The Last Samurai  one of the best films of the year

Rating: 9/10 (8 December 2003)

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW!!***
Seeing all the previews for this film, I repeatedly told myself `Last Samurai? TOM CRUISE??? No way! That's gonna be so BAD!! What is Hollywood coming to??' After seeing it earlier tonight, Ill just saydon't be fooled. All of the praise and Oscar buzz this movie's been receiving is justified. This is a powerful, moving, engaging movie. I was very impressed. Tom Cruise is great in his role as Nathan Algren; he's a hit or miss with me, but he was wonderful.I'd even give him an Oscar nomination. His performance is his best in a long time. The person who absolutely stole the show, however, is Ken Watanabe as the last samurai', Katsumoto. He definitely should get an Oscar nod for his charismatic, poised, and extremely convincing portrayal of the rebel samurai. He was absolutely wonderful.
The story of The Last Samurai is a human one at its core. The many layers of the story all connect to the human element, and this is the beauty of the film. I thought Tom Cruise was very convincing as Nathan Algren as he transformed from the drunken, arrogant yet tortured Civil War hero'..to the morally born-again, self-realized, humbled warrior, whose initially reluctant exposure to the culture he must help extinguish, helps him broaden his horizons and grow as a man and ultimately a soldier. He falls in love with the culture that he and his culture deemed as savage and uncivilized. It's a beautiful story.
The way the Samurai are portrayed is the arguably the most realistic and believable I've seen in a movie. I was very intrigued to learn more about the culture and the way of the Samurai warrior. I'd have liked the makers to go deeper into this with more detail, particularly on the fighting techniques and philosophies, but it was intriguing nonetheless. The appearance of the ninja was a pleasant surprise and VERY exciting.

My only gripe with the movie is that I felt that Nathan Algren should've died at the end. It just didn't seem very feasible that he lived, seeing that he was the enemy now and they'd already started the job by shooting him several times during the Samurai's last stand. Why didn't they finish him off? Because he's an American? He didn't seem like one when he showed up with the enemy with every intention of betraying and fighting against them!! The US Colonel himself said that he'd be treated like one of them' if he indeed betrayed them, which he did. I found that to be a little unbelievable. Then again, who else could've given the Emperor Katsumoto's sword? There are plenty of names one could throw out easily, but it wouldn't have had the same impact that Tom Cruise had. In my opinion, if Tom Cruise died, it would not only have been better for the overall impact of the film (note the deaths of Mel Gibson in Braveheart, Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan and Russell Crowe in Gladiator) but also better for the story; the reign of the Samurai does indeed end, they are slaughtered; the fact that he is the lone survivor is kinda lame.I'm sure the reason' is only because he was American. But under those circumstances there is no way Cruise would've been spared.
After Mystic River, The Last Samurai is one of the best films I've seen this year. It's an epic that doesn't depend on being sappy and melodramatic. The gritty, treacherous tone of the film stays constant throughout, and you're forced to be intrigued throughout. Sure the battle scenes (which were very well done) reminds us of Braveheart, but they're as exciting and moving as I've seen. One can always question the historical accuracy of films like this, and The Last Samurai is not immune to those questions. The cinematography was excellent, with the beautiful backdrops of Japan serving as the perfect canvas for the emotional and spiritual story laid before it. The acting is first-class and the story is rivetingwhat else can anyone ask for in a movie? With all of the garbage being released by Hollywood, it's nice to see a movie that doesn't depend on CGI and silly gimmicks to get their point across. I was surprised at how good this was; it was executed very well and I congratulate the makers of The Last Samurai for their great work. I hope this film is recognized at the Oscars, particularly Ken Watanabehis performance, to me, is unforgettable.
***1/2 out of **** stars.