The
Last Samurai is a historical epic in the classic Hollywood tradition.
Tom Cruise stars (in a role in which he took no up front pay) as
Nathan Algren, disillusioned civil war veteren, accomplice in the
massacre of a tribe of Indians, and burnt out shell of a man. Convinced
by a former commanding officer, Nathan packs up and heads for Japan.
His legacy has afforded him the chance to train the new imperial
army of Japan in the ways of modern combat, however a band of Samurai
led by the Emperor's former chief advisor still holds out, clinging
desperately to the old ways and rebelling against the change brought
on by modernization. Bringing his un-proven army to bear against
the Samurai rebels ends in disaster with Algren's forces broken,
and he a prisoner of Katsumoto, instigator of the rebellion.
It
is here where The Last Samurai truely begins. Nathan and Katsumoto
give us two sides of a coin, Katsumoto is the noble soldier, still
firmly faithful in the old ways, still ever vigilant and honorbound
to the system which has existed for centuries... Nathan Algren is
jaded and dis-illusioned, beaten down by the war he lived through...
Despite his reputation as a hero, he sees himself as a murderer.
A two-bit hired gun, good for nothing but wholesale slaughter...
the system has failed Nathan Algren. Through their conversations
with one another the film paints a fine picture of the two. Algren
recounts the last stand of General Custer, a man he describes as
an arrogant murderer, Yet Katsumoto sees only the man who led some
200 men against ten times as many Indians, he sees only the noble
death of a great warrior. It's this contrast of ideals which gives
these characters much of their personality.
While
many comparisons have been drawn between this film and "Dances
with Wolves" and other such films, i think the tone is completely
different. This isn't about a civilized man teaching his ways, or
observing a culture, The Last Samurai is about a lost man finding
his way in the world. For once, the central character is more than
just a foriegn observer taken in as a "token" member of
a primitave culture. The Samurai here are portrayed with such elegance
that it's easy to see them as the vastly superior faction. The precepts
of Bushido, the loyalty and honor, captivate Algren, the industrialist
capitalist ways of the western world are foul and savage compared
to the Samurai way. Algren becomes ingrained in this culture. Instead
of resisting it, he embraces it, while the resistance comes from
the Samurai themselves... all but Katsumoto. When Algren leads his
horse accross the field in full Samurai regailia, shoulder to shoulder
with Katsumoto, Katana in hand, you know... this is where Captain
Nathan Algren has belonged all along.
The
films lofty ideals could either stand or fall on the foundation
of the cast and crew. Thankfully it stands at full hieght here.
Edward Zwick (Legends of the Fall, The Siege) directs with a firm
and steady hand, allowing for brilliant work from the cast and beautiful
composition and camera moves. His subdued approach lacks the flashinmess
of a lot of recent Hollywood epics, which is a welcomed change,
feeling more like Mel Gibson's work on Braveheart. The performances
shine on every level. This is without a doubt the most impressive
work i've ever seen from Tom Cruise, and i've been a fan of much
of his stuff over the last decade or so, He brings a fire to Nathan
Algren that makes him one of the most memorable characters to appear
in this sort of film. Ken Watanabe is equally fantastic as the warlord
Katsumoto. Ken recieved a best supporting actor nomination at the
2003 Oscars for his portrayal, a nomination very well deserved.
Katsumoto is a character of elegant grace, warm hearted and wonderous,
and yet a tourtured man, wearing the heavy burden of his service
to the emperor through defiance of the modern trends. The supporting
cast is equally captivating, even Billy Connelly gives a great cameo
in the film's first act as grizzed Sgt. Zebulon Gant. Another standout
is Taka, played by Japanese actress Koyuki, charged with the care
of Nathan Algren during his stay among the Samurai, hiding her contempt
for the man under a facade of smiles and silence... A character
who very easily could have become the "token love interest"
is treated with a great deal of respect, and never cheapens the
film... The secret behind her connection to Algren adds all that
much more depth to her character, and makes me admire the direction
the script took with her all that much more.
Speaking
of which, John Logan (Gladiator) brings his sense of style to the
script, with fantastic dialogue and truely brilliant exchanges between
characters, most notably Algren and Katsumoto, but also Simon Graham
(played by Timothy Spall), the englishman who acted as translator
for Algren, and Mr. Omura, the japanese aristocrat largely responisble
for inspiring the Nation's modernization.
Last
but certainly not least is the production design. The costumes are
magnificent, the set design really pulls us into the time, never
going the overly theatrical route, and the weaponry and armor is
top notch, absolutely beautiful stuff. Top it all off with a fantastic
score by Hans Zimmer (his 100th film score!) And The Last Samurai
forms a package about as close to perfection as it gets.
Having
grown up as a rocker in the '80's, of course i had my days with
Guns N Roses back in the day. I picked up Appetite for Destruction
way back, and was around for all the hoopla around the Use Your
Illusion CD's back in the early 90's. But i soon grew very bored
with the band, their constant public (over)exposure didn't help
at all, and i walked away for heavier pastures. Well this past week
i decided, on a whim, to grab their Greatest Hits compilation, mainly
so that i could have a little bit of nostalgia while cruising about
town. I'm glad i did... This stuff was great in its day, and still
is. While i'm more partial to the Use Your Illusion-era stuff, the
old Appetite tunes really brought back a few memories. I was somewhat
dissapointed with the absence of "Estranged", but eh,
what can you do. The tracklisting is pretty easy to telegraph, all
their bigger hits (two tracks from The Spaghetti incident??? Only
one from Lies???) and should provide a bit of head boppin with minimal
guilt. And hell, it's cheap!
