Who's seen The Last Samurai?

[tenguzero]

I watched it at 10:15 opening night. It was starting to snow out (we just got messed up by a pretty good sized storm here in northern New England) and apparently few people had the urge to drive home at 12:40am from a movie, so the crowd was nice and small. Anyways, I thought it was a PHENOMENAL movie. The people who watch it and give it bad reviews, are doing so because of two main reasons: 1. The portrayal of the character as done by Tom Cruise, and 2. The general "Hollywood-ness" of the production. To them I reply first, that It isn't easy to pull off a quality job of a white guy in full blown Samurai armor anyway you cut it and, while it is a little less believable when one is trying to do it with Tom Cruise, they nonetheless did a pretty damn good job, and I'm impressed with Cruise's grasp and pronunciation of the Japanese language. In addressing the second issue, one has to take into account the general masses. I feel, in this, they've done a very good job weaving actual historical events in with the aspects of an engaging storyline. Let's face it, while Japanese history/culture/language nuts like myself would gladly pay to see a playing out of the actual happenings between the modernist Meiji government's Imperial Army and traditionalist Takamori Saigo's band of "the last samurai," there's far more appeal to the populace when a movie changes names, uses popular actors, and weaves in a rather well written story with a dash of humor, the suggestion of romance, and solid emotional scenes. I shed some tears, partially because of rather strong movie moments, and partially because I've long held an intense reverence for the stuff that makes up a person who can be a warrior, poet, artist, and deeply driven individual, to the point where they can instill in themselves the discipline required to end their own life in the name of their honor, whether by their own hands, or charging headfirst into battle. In closing this review, I'd like to say that the title is well chosen as well. Moviegoers who are there for the action, effects, and Tom Cruise will most likely identify "The Last Samurai" as being Tom Cruise's character. While those who are there in the pursuit of more substance as well (an interest in the actual history, period culture, and weapons/armor) will most likely identify the general group of tradition-protecting samurai in the whole as "The Last Samurai." In short, this movie provides something for everyone, and I'd have to say this is right behind "The Matrix" trilogy as my favorite movie of the year.

[IntegraBoy2003]

it was a great movie man

[Toksin]

NZ scenery 0wnz j00.

[Highlyaspir8ed]

this movie was by far one of the better films I've seen this year! I think the hint of romance in this movie instead of a full on love story made this movie that much more believable. I was a sceptic going into it thinking tom cruise as a samurai cold never get pulled off. however I', convinced this is definetly a DVD purchase.

[jinushaun]

Originally Posted by Toksin

NZ scenery 0wnz j00.

NZ = teh landscape whore.

As for the movie, I enjoyed it. I walked in very skeptical of the movie--despite good reviews by normal people. C'mon, a movie about a white dude in Japan played by Tom Cruise?

How do I know it's a good movie? It made me want to read up on the history of this bloke.

And yes, the Japanese by Tom Cruise was pretty good. Uma Thurman was better though.

[portscan69]

i thought it was an ok movie...

[taranaki]

Certain scenes in the movie were shot about 600 yards from my house.

[jinushaun]

Originally Posted by taranaki

Certain scenes in the movie were shot about 600 yards from my house.

Wow!

[2strokebloke]

What exactly is this movie about?

[tenguzero]

It's based loosely on the final uprising of a band of samurai (led by Saigo Takamori) dedicated to maintaining a traditional Japan.

The following is from http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/.../11-zwick.html

---To a student's question about the veracity of the story, Zwick responded that "all and none" of the story is true. Set in the Meiji Restoration, the film's central struggle between Western modernization and the traditional culture of a long-isolated Japan stands on firm historical ground. Zwick took as a point of departure the story of Saigo Takamori, told in Ivan Morris' book "The Nobility of Failure," mining the story of Takamori's support of - then rebellion against - the emperor.

Many details in the film are true to Japan's history, he said, crediting the historians, other filmmakers, and even his translators with whom he consulted. "These extraordinary collaborators understood entirely what my intentions were and they made them their own," he said. "They were bound and determined that I get it right."

During the period in which the film is set, Zwick said, Western experts were indeed imported to school the Japanese on "modern" warfare, and the culture of the samurai was squelched with laws forbidding the wearing of swords in public and by the cutting off of samurai' topknots, two details portrayed in the film. Zwick also called the details of the props, from swords to armor to fabric, "fabulously authentic."

Zwick admitted that history sometimes took a backseat to drama, however. The ninja-like assassins that descend upon Algren and Katsumoto at one point serve the story exclusively, helping to forge a bond between the two former adversaries.

"I'm walking the razor's edge here, of trying to create entertainment and trying to create historical fiction," Zwick said. "Trying to compress so much history into two hours and 20 minutes, there are these Sophie's choices I made all the time." ---

It's an excellent film

[2strokebloke]

So it was about the 1877 uprising, it falls a few years out of my favorite era of Japanese history, but I think I may go see it. Personally, I'd like to see a movie about Perry's landing in 1853. Who'd not go see a movie with 100 gallons of whiskey?

[jinushaun]

So I'm reading the real history of these events... Talk about Hollywood embellisment and romanticising!

[tenguzero]

So it was about the 1877 uprising, it falls a few years out of my favorite era of Japanese history, but I think I may go see it. Personally, I'd like to see a movie about Perry's landing in 1853. Who'd not go see a movie with 100 gallons of whiskey?

By "a few years" do you mean you are interested in the incredible Tokugawa era (my favorite, along with the highly interesting Sengoku Jidai- hell, I'm fascinated by everything feudal Japan) and the unfortunate, but inevitable rape of the country by us capitalist pigs? Or the late 19th/early 20th century Imperial Japanese war machine, when they themselves became the ones doing the raping in the name of blind progress... (equally intriguing)

No matter which way you cut it, the Asias have some incredible history (due in no small part to their age, and zeal for keeping written documents.) It makes me angry that there isn't more history classes offered based on this (in New Hampshire at least- shows our diversity ) I have to hunt high and low for schools around me that have them... Sure they ALL have U.S. History, whcih is obviously about the U.S., Western Civilization, which obviously includes the U.S., and World History, which generally tries to tie world happenings into the U.S.! For crying out loud, we've only got about 350 years of solid history, how many classes do you need? Oh yeah, I forgot about the New Hampshire History offered by many schools correct me if Im wrong, but didn't we cover that state history stuff in elementary school?

[jinushaun]

Originally Posted by tenguzero

No matter which way you cut it, the Asias have some incredible history (due in no small part to their age, and zeal for keeping written documents.) It makes me angry that there isn't more history classes offered based on this (in New Hampshire at least- shows our diversity ) I have to hunt high and low for schools around me that have them... Sure they ALL have U.S. History, whcih is obviously about the U.S., Western Civilization, which obviously includes the U.S., and World History, which generally tries to tie world happenings into the U.S.! For crying out loud, we've only got about 350 years of solid history, how many classes do you need? Oh yeah, I forgot about the New Hampshire History offered by many schools correct me if Im wrong, but didn't we cover that state history stuff in elementary school?

That's a pretty idiotic statement. You live in the US, so you're gonna learn US history. I wouldn't expect Japanese students to learn about Andrew Jackson and or Millard Fillmore. And seeing as how most Americans have a hard time with US history, I don't think learning Asian history will help any.

True, Asian history is very diverse. In MANY cases, the Chinese were studying philosophy, calculus, writing, printing, and navigating the seas while most of Europe were still wearing animal hide. IIRC, the Indus valley had the world's first major city.

[tenguzero]

Whoa, I think you fail to understand my point behind that statement. I'm not complaining about having to learn U.S. history, I happen to think we have quite a breadth of historical happenings worth covering (for the mere 300 or so years of official U.S. existence- which I did note as being SOLID history) I just don't feel that enough options are available for those who want to study other cultures, and was merely stating my frustration in finding classes about Asian history in particular, and to a lesser degree medieval European history. Living in New Hampshire, my research of state colleges has led me to find only two that really offer much in the way of Eastern History, UNH's main campus in Durham (which I'm not exactly a hop skip and jump away from, add to that fact money is tight for me, and probably will be for some time, making dorm residence rather unfeasable) and Dartmouth College, which is an Ivy League school, and is therefore out of my reach due to less than satisfactory high school performance. While I'm not a fan of Massachusetts, I can guarantee you there is a great deal more options there. Perhaps it is a percent game? There are more schools in Mass, so naturally there will be more offering what I'm looking for. However, tuition rates for attending college in one's own state are hard to turn down.

And I agree wholeheartedly in the regards to the realm of advancements fielded by the Chinese in particular. However, I think it is interesting to note, that Sir Isaac Newton is generally credited as being the "inventor" of calculus, with several of the initial principles having been set in place by the Greeks, Archimedes in particular. This is the teaching of "Western" history, which is why I think it is just as important to have available Eastern history as well, to help provide more angles on the same point. I have little doubt that calculus was perhaps already in use by the Chinese when it was credited to western thinkers.