‘Last Samurai’ well executed
Published 8:31 am Thursday, February 28, 2008
‘Tis the season for Hollywood’s historical epics. Just in time for Oscar consideration we have the Napoleonic “Master and Commander” and the soon to be released Civil War era “Cold Mountain.” In between there is “The Last Samurai,” a mixed message tale of post-feudal Japan, starring Tom Cruise.
After participating in the slaughter of American Indians as a member of the United States Cavalry, guilt-ridden Civil War veteran Captain Nathan Algren (Cruise) affords to drink himself into a stupor by touring the country as a spokesman for the Winchester Rifle Company. He’s then recruited by a former comrade in arms to travel to Japan to train the emperor’s troops in modern combat techniques. This is the 1870’s, a pivotal time in Japanese history as the nation attempts to move away from its feudal heritage and enter into the world political and economic arena. Part of the “modernization” of Japan, it turns out, is the elimination of the Samurai warrior class. Once an integral part of Japanese culture and warfare, the Samurai are viewed as a threat to the emerging wealth and power of the new industrialists, who also wield great influence over the young emperor.
Algren dutifully trains the emperor’s new army and they march forth to confront a rogue faction of Samurai, led by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), who refuse to give up the ancient traditions of the Samurai way. Once in battle, Algren all too late realizes he has not adequately prepared his student soldiers for the unrelenting ferocity of the Samurai. The Samurai capture the injured Algren, but not before he cuts down several warriors along the way. Algren is then taken to the isolated mountain village for the winter that serves as a sanctuary for a dwindling Samurai clan.
Algren’s captivity is far from arduous; he is cared for, ironically, by the wife of one of the warriors he killed in battle. As he recuperates and manages to sober up, he enters into an uneasy rapport with Katsumoto and eventually realizes he’s been fighting for the wrong side.
“The Last Samurai” is a magnificent film in its execution and intention, with thoughtful performances and graceful visual touches. It’s an affecting story, too, one that that we’ve seen before in other epics like the journey of Kevin Costner’s Lieutenant Dunbar in “Dances with Wolves.” It is respectful of Japanese history in that sort of revisionist American way that both romanticizes and apologizes for the sins of the past.
But that’s also what’s troubling about it; in some ways it suggests that the story can’t be told without the presence of an American character to give the audience some context. Studios must assume that if a film deals with a “foreign” culture, it has to be be translated through the eyes of a white guy. But maybe there are those movie goers who really need the Lieutenant Dunbars and Captain Algrens of this type of film to usher them through unfamiliar territory. On the other hand, there are plenty of people already familiar with Hong Kong cinema and Kirosawa films who will find this handholding approach rather patronizing.
