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
