Good film that makes you think

Rating: Null/10 (16 January 2007)

Last Samurai is one of those underrated films that truly is not another Hollywood concoction or cliché. Kudos to Ed Zwick for not getting into stereotypes and doing research.
It manages to exist on a number of levels, as a superbly competent action thriller, and as a cultural study into the relationship between the U.S. and Japan. It manages to exist on these multiple levels without sacrificing any for the good of another. It has at its center a complex spherical character in Tom Cruises' character.
There are also strong supporting characters in Ken and the other Japanese characters.
Ken's character is a man who stresses honor and propriety, who is at first repelled by Cruise's character and his ways. As the film progresses, he comes to a greater understanding of Cruise's character and comes to respect him as a shogun, as a man of honor, and as a friend.
On top of all these elements, the film also delves into cross-cultural issues, namely how Japan and the U.S. are different in terms of honor code, civility and customs. It spends some time on the mutual exclusivity of these two cultures, how one cannot exist without the other, and how the have helped shape and form one another over many years without favoring one or the other.
All these things combined the film still manages to maintain itself as a highly competent action thriller, with taught suspenseful pacing, and an intelligent storyline. It also contains one of the best and most memorable endings in recent years, which alone makes the film worth watching.
Overall, I highly recommend this film to anyone who might enjoy this unconventional type of shogun-type film, a film with depth and intelligence. If you do, chances are this surprisingly excellent film will become one of your favorites as well.