An Incredibly Beautiful And Entertaining Film

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2007)

The academy awards really missed the mark with The Last Samurai. This film should have been nominated for best picture, and Tom Cruise should have been nominated for best actor -- and, in my opinion, both should have won.
The Last Samurai is everything one wants in a movie. The story was deliberately paced and touching. The acting is superb. The cinematography is high art. The main characters learn and grow throughout the film due to their experiences with one another. The film touches you on a personal level with the character development and it also gives you a nice history lesson about Japanese culture and politics.
Tom Cruise's character begins the film a drunken mess, disillusioned with his experiences in battle with Native Americans. He is hired by Japan to train their soldiers modern warfare. However, he is captured by the enemy, the Samurai.
At first, not trusting his captors, Cruise is reluctant to open up to the Samurai. Slowly, the Samurai begin to trust him, while he begins to open up to them.
Throughout the movie, the audience enjoys the beautiful scenery of the Japan countryside and old Tokyo. We learn about the struggle the Japanese people had in becoming a modern nation while at the same time trying to hold onto its rich and precious traditions.
This film is not to be missed. Rating 10 of 10 stars.