Battleangel

The last time I saw Tom Cruise on the big screen was in Minority Report I think. The projects that he chooses to get involved in these days are few and long in the making. And with very few exceptions I tend to be favorable to both his background work and acting. I mean, lets not forget that he has been the producer of virtually every movie he has also starred in since the days of Mission Impossible.

The story behind the Last Samurai is kept simple. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), an american civil war veteran, now drunken and disillusioned hero is hired to train the first Japanese conscript army that will pave the way for a new society free of the warring samurai lords. The emperor is quick to act in order to strengthen his own hold over the country and the american representatives have commercial interest in the “new Japan” and show the same kind of disrespect for foreign culture as they did for the century to come. The lead character is lost and bewildered after his past experiences. And he soon finds that building the character army he is used to will not be an easy task. During the first real clash with the “enemy” he is captured and here begins the real journey. A struggle between new and old ways. Of change and preservation. Arrogance, honor and destiny.
That is not how the plot over at IMDB tells it but I think the extra background tidbits are vital for understanding why you should go and see the movie in the first place. If you already have or know history well enough then this is old news of course.

For some background to the story I suggest you read up on the Meiji Restoration of 1867/68. It is important in order to understand the events that later culminated in WW2. There are quite a few reasons for wanting to blow the US to kingdom come and it begins with the US involvement around this time.
Another important note is how the samurai are portrayed in the movie. This constitutes probably the biggest inconsistency of the entire feature (apart from the “ninjas”). The samurai were in fact more the champions atop a cruel feudal system of social inequality rather than sentimental knights of honour. I’m just saying that the view here is a little biased.

Further reading:
Meiji Restoration
- the wikipedia entry for the subject with the usual abundance of links.
The historical background to RUROUNI KENSHIN
- if you would like an easy way to get acquainted with the Meiji era.

The most important point to make is that if you’re looking for a martial arts / samurai slasher then this is not for you. Nor will it appeal to action buffs. It has all those elements as well as a minor love theme but they are only entertainment and lure. You must look deeper to understand the true greatness of this movie. And I guess it helps if you are somewhat familiar with the theme and background settings. It’s refreshing to see how the movie avoids many of the usual cliches or in the worst case scenario balances the razor’s edge but never really oversimplifies.

The end is perhaps a little mushy for many people. I read Roger Ebert’s review of course and while he was lyrical he (like many others) had a big reservation against the end. I don’t have this problem at all. I like the narrator voice and I think it is a nice touch. The fate of Algren isn’t so horribly mushy after all. I can’t spoil the end but suffice to say I expected it to totally bomb. It didn’t.
It seems to be one of those movies that you either love or hate. I would be interested to see how the movie fared with american reviewers in particular. I can see how many could be offended by the image given in the movie. As put by one of the supporting cast to Algren: “Why do you hate your own people so much?”.

There are so many things you could say about this movie. So many threads to follow. At least if you know where to look for them. One of the most prominent being the numerous and factual transgressions by the United States. All in all one of the best movies in a very, very long time. And one that apart from being an entertaining movie has got a real and important story to tell. One that deeply touches the audience. At least it should …

Also, The Last Samurai was nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role, Art Direction, Costume Design and Sound in the upcoming Academy Awards.

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