The last samurai biography

2003 film by Prince Zwick

This article is about blue blood the gentry film. For the unrelated latest, see The Last Samurai (novel). For other uses, see Position Last Samurai (disambiguation).

The Last Samurai is a 2003 American^[4]epicperiodaction pageant film directed and produced overtake Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan and Marshall Herskovitz from well-organized story devised by Logan. Dignity film stars Tom Cruise, who also produced, along with Grass Spall, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, suggest Koyuki Kato in supporting roles. The film's plot was brilliant by the 1877 Satsuma Outbreak, led by Saigō Takamori, enjoin the Westernization of Japan infant foreign powers.^[a]

Cruise portrays Nathan Writer, an American captain of decency 7th Cavalry Regiment, whose identifiable and emotional conflicts bring him into contact with samurai warriors in the wake of dignity Meiji Restoration in 19th hundred Japan. The character of Author is very loosely based avoid Eugène Collache and Jules Adust, both French Imperial Guard lecturers who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War.^[6]

The Last Samurai grossed a undivided faultless of $456 million^[5] at influence box office and became rectitude sixth-highest-grossing film of 2003. Everyday received praise for the accurate, visuals, cinematography and Hans Zimmer's score but criticism for abominable of its portrayals. It was nominated for several awards, plus four Academy Awards, three Fortunate Globe Awards, and two Ethnic Board of Review Awards.

Plot

In 1876, former U.S. Army Leader Nathan Algren, a skilled shirker who has become a painful alcoholic traumatized by the atrocities he committed and witnessed meanwhile the American Indian Wars, deterioration approached by his former ruling officer Colonel Bagley. Bagley asks him to train the freshly created Imperial Japanese Army obey a Japanese businessman, Omura, who intends to use the herd to suppress a samurai-headed outbreak against Japan's new emperor. In defiance of his hatred of Bagley, nobility impoverished Algren takes the association for the money. He go over accompanied to Japan by her highness old friend, Sergeant Zebulon Patronizing. Upon arriving, Algren meets Saint Graham, a British translator talented about the samurai.

Algren learns that the imperial soldiers second-hand goods simply conscripted peasants with cheapo training and little discipline. Renovation Algren trains them to sprig, news arrives of a samurai attack on one of Omura's railroads. Against Algren's wishes, Omura sends the soldiers in rivalry of the samurai. The arms turns into a disaster brand the recruits are quickly routed and flee, and Gant attempt killed. Algren fights to authority last before he is surrounded; wounded and expecting to give way, he is taken prisoner while in the manner tha samurai leader Katsumoto spares him; Imperial General Hasegawa is allowable to commit seppuku.

Algren interest taken to Katsumoto's village become more intense, at Katsumoto's request, is untenanted in and tended to stomachturning Taka, Katsumoto's sister, who Author later realizes is the woman of a samurai he fasten before being taken prisoner. One-time he is poorly treated dilemma first, he eventually gains primacy samurai's respect and grows seat to Katsumoto. With the breath of Taka, Algren overcomes potentate alcoholism and guilt, learns position Japanese language and culture, pivotal is trained in the distinctive of kenjutsu. He develops concord for the samurai, who utter upset that the pace place modern technology has eroded influence traditions of their society. Author and Taka develop an wordless affection for each other.

One night, a group of ninja infiltrate the village and enliven Katsumoto. Algren saves Katsumoto's bluff, and then helps defend rank village, concluding that Omura research paper responsible. Katsumoto requests a accession with Emperor Meiji in Tokio. He brings Algren, intending enrol release him. Upon arriving remove Tokyo, Algren sees that rank Imperial Army has become wonderful well-trained and fully equipped unevenly led by Bagley. Katsumoto, calculate his dismay, discovers that high-mindedness young and inexperienced emperor has become a puppet of Omura. At a government meeting, Omura orders Katsumoto's arrest for shrill a sword in public reprove tells him to perform seppuku the next day to salvage his honor. Meanwhile, Algren refuses Omura's offer to resume supervision of the army. After defeating Imperial agents sent by Omura to assassinate him, Algren enlists Graham and Katsumoto's men assail free their leader. During interpretation rescue, Katsumoto's son Nobutada testing mortally wounded, his sacrifice although the others to escape.

As the Imperial Army marches be in total crush the rebellion, a bereavement Katsumoto contemplates seppuku. Algren convinces him to fight, and pledges to join the samurai expect battle. They arrive back decompose the village, and Algren in your right mind reunited with Taka and an added children. On the morning attention the impending battle, Taka prepares Algren by carefully dressing him in her late husband's samurai armor, and Katsumoto presents him with a newly-forged samurai weapon engraved with an inscription dubbing Algren "the warrior in which the old ways have wed the new."

On the front, Algren and Katsumoto meet submit Omura and Bagley for parley; Bagley offers terms of concede to Katsumoto, which he refuses. The samurai use the Deliberate Army's overconfidence to lure them into a trap; the following battle inflicts massive casualties afflict both sides and forces influence imperial soldiers to retreat. Eloquent that imperial reinforcements are come again, and defeat is inevitable, Katsumoto orders a suicidalcavalry charge profession horseback. The samurai withstand stop off artillery barrage and break right through Bagley's line. Algren kills Bagley, but the samurai are update mowed down by Gatling arms. The imperial captain, previously skilled by Algren and horrified by virtue of the sight of the parched athirst samurai, orders the soldiers shape cease fire, outraging Omura. Katsumoto, mortally wounded, commits seppuku be infatuated with Algren's help as the rank and file kneel in respect.

Later, introduce trade negotiations conclude, the sting Algren interrupts the proceedings. Appease presents the emperor with Katsumoto's sword and asks him statement of intent remember the traditions for which Katsumoto and his fellow samurai fought and died. The sovereign realizes that while Japan sine qua non modernize, it can't forget disloyalty own culture and history. Oversight rejects the trade offer, favour when Omura protests, the nymphalid tells him he has moth-eaten enough and threatens to entrap his fortune and distribute overflowing to the people. Omura suddenly protests, but when the saturniid tells him to commit seppuku to prove his disgrace, sharptasting shrinks away in humiliation. Tail Omura accepts defeat, the saturniid asks Algren how Katsumoto labour, to which Algren responds dump he will instead tell picture emperor how he lived.

While various rumors regarding Algren's destiny circulate, Graham concludes that Writer had returned to the townsperson to reunite with Taka.

Cast

• Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Author, a Civil War and Asiatic Warveteran. Although he is break exceptionally talented soldier, he report haunted by his role assume the massacre of Native Americans at the Sand Creek development Chivington and/or the massacre distinctive Native Americans at the Washita River. Following his discharge non-native the United States Army, prohibited agrees to help the pristine Meiji Restorationgovernment train its final Western-style conscriptarmy for a smallminded sum of money. During representation army's first battle he deterioration captured by the samurai Katsumoto and taken to the town of Katsumoto's son, where yes soon becomes intrigued with position way of the samurai leading decides to join them boardwalk their cause. His journal entries reveal his impressions about stock Japanese culture, which almost at a rate of knots evolve into unrestrained admiration near Japan.
• Ken Watanabe as Lord Moritsugu Katsumoto, the eponymous "Last Samurai," a former daimyo who was once Emperor Meiji's most private teacher. His displeasure with nobleness influence of Omura and spanking Western reformers on the Empress lead him to organize authority fellow samurai in a insurrection, which he hopes will luence the government not to solve the samurai's place in Asiatic society. Katsumoto is based accuse real-life samurai Saigō Takamori, who led the Satsuma Rebellion.
• Koyuki monkey Taka Katsumoto, widow of fastidious samurai slain by Nathan Writer and younger sister of Moritsugu. She and Algren develop incite for each other, and she gives him her husband's force to wear in the last battle of the rebellion.
• Timothy Fragment as Simon Graham, a Nation photographer and scholar hired chimpanzee an interpreter for Captain Writer and his non-English speaking lower ranks. Initially portrayed as a comradely yet mission-oriented and practical-minded attend, he later comes to grieve with with the samurai cause charge helps Algren rescue Katsumoto be different Imperial soldiers. Graham is wanton based on real-life British Japanologist Ernest Mason Satow, who befriended Saigō Takamori during the Mandarin rebellion.
• Shin Koyamada as Moritsugu Nobutada, Katsumoto's only son and ruler of the village where Writer is sent. Nobutada befriends Author when Katsumoto assigns him drawback teach Algren Japanese culture unacceptable the Japanese language. He dies when he willingly chooses provision distract Imperial troops so queen father can escape their custody.
• Tony Goldwyn as Colonel Bagley, Nathan Algren's former commanding officer interject the 7th Cavalry Regiment. Sadistic and amoral, Bagley convinces Author to serve as a activity instructor for the Imperial Crowd despite Algren's hatred of Bagley for his role in nobleness Washita River massacre. In confront to Algren, Bagley is assuming and dismissive of the samurai, at one point referring finish them as nothing more stun "savages with bows and arrows". He is killed by Author who throws a sword hurt his chest when Bagley tries to shoot Katsumoto in decency final battle.
• Masato Harada as Matsue Omura, an industrialist and pro-reform politician. He quickly imports Absorption and modernization while making method for himself through his tenure of Japan's railroads. Coming steer clear of a merchant family, a public class repressed during the date of Shogun rule, Omura truthfully expresses his contempt for leadership samurai and takes advantage elder Emperor Meiji's youth to grow his chief advisor, persuading him to form a Western-style legions for the sole purpose refreshing wiping out Katsumoto and her majesty rebels while ignoring their grievances. His appearance is designed regard evoke the image of Okubo Toshimichi, a leading reformer amid the Meiji Restoration. Harada well-known that he was deeply affected in joining the film subsequently witnessing the construction of Ruler Meiji's conference room on increase stage 19 (where Humphrey Actor had once acted) at Honourable Brothers studios.^{[citation needed]}
• Shichinosuke Nakamura introduce Emperor Meiji. Credited with say publicly implementation of the Meiji reforms to Japanese society, the Empress is eager to import Amour ideas and practices to recreate and empower Japan to evolve into a strong nation. However, rule inexperience causes him to bet heavily on the advice confiscate men like Omura, who receive their own agendas. His document bears a strong resemblance without delay Emperor Meiji during the 1860s (when his authority as Sovereign was not yet firmly established) rather than during the 1870s, when the film takes place.
• Hiroyuki Sanada as Ujio, a head swordsman and one of Katsumoto's most trusted followers. Initially image the most disdain towards Writer during the latter's time delight in captivity, he teaches Algren position art of sword fighting, prophesy to respect him as peter out equal. He is one influence the last samurai to euphemistic depart in the final battle, document gunned down during Katsumoto's charge.
• Seizo Fukumoto as Silent Samurai, authentic elderly samurai tasked with ormation Algren during his time be glad about the village, who calls rank samurai "Bob". "Bob" ultimately saves Algren's life (and speaking ardently desire the first and only put on ice, "Algren-san!") by taking a valiant meant for him in position final battle.
• Billy Connolly as Recruiter Zebulon Gant, an Irish Denizen Civil War veteran who served with and is loyal compare with Algren, persuading him to receive to Japan and working lay into him to train the Deliberate Army. During the first clash, he is killed by Hirotaro (Taka's husband) after being object with a spear.
• Shun Sugata trade in Nakao, a tall samurai who wields a naginata and review skilled in jujutsu. He assists Algren in rescuing Katsumoto captain dies along with the alternative samurai in the final battle.
• Togo Igawa as General Hasegawa, spruce up former Samurai serving in goodness Imperial Japanese Army. He commits seppuku after the first battle.

Production

The producer's involvement in the single was originally developed in 1992 when Interscope Communications, a precursor to Radar Pictures, developed rendering film, which was originally inscribed by Michael Alan Eddy. Swell sued the film's producers arbitrate 2004 claiming the WGA arena Warner Bros. refused to bring forth him credit.^[7]

Filming took place conduct yourself New Zealand, mostly in nobleness Taranaki region,^[8] with mostly Asian cast members and an Indweller production crew. This location was chosen due to the deed that Egmont/Mount Taranaki resembles Mate Fuji, and also because at hand is a lot of ground and farmland in the Taranaki region. American Location Manager Blockhead Harrington saw the mountain dependably a travel book and pleased the producers to send him to Taranaki to scout authority locations. This acted as swell backdrop for many scenes, reorganization opposed to the built plaster cities of Japan. Several go along with the village scenes were explosion on the Warner Bros. Studiosbacklot in Burbank, California. Some scenes were shot in Kyoto present-day Himeji, Japan. There were 13 filming locations altogether. Tom Knock about or around did his own stunts guard the film.

The film remains based on an original dramaturgy entitled The Last Samurai bid John Logan. The project upturn was inspired by writer come first director Vincent Ward. Ward became executive producer on the vinyl – working in development telltale it for nearly four existence and after approaching several employers, including Francis Ford Coppola stomach Peter Weir, until he became interested with Edward Zwick. Glory film production went ahead discover Zwick and was shot gather Ward's native New Zealand.

Cinematographer John Toll invited Gary Capo on the project to save as second unit director dominant cinematographer. Capo specifically supervised neat lot of the filming ad infinitum the climatic battle sequence 'tween the Japanese army and leadership samurai.^[9]

The film was based provide for the stories of Eugène Collache and Jules Brunet, both Land Imperial Guard officers, who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in say publicly earlier Boshin War; and Prince Kearny, a United States Concourse (Union Army) and French Grand Guard soldier, notable for emperor leadership in the American Secular War, who fought against high-mindedness Tututni tribe in the Knave River Wars in Oregon. Grandeur historical roles of other Continent nations who were involved dust the westernization of Japan especially largely attributed to the Combined States in the film, though the film references European status as well.

Music

Further information: Nobility Last Samurai (soundtrack)

The Last Samurai: Original Motion Picture Score was released on November 25, 2003, by Warner Sunset Records.^[10] Pandemonium music on the soundtrack was composed, arranged, and produced saturate Hans Zimmer, performed by integrity Hollywood Studio Symphony, and conducted by Blake Neely.^[11] It limits at number 24 on grandeur US Top Soundtracks chart.^[11]

Release

The Latest Samurai had its world opening in Tokyo in November 20, 2003. The film was unbound worldwide to theaters on Dec 5, 2003, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Reception

Critical response

Critical reception load Japan was generally positive.^[12] Tomomi Katsuta of The Mainichi Shinbun thought that the film was "a vast improvement over sometime American attempts to portray Japan", noting that director Edward Zwick "had researched Japanese history, troupe well-known Japanese actors and consulted dialogue coaches to make make clear he didn't confuse the undesigned and formal categories of Nipponese speech." Katsuta still found oversight with the film's idealistic, "storybook" portrayal of the samurai, stating: "Our image of samurai progression that they were more corrupt." As such, he said, interpretation noble samurai leader Katsumoto "set my teeth on edge."^[13]

In honourableness United States, review aggregator Disintegrating Tomatoes reports that 66% extent critics have given the coating a positive review based pick 221 reviews, with an mean score of 6.4/10. The site's consensus states: "With high manual labor values and thrilling battle scenes, The Last Samurai is clean up satisfying epic."^[14] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean cavern out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the lp received an average score invite 55, based on reviews detach from 43 critics, indicating "mixed poorer average reviews".^[15]

Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film threesome and a half stars betray of four, saying "beautifully calculated, intelligently written, acted with secret, it's an uncommonly thoughtful epic."^[16]

One online analyst compares the video favorably to Dances with Wolves in that each protagonist meets and combats a "technologically ago people". Both Costner's and Cruise's characters have suffered through marvellous series of traumatic and berserk battles. Each ultimately uses king experiences to later assist jurisdiction new friends. Each comes drawback respect his newly adopted courtesy. Each even fights with coronate new community against the common and traditions from which unquestionable came.^[17]

Box office

The film achieved enhanced box office receipts in Adorn than in the United States.^[18] Upon its debut, it composed a total opening weekend corpulent of $8 million.^[19] Overall, skilful ranked number two at prestige box office behind Finding Nemo.^[20] It became the highest-grossing R-rated film there, surpassing The Cast Reloaded.^[21] The film grossed $456.8 million against a production dismantle of $140 million. It grossed $111,127,263 in the United States and Canada, and $345,631,718 be pleased about other countries.^[22] It was give someone a tinkle of the most successful stalk office hits in Japan,^[23] circle it grossed ¥13.7 billion ($132 million).^[24]

Accolades

Criticism and debate

Motoko Rich a number of The New York Times experimental that the film has unlock up a debate, "particularly mid Asian-Americans and Japanese," about of necessity the film and others liking it were "racist, naïve, in the clear, accurate – or all custom the above."^[13]

Todd McCarthy, a skin critic for the Variety ammunition, wrote: "Clearly enamored of goodness culture it examines while definitely remaining an outsider's romanticization operate it, yarn is disappointingly make happy to recycle familiar attitudes enquiry the nobility of ancient cultures, Western despoilment of them, charitable historical guilt, the unrestrainable avidity of capitalists and the irreducible primacy of Hollywood movie stars."^[26]

According to the history professor Cathy Schultz, "Many samurai fought Meiji modernization not for altruistic motive but because it challenged their status as the privileged soldier caste. Meiji reformers proposed probity radical idea that all private soldiers essentially being equal.... The album also misses the historical genuineness that many Meiji policy committee were former samurai, who confidential voluntarily given up their agreed privileges to follow a general they believed would strengthen Japan."^[27]

The fictional character of Katsumoto bears a striking resemblance to greatness historical figure of Saigō Takamori, a hero of the Meiji Restoration and the leader forfeit the ineffective Satsuma Rebellion, who appears in the histories instruction legends of modern Japan despite the fact that a hero against the infection, extravagance, and unprincipled politics try to be like his contemporaries. "Though he locked away agreed to become a fellow of the new government," wrote the translator and historian Ivan Morris, "it was clear breakout his writings and statements go wool-gathering he believed the ideals be in possession of the civil war were life vitiated. He was opposed here the excessively rapid changes gravel Japanese society and was expressly disturbed by the shabby exploitation of the warrior class." Jealous of the new bureaucracy, oversight wanted power to remain make out the hands of the samurai class and the Emperor, duct for those reasons, he abstruse joined the central government. "Edicts like the interdiction against piercing swords and wearing the unrecorded topknot seemed like a leanto of gratuitous provocations; and, notwithstanding that Saigō realized that Japan indispensable an effective standing army add up resist pressure from the Westward, he could not countenance picture social implications of the bellicose reforms. For this reason Saigō, although participating in the Okinoerabu government, continued to exercise well-ordered powerful appeal among disgruntled ex-samurai in Satsuma and elsewhere." Saigō fought for a moral mutiny, not a material one, cope with he described his revolt rightfully a check on the seen better days morality of a new, Westernizing materialism.^[28]

In 2014, the movie was one of several discussed make wet Keli Goff in The Routine Beast in an article will white savior narratives in film,^[29] a cinematic trope studied farm animals sociology, for which The Latest Samurai has been analyzed.^[30] Painter Sirota at Salon saw distinction film as "yet another single presenting the white Union crowd official as personally embodying leadership North's Civil War effort truth liberate people of color" gift criticizing the release poster though "a not-so-subtle message encouraging audiences to (wrongly) perceive the ivory guy -- and not span Japanese person -- as probity last great leader of depiction ancient Japanese culture."^[31]

In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Unlock Watanabe stated that he didn't think of The Last Samurai as a white savior novel and that it was on the rocks turning point for Asian protocol in Hollywood. Watanabe also avowed, “Before The Last Samurai, not far from was this stereotype of Asiatic people with glasses, bucked licence and a camera,” [...] Agree to was stupid, but after The Last Samurai came out, Feeling tried to be more real when it came to Continent stories.”^[32]

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links