THE LAST SAMURAI
US, 2003, 154 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Timothy Spall, Billy Connolly, Tony Goldwyn, Koyuki Masado Harada.
Directed by Edward Zwick.
This is both an impressive epic as well as the story of one man's spiritual journey.
In the latter part of the 19th century, Japan, which had held itself closed to the outer world since the era of the Shogun, the Catholic missionaries and the traders in the 16th and 17th centuries, began to open itself. Western representatives hurried to Japan, not least the Americans. This film is set in 1876-1877, a decade after the end of the American Civil War, a decade of battles against the American Indians, symbolised by Custer and Little Big Horn. The Japanese invite military experts to come to train the Imperial Army in American strategies and tactics and to bring the new Winchester rifles, canons and Howitzers. The Americans eagerly embrace their new friends, bring them weapons and train them - and it is only 65 years away from the bombing of Pearl Harbour.
Questions of American trade domination, arming potential enemies and their understanding of their 'manifest destiny' in world leadership aside, the film re-creates the period admirably (shot in Japanese and New Zealand locations) and helps us to understand what was happening in Japan and the effect of these cultural changes on the West.
The Last Samurai is Katzumoto, a Samurai leader who has taken a rebellious stand against the young Emperor and the seeming selling-out of traditional values for wealth, industrial and trade 'progress' and the manners and styles (even in clothing) of the West. He is played with great dignity by Ken Watanabe. The Samurai stand for service and protection of the people, have their Bushido code of compassion, stand for the values of honour, dignity, duty, destiny and fate indicating how they should live their lives, fight and die. The central section of the film is set in the Samurai village where we see how this works in best practice.
Into this world comes a burnt-out case, a veteran of the Indian wars, who is still tormented by the brutality of the
massacres. Tom Cruise plays him with some subtlety, an alcoholic performing carnival stunts to sell Winchesters, who becomes a mercenary training the troops. Forced into early battle with the Samurai, he defends himself with courage, gains the admiration of the Samurai who take him prisoner. He begins to learn the ways of the East and discovers a spirituality among them. He begins to see them as the Japanese equivalent of the tribal Indians. The struggle between the exploitative new and the dignified old takes place within him.
This is a long film giving audiences plenty of time to look at this portrait of Japan, to reflect on the nature of cultural
change and its pace, on whether the values of the West and its progress are what people really need. There are some very strong battle scenes throughout the film as one would expect, the historical context giving them a meaningful challenge to the audience.
1. The impact of the film? Its scope? Epic, drama, war, culture, cultural transition? A portrait of the 19th century past in the light of what was to happen for Japan and the United States in the 20th century?
2. The re-creation of 19th century Japan, the small village of Tokyo, the beauty of the countryside, the palace? The contrast with the United States, San Francisco, the flashbacks to the civil war? The war sequences? In Japan, the battles with the American Indians? The score and its use of Asian instruments?
3. The 21st century perspective? 19th century cultural change, cultural clashes, traditionalists, the industrial century, the future? Genuine progress? Exploitation? Money deals and territorial ambitions? Cultural conquests? The consequences?
4. The title, its reference to Katzumoto, to Algren? The two cultures, the two warriors? The importance of the dominant race and the tribals? Algren and his attitude towards the Indians, towards the emperor and his troops, towards Katzumoto and the Samurai rebels?
5. The initial focus on Katzumoto, prayer and contemplation, his dream, seeing the tiger? Anticipation of Algren's coming? The importance of his traditional beliefs, the long Samurai tradition, at the service of the people, of the emperor? The themes of honour, duty, fate and destiny? The Samurai code, the Bushido code of compassion and service? The Samurai families, their village? A sense of community? The rightness of service of the emperor, the shame in defeat, the ethos of suicide as a part of honour against shame?
6. The contrast with the Americans, the nation and its manifest destiny of leadership in the world, the attitude towards the native American Indians, the constant references to Custer and Little Big Horn, the two hundred Americans, the two thousand Indians? The imagery of Custer's last stand? The reality of Custer, his bad leadership, arrogance? White versus tribal Indians? Algren and his participation in these wars, his memories of the merciless massacres and the way these were visualised in the flashbacks? The aftermath, his being down and out in San Francisco, his drinking, his performance at the shows, his arms dealing for Winchester, his being approached by Gant? The possibility for a different future? A mercenary?
7. The film and the focus on weapons, the making of swords, the style of swords, sword fighting and swordplay? Training? The bamboo sticks used as training and as weapons? The significance of bows and arrows? Armour? The change with warfare coming from the United States, guns, the training? The contrast between the training for the gun attacks versus the traditional Samurai way? The development of the guns, the cannons and the howitzers?
8. Algren, first glimpse of him, age, experience, depressed? Drinking in San Francisco? The carnival and the build-up to his performance? His lacklustre performance, his improvising after reading the cue cards, his shooting the guns, the people afraid? The Winchesters? Gant and his discussion after applause? Inviting him to dinner, the dinner with Bagley and Omaru and the other Japanese? The dinner, the discussions, the proposal? Algren's rude reaction? The Japanese and their polite comments - and the subtitles indicating what they really thought? Bagley's influence, the past experience with Algren, his ruthlessness in the battles against the Indians?
9. Algren accepting, the voyage to Japan, his keeping his diary and the record of what he experienced? The ship, Yokahama, the strange combinations of East and West, in clothing, bowler hats_? Graham and his meeting the boat, his being British, twenty years in Japan, his work of translation? His admiration for Japanese culture? Explanations of protocols in meeting the emperor? The visit to the emperor, bowing, the explanations of the visit, the emperor and his dignity, his youth and inexperience? His hopes of opening Japan to the West? Omaru and the businessmen ready to exploit the situation? Wanting the ambassador to represent the deals to the emperor, the American hopes? Algren and his response to this encounter, diplomacy, his explanation of himself and his training of the troops?
10. The situation in Japan, the Samurai rebels, their holding on to tradition? The development of trade? Money and motivation? Algren and his training of the men, the shooting, their lack of expertise, Omaru wanting them to go immediately against the rebels, Algren's dramatic challenging of the frightened soldier to shoot him? The decision about facing the rebels, waiting in the fog, their sudden appearance in traditional armour and dress? The attack, Zebulon Gant and his place with Algren, his having trained the men like a sergeant-major, his being wounded and dying? Algren fighting to the end, warding off people who were trying to attack him, his being captured? His seeing the general executed? His wounds and his being taken to the village?
11. The capture and its effect, his seeing the execution, his being tended by Katzumoto's sister and the irony of it being her brother whom he had killed and which had so impressed Katzumoto? The armour in the house? The children? The sister tending him, sewing his wounds? His silent guard with him everywhere? His beginning to heal? Polite at the meals, playing with the children? The sister and her courtesy - and the subtitles revealing what she actually thought, especially about his filthiness and needing a wash? The challenge of living in the village, seeing the warriors train? Training with the children? His learning the language? The passing of the seasons, summoned by Katzumoto, their English conversations?
12. Algren's transformation, his putting on the Samurai clothes, his relationship with the children, the baseball games? The more spiritual aspects of the place, his comments on the spirituality? Meditating? His nightmares? His attraction towards Taka, the restraint, the sexual innuendo but nothing happening?
13. The emperor allowing him to return to Tokyo, safe passage, the return, Bagley's amazement at his return, Graham welcoming him? The change in Tokyo, the emperor's attitude, the ambassador from America and the deals and the trade agreements? The police patrolling the streets, Katzumoto's son, his being caught by the police, humiliated, cutting his Samurai knot? Katzumoto and his visit with the emperor, his service, bowing low, disagreeing? His going to the council meeting, Omaru winning the day? The emperor not accepting Katzumoto's advice?
14. The imprisonment, Algren and his disillusionment and drinking again, deciding to stay? The plan for the rescue of Katzumoto? Persuading Graham to come along and pretending to photograph the prisoner? The persuasiveness? The rescue, the Samurai joining in, Katzumoto's son, his being wounded, the tender scene between father and son, leaving him to die but his vigorous defence of his father? The return to the village?
15. The preparation for battle with the emperor's troops, Algren and his explanation of the Battle of Thermopylae and Leonidas and his men all dying while holding the pass and ultimately destroying the Persian empire? The scenes of training? The villagers watching? Taka, the children? The children upset at the death of the father but also that Algren might go away? His being the substitute father? The build-up to the battle, the confrontation, the tactics? The large number of emperor's troops? The small number of Samurai? The volleys, the cannon, the retreat, trapping the emperor's men, the arrows? The hand-to-hand battle? Katzumoto and his wounds, the fellow Samurai dying? His shame and honour, Algren helping him to die? The emperor's troops respecting the Samurai leader, their ceasefire, bowing down?
16. The film's focus on the character of Katzumoto, the last Samurai, the nobility of its traditions, manner, duty and honour?
17. The council meeting, the ambassador with the trade agreement, Algren coming and giving Katzumoto's sword to the emperor? The emperor stopping the agreement?
18. Audience knowledge of the history of Japan in the 19th century? The opening up to the West? The Americans and other nationalities trying to exploit the Japanese? The consequences for the 20th century and Japanese expansions, invasions, World War II? The aftermath of World War II and the new relationship with the Americans?
19. The epic scope of the film, the range of characters, especially the different Samurai, the warriors, the trainers, the guard? Taka and her relationship with her husband, her sense of duty, shame? Doing what he brother asked, the attraction towards Algren - and finally dressing him for the battle in her husband's armour? Bagley, the arrogant American, leadership, his military knowledge, his death at the hands of Algren? Graham and his presence in Japan, photography, trade, culture, translation?
20. The film and its private scope, the lone hero's personal and spiritual journey through the 19th century atmosphere of war, moral collapse, spiritual rediscovery? Asia and its role in helping the West for spiritual rediscovery of values?
