A Beautiful Tale Of Redemption and Inner-peace

Rating: 10/10 (1 March 2015)

"The Last Samurai" is often criticized as another "white man goes into a different culture, identifies himself with their beliefs, and changes his view and outlook upon them only to join with their cause." Like "Dances With Wolves" for example. It's been disgustingly reviewed, on this board too, as another ripoff of just such a film. This film is beloved by people (Especially Japanese) and if any College Professor calls this film as another example of "Orientalism" or "White-Man's Burden" they are dead wrong and need to do some research or have their PHD removed. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is a man haunted by the actions he took by killing a Native American tribe by the orders of Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) and drowns himself in alcohol to numb the inner pain he feels. He's hired to train Japanese soldiers during Japan's Meji Period. He's captured during the soldiers first battle with the samurai and brought to their village. After the hell of alcohol withdrawal he endures, he slowly begins a friendship with Katsamoto (Ken Watanabe) who, through the samurai code of Bushido, accepts begins to forgive himself and find a new reason for living. Through the experiences he encounters with the village people he begins a transition and while he doesn't immediately realize it, is being mentored by the people, especially Katsamoto himself. He begins to realize what these so called "primitive savages" are fighting to uphold: the code of the Samurai itself. What I find interesting is that both Algriens and Katsamoto's values rub off one another. This is why Algrein chooses to associate himself with the samurai and Katsamoto's cause. "We've become nothing but a country of whores, selling ourselves to the highest bidder" is what Katsamoto says during the film. The bottom line is this: don't let the cover image of Tom Cruise or whatever opinion you have of him, dissuade you from seeing this tale of redemption and inner-peace.