Last Samurai

Rating: 8/10 (21 July 2014)

The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic war film directed and co- produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan. The film stars Tom Cruise, who also co-produced, as well as Ken Watanabe, Shin Koyamada, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Timothy Spall, and Billy Connolly. The film's plot was inspired by the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigo Takamori, and on the westernization of Japan by colonial powers, though this is largely attributed to the United States in the film for American audiences.
Set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade- friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him. The sound in movies are broken into three basic categories of sound. They are dialogue, sound effects and music. As stated, dialogue, sound effects, and music require careful balancing to serve the story; because of this, each category is typically recorded separately and mixed together during the final editing process (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011).
The movie is consistent with its storytelling method. Of course, I love the reference to one of the greatest last stands in history as it foreshadows an epic, final battle. Next, Algren helps Katsumoto devise a strategy where the Samurai can get close to the soldiers so they can use their swords and neutralize the advantage of guns. The movie's title foreshadows a tragic denouement, but that in no way lessens The Last Samurai's impact. The film is in many ways about the clash between the old ways (those of the samurai) and the new (those employed by the American-trained troops). While history makes the results predictable (six decades later, a thoroughly modern Japan would attack Pearl Harbor), it's our involvement with the characters and their situations that energizes the experience of sitting through this movie. The historical context may be established, but we don't know what happens to Nathan, Katsumoto, Taka, and others.
The dialogue itself is the requirement for most movies. Without the dialogue, the story and the plot cannot come to conclusion. The dialogue helps shape the mood, the direction, the balance of any movie that the audience is watching. It is also important to note that emphasis on certain portions of the dialogue, whether it be change in tone, pitch, or sped up and slowed down, the dialogue can change the mood of any movie. If done correctly, it will make an excellent companion to the music and the sound effects of that specific film. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). As he walks among the people, there is very little dialogue, but many scenes of the beautiful Japanese countryside. This is the perfect place to put music to help the audience appreciate the beauty that he is discovering for the first time. As stated in our text, "with the advent of sound, music became a basic element of constructing a movie, as essential an element as lights and cameras" (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011).
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-samurai-2003
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.