A Wonderful Epic

Rating: 9/10 (22 February 2004)

"The Last Samurai" is a wonderful epic. The story is about the tale of American army captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) who is sent to Japan in the 18th century, in order to help the emperor train his army and crash a rebellion by disobedient Samurais who straggle to retain the country's cultural purity; Algren's experience in fighting native Indians is considered his "asset" for his task. Things begin to work out very differently however, when Algren gets captured by the Samurais, and begins to admire their mission, code of ethics, and way of life.
Tom Cruise is astonishing in his touching and grandiose role as Captain Algren, whom we watch transform gradually from a wrecked, semi-alcoholic, and nihilistic person, into an honorable, energetic, and passionate Samurai. The parallels with Kevin Kostner in "Dances With Wolves" are inescapable, but the difference here is that the norms and customs of the tribe that Algren joins (the Japanese Samurai) are far less familiar to the Western public, and this gives an extra exotic "plus" to the film. The performance of the other actors is also superb, but for me the greatest impact was made by Ken Watanabe as legendary Katsumoto.
"The Last Samurai" has all the necessary ingredients of a great epic: Drama, emotion, action, war, heroism, and love. The high-class photography, scenery, and costumes, complete the perfection. 9/10.