Falling in the "visual over substance" trap...once again

Rating: 6/10 (11 March 2004)

"The Last Samurai" is the ultimate Hollywood machinery to make you fall in the trap of mediocrity without you noticing it...the weapons used are classic once: cheesiness, unrealistic story, pretty pictures, robotic pace, pop corn and coke environment. Your are entertained, some of us will spare some tears in front of this well produced eye for candy film... but at the end this is nothing more than a straight formula very well hidden under a beautiful cinematography... SPOILER
What's the recipe's like? Chapter one: "Honor to be restored" The film start with an extremely corny opening narration where we learn that Japanese "forgot the very meaning of the word honor." - 5 minutes into the movie and we've already reached the paroxysm of pretension. Chapter Two: "Japanese Strategy" A drunkard is hired by a nation who wants to build a modern army. - Do Mrs. Zwick / Cruise want to prove that Japanese people are silly, because if that's what they wanted they're spot on. Chapter Three: "The definition of courage": Tom Cruise gets beaten up by that Japanese Samurai guy, but refuses to stay down - What kind of courage is that? I did not know that the words courage and stupidity were synonyms. Chapter Four: "I am the polyglot" During the only time Katsumoto and the Emperor met they choose to speak English rather than Japanese. - Was it an English contest between the two of them? Chapter Five: "A Samurai is born" Tom Cruise mastered the katana during one winter. He now can kill 3 Ninjas who trained all their life and kills 5 armed Japanese swordsmen in Kyoto's street in a beautiful and polished to the extreme samurai showdown. Chapter Six: "Men of Courage" Katsumoto and is fellow samurai charge at the machine guns. The scene is so breath taking that the Japanese officer is feeling sympathy for them and everyone is now showing "mucho respecto" for the guys. - We reached a peak right there where ridicule and stupidity are blend in a "Hollywoody Superb". Final Chapter: "Honor Restored" or "The lesson from the drunkard": A broken Tom Cruise handing Katsumoto's sword to the Emperor and saying the following line "I won't tell you how he died. I will tell you how he lived." - Now I am p***ed of as the use of clichÃ©s has reached the top of "Cheesy Mountain".
I will pass on the detail of the perfect Japanese village were everything is clean from the stone to the roof top. I am actually wandering if the dirt and the trees were bacteria free as the village seems cleaner than Michael Jackson's oxygen caisson. Once again Hollywood is serving us a "ready to feel" beautifully shot and well produced film...hoping that we will fall once again in their "visual over substance" trap - I almost did please don't...