Tom Cruise: a White Man who thinks He's a Japanese Warrior

Rating: Null/10 (1 July 2004)

"The Last Samurai" is an epic story that revolves around the evolution from sword to rifle in the Japanese way of battle. Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an ex-American cavalier, who once took part in fighting against the Indians. He is hired by the Japanese government to train their peasants-turned soldiers how to fight the 'blood thirsty warriors.' The Japanese believe his past brutality gives him the knowledge to do this. Armed with inadequate training and lack of experience, the Japanese troops are deployed to battle the rebelling Samurai. As expected, the troops are slaughtered by the great warriors. After the melee was through, Capt. Algren is captured and taken back to their village by the Samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). There he learns of the Samurai way of battle and grows attached to their culture, even learning the Japanese tongue. Because of the Samurai and their discipline, Capt. Algren reforms and becomes a better man overall.
The director Edward Zwice has put much thought into this film. The director displays an important message throughout the film. The message emphasized was the drastic effect of firearms on the war field. The Japanese wanted to progress with the rest of the world and upgrade to rifles and gun powder. To achieve their goal, they eliminated the Samurai and their strict methods of combat. When the Japanese engaged the Samurai, they obliterated the warriors with machine guns in a few seconds once they were adequately trained. This reformation not only happened with the Japanese, but also with the rest of the world as well.
"The Last Samurai" displayed diverse technique and planning. Skillful procedures were used to display the Samurai as fearless warriors, as well as intimidating. In their opening battle, the Samurai were portrayed as fearsome, 'ghost-like' warriors and the battle cries yelled by the charging horsemen struck fear into the hearts of the peasant soldiers. Before the warriors could even be seen, their presence was known by fearsome cries and eerie chanting. Many methods were used to build suspense, like fog and overcasts from trees, during scenes involving combat. Multiple camera angles were used throughout the film to portray the greatness of the Japanese Samurai.