Japanese spirit will never die

Rating: Null/10 (25 July 2006)

Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is a soldier who has seen too much death and the uglier side of life, having fought in the Civil War and against the Indians out west. Thus when he is told to go to Japan to train soldiers there in the art of modern weaponry and warfare, he doesn't have much expectation that life will bring him anything new or worthwhile. Japan, under the leadership of the Emperor Meiji, is modernizing. However, a small group of samurai warriors cling to their old values and resist this change. These samurai, led by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), must be dealt with harshly and swiftly. Thus, Algren and his imperial troops are sent into action before they are properly trained. In the ensuing battle, the troops are routed and Algren is captured. Taken to a remote samurai village, Algren learns a new way of life he never before imagined.
My favorite scene in the movie comes at this point. Taka, Katsumoto's sister and widow of a man killed by Algren, is given the task of taking care of the strange foreigner who has come into their midst. While they are eating together, Taka comments on how Algren "smells like a pig." She never stops smiling while saying this and Alrgren has no idea of what has been said. Oh, so true.
For anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of Japanese history, the ending, which I will not reveal, is ludicrous. Japanese have a unique view of themselves, even though Japan borrows a lot from other languages and societies. When challenged on this, they will say in defense, "Japanese spirit will never die." Though what Japanese spirit really is had to be pointed out to the emperor in this movie, it doesn't seem to bother modern Japanese audiences. Instead they focus on the character of Katsumoto, proud that one of their own could more than hold his own in a mainstream Hollywood production.
Discounting the unbelievable finish, I would rate "The Last Samurai" as satisfactory. There are a lot of exciting action scenes, especially the ninja attack at night. However, I would much prefer watching an old Kurosawa samurai flick.