Epic Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2003)

There is a concept floating around that "The Last Samurai" is simplistic and formulaic. Could there be more of a grotesque distortion of the truth? This movie is, in every way, flawless. Note Tom Cruise's acting performance. He fits the role perfectly, and the two years he spent in preparation show in his skill with the sword, ease in Japanese speech, and feel of character. He, along with Ken Watanabe, form a one-two punch that, in my humble opinion, are prime for Academy Awards.
The Cinematography in the movie is simply breathtaking. The camera work managed to capture some of the most eye-appealing scenes in recent movie history. Even if one is not a fan of the acting, or the plot, for that matter, it is a heinous injustice to deride the movie completely. Hans Zimmer comes in and delivers a fantastic performance in musical score, which only serves to augment the tone of the movie. Now, onto the plot Note: Some MILD SPOILERS may follow. For those who disagree with the fact that Cruise has decided to fight for the samurai, I pose this question: What do you truly expect? Cruise plays a disgruntled AMERICAN civil war hero. Yes. American. He makes this point a few times in the movie, therefore, he is not TRYING to be Japanese. He is merely an onlooker who finds beauty in an otherwise snubbed environment. The progression of story follows an ideal pattern. That does not qualify for the slander of "formulaic." It simply progresses the way a movie OUGHT to progress, and is, therefore, almost too perfect for its own good.
Granted, some of the lines may be hackneyed, but it was nothing that truly detracted from the enjoyability of the movie. For those who carp and nitpick the inaccuracies of this movie, realize that it is Fictional Drama...and in that realm, "The Last Samurai" has no superior, or equal for that matter.
Practically Flawless
10/10