Last Samurai, The (2003)

In 1876, celebrated Civil War veteran and Winchester representative Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is sent to Japan to train the Emperor’s troops in modern warfare in order to swash a rebellion by a small number of samurai. Captured by the samurai, Algen learns to respect them and their Bushido code and joins them in their hopeless, yet courageous struggle to preserve their heritage.

Think whatever you like of Tom Cruise, but through his efforts and substantial influence in Hollywood, a blockbuster film centering on Japan’s fascinating and long-enduring Bushido code has finally been made and made well. On the surface, The Last Samurai is your typical, formulaic period piece set in an exotic land and told from a Westerner’s perspective. Yet sandwiched among the layers of melodrama and heroics lies the rudiments of Zen thought as application to swordplay and life. Add to these strong performances from leading Japanese stars Ken Watanabe and Hiroyuki Sanada, premiere historical combat choreography from Nick Powell, and exquisitely detailed production standards and you have a rousing and enjoyable adventure film that overcomes minor flaws.

The story begins with a disillusioned and alcoholic Civil War veteran named Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) leaving a job as a Winchester spokesman to travel to Japan to train the Emperor’s soldiers in the use of modern firearms in preparation for coming battles with rebellious samurai. On their first engagement, the ill-prepared troops are scattered and Algren is wounded and taken hostage by the samurai. The samurais’ leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) is intrigued by Algren’s past combat exploits and fierce spirit and allows the Westerner to recover from his wounds in order to learn about him, his “new enemy.” Once recovered but still haunted by past war atrocities, Algen slowly discovers a new world and a new way of thinking as he develops a bond with Katsumoto, learns swordsmanship from Katsumoto’s trainer Uijio (Hiroyuki Sanada), and develops a relationship with Katsumoto’s widowed sister Taka (Koyuki) and her two children. After assisting in stopping an attempt by ninja to assassinate Katsumoto, Algren is returned to Tokyo where he plans to abandon his post and leave for the US. But events lead him to rejoin his new samurai friends as they prepare for a final engagement with the now fully trained and equipped government troops. The nearly 1000-year old Bushido traditions of archery, swordplay, and horsemanship are put to the ultimate test against modern firearms, artillery, and Gatling guns.

The biggest argument to rise out of this film is likely to be over Tom Cruise’s place as heroic lead in what is supposed to be a story about the end of the samurai and a way of life in Japan. I count myself as one of many who fail to understand the popularity of Cruise. While he’s not a bad actor, he doesn’t seem to bring much if any character to his roles. The same is true of his portrayal of Algren. His transformation from suicidal and alcoholic to impassioned and focused is adequate, but hardly gripping. Without the ability to give a commanding performance, co-star Ken Watanabe easily steals the limelight from Cruise with a more subtle role filled with a depth that few actors can muster today without coming across as phony. If anything is wrong with his role, its how easily he accepts Cruise’s character and even leans on him. But then, this is a Hollywood script.

Chambara fans may rejoice in Hiroyuki Sanada’s prominent role as katsumoto’s right-hand man. Although he’s not given much dialogue, anyone who has seen Twilight Samurai will find it hard not to make comparisons. Once again, he is a quiet and thoughtful warrior of incredible skill thrust into a difficult situation, this time to accept his former enemy as an ally. Aside from assuring that the action stuck to the story, Nick Powell doubtless had no need to instruct Sanada who actually gave Cruise a few pointers on proper form.

The film finds a nice balance between the usual Hollywood-style historical combat and classic chambara action. The emphasis is, of course, on realism and Nick Powell gets Cruise to look reasonably proficient. The character’s short transition period from novice to ninja-dispatching expert is made more plausible by the fact that he is initially shown to be a competent and seasoned US Army soldier capable of adapting to circumstances. More importantly and more satisfying is how he is portrayed as discovering the ability to filter out distractions and focus solely on his opponents in his swordplay. Like any great martial arts film, the audience must see that the hero has learned the essence of a technique in training and his application of it in battle. This is done very well and gives the viewer important insight into how the samurai warrior develops his edge over his enemies.

Swordplay, archery, and even judo are in abundance in this film and all are depicted with flair. Earlier in their history, the samurai were known for their archery on horseback. This is shown, as is their use of longbows for deadly accuracy and punishing effect on massed enemies without armor. Cruise ends up in at least one judo-style hold while sparring with samurai. He even applies a few karate kicks and throws amid his swordplay. This makes for more dynamic swordplay than what is usually seen in traditional chambara films. For more dynamics, the ninja attack is a highlight. Cruise and Watanabe fend off attackers cloaked in black and wielding crossbows, iron claws, and various swords. The final fight is more conventional, but quite spectacular as the massed samurai in full armor take on several regiments of riflemen, backed up by Howitzers and Gatling guns. Although I’d personally rather see samurai combating invading Mongols in their greatest victory, this is still a stirring battle sequence that shows the samurai using every advantage they possess against a modern army. Within the story, appropriate parallels to this struggle are frequently made to Custer’s Last Stand and the Battle of Thermopylae.

Other great assets of The Last Samurai are the production standards which are outstanding. Everything from period costumes to sets are wonderfully recreated. The samurai armor is shown in all its glory. The first appearance of the samurai in full regalia wearing their frightening headgear with horns and gruesome face masks is shown to have the exact effect on the enemy that they were really intended to have. CG is used to adequately show various wide shots of San Francisco and Tokyo harbor circa 1876. The only element that comes up short is the music by Hanz Zimmer. It’s a very Western score with very mild Japanese motifs and unfortunately Zimmer felt that going with more prominent Japanese music of the era would have been too foreign for Western ears. I disagree and feel that a more distinctive score would have served the film and its audience better. Instead, we’re served another bland orchestral score that merely gets the job done, and in some cases is a little too emotional.

Unfortunately, a lot of the film in keeping with Hollywood tradition is too emotional and sentimental as it oversimplifies history. The blatant glorification of the samurai versus the anti-American sentiments further highlight the fact that this film is not so much about the complexities of real history as it is about character-based themes like redemption and honor. On this level and as a story depicting Bushido in action, the film works well as it draws on Japanese philosophy to find a solution to the conflict of change. Of course, the Japanese themselves are in better touch with this conflict in relation to the samurai than any Westerner and most of their great chambara films reflect this in a more subtle way. But for a big budget film from Hollywood with one major star and a whole lot of “unknown” foreign actors and subtitles, director Edward Zwick and company have done a remarkably good job. While expectations remain low, one can hope this leads general American audiences to demand a more sophisticated depiction of Asian cultures and beliefs.