*mild spoilers*: ok for fast food junkies, unbearable for the gourmet

Rating: 1/10 (28 December 2003)

Actually as I would have expected from a major hollywood movie it is technically well done. What else positive is to say about "The last samurai" It has, some nice views, good choreographies in the fighting and battle scenes, some average to good acting with a great performance by Ken Watanabe. The movie can deliver an nice one time evening entertainment.

So normally I would have rated this movie 5 [well done fast food for the general public].
But I rated it 1 for the total faultiness of the plot if you look at it earnestly. Starting with a very mediocre basic story, that reminds me a lot of "Who dances with the Wolves", the movie deals out some very major historical inaccuracies and tops them all by portraiting its american hero as rescuer of the soul of Japan.
A bit more feeling for history, a better talent for telling an epic, a ,much more refined script, a lot less american perspective, a bit less or better none tom cruise at all would have helped to make the plot shine.

But as it is now the movie is unbearable for the earnest viewer.