Stunning war action and a hard act to follow

Rating: 10/10 (16 August 2016)

I was feeling a little disheartened about the state of the box-office in 2004; after watching RETURN OF THE KING, I knew nothing could better that movie and there was nothing really interesting on the horizon, either. Now, after watching THE LAST SAMURAI and noting the series of historical epics on the way, I'm starting to feel much, much better. THE LAST SAMURAI is a great movie, a breathtaking epic that equals Jackson's masterpiece in places, and certainly the frequent action scenes are shot in a much more violent, realistic and easier to follow way than in that fellow classic. THE LAST SAMURAI is a brilliant example of what Hollywood can do when it gets things right, recalling countless other epics such as BRAVEHEARt.
The film, which is long, is slowly paced, which makes a pleasing change. There's time for scope here, plenty of characterisation, sparkling and meaningful dialogue, and a handful of characters you really get to understand and care about. Tom Cruise is basically doing his heroic self, but there's nothing wrong with that these days. This is definitely his best in terms of performance though, and he fits the role like a glove. However, this isn't a film about Cruise: instead it's a film about the Japanese, and Ken Watanabe shines in particular as the fierce, proud and deeply honourable rebel leader. Watch out for Japanese cult hero Hiroyuki Sanada, second only to Sonny Chiba in terms of bad-assedness, as a real cool warrior who nobody can beat.
The trio of western actors are good, too, as is every performer in this movie. Sure, it's pretty downbeat with some tragic elements, but the action is just so breathtaking that I was moved every time. The camera-work and the sweep of the orchestral score just adds to the beautiful experience. The fights are gory, with decapitations, impalements and the like, and there are some real adrenaline-pumping scenes: a wounded Cruise fighting off half a dozen samurai; the amazing ninja attack; and most of all the final battle, which is one of the best that I've seen on the screen. A great movie and a real cinematic experience, this is definitely a hard act to follow.