope vanished and the least we could do was try to prolong it.the few seemingly short months left dragged on.day by day she grew weaker,strength left her,reduced to a bag of bones,drained of energy.and at last all signs of life left her.thousands were blown over the drugs.i guess we were still holding on to a thin strand of hope then.maybe we just felt the need to do something.not willing to let her fade away without giving a shot.perhaps its best it ends this way.it is indeed pointless to drag on any further.this way,the suffering would be gone.alleviated of the pain.we should learn to let go.just holding onto the love,joy,and happiness that once were.love.where does it come from?who lit this flame in us?nothing can put it out or conquer it.i was a prisoner.it set me free.
life...itz so fascinating izen it..i read sumwhr tt life is e fire tt burns n e sun tt gives lite..e wind n e rain n e thunder in e sky..life is matter n is earth..wad is n wad is nt..n wad beyond is in eternity...i believe death is neither evil nor gd..itz juz dere..1 of e many processes in life evry1 of us is gonna go thru...o my soul..let me b in u now..look out thru my eyes..look out @ e thgs u've made..all thgs shining.
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vanna
15:12
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
perhaps words were not meant the way they were supposed to and the outcome not the way they were imagined to be.a whisper in the ear.eyes opened after the truth came to light.disappointment flashed across the face before disappearing and swiftly replaced with a look of self assurance..seemingly unaffected.yet no one knows for sure.and no.i do not know what the exact words were.
barely one week..yet the slightest of pressure is being felt.numbers on tbe calender start representing important dates.thinking of days of the week,all i can see is the packed schedule of after school hours,the endless mad rush to get home for a quick bath before evening tuition classes,giving the 9pm channel8 show a miss for that 1hr more of homework time,and the ever present fear of the sound of my alarm clock.11 months you say.yes.i will hang in there.
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vanna
22:36
and so the cycle repeats itself again.school hours,lunch,tuition,dinner,homework,internet surfing,sleep.day after day the routine never steers far from this direction.the tests,exams,then term breaks..
is life really better without any expectations?i refuse to believe this.denial is but afterall the most predictable of human responses.but time and again,thats what the conclusion seems to be all about.still reeling from the disappointment and shock.utterly disgusted at how things have been arranged.its surprising how one man's food can be anothers poison.perspectives and taste differ no doubt,but does biasness also have a role to play?perhaps people already have a fixed view of things before everything is even put to test.a mindset deeply rooted into them so much so that they are blinded coz all they see is a one-sided view.
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vanna
23:29
