The Last Samurai

This article is about the film. For the unrelated novel, see The Last Samurai (novel). For the 2011 Japanese film, see Oba: The Last Samurai.
The Last Samurai

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Edward Zwick
Produced by
Screenplay by
Story by John Logan
Starring
Music by Hans Zimmer
Cinematography John Toll
Edited by
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • November 20, 2003 (2003-11-20) (Tokyo)
  • December 5, 2003 (2003-12-05) (United States)
Running time
 154 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language
  • English
  • Japanese
Budget $140 million[2]
Box office $456.8 million[2]

The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic war film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan. The film stars Tom Cruise, who also co-produced, as well as Ken Watanabe, Shin Koyamada, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Timothy Spall, and Billy Connolly.

Tom Cruise portrays a formerly retired officer of the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment, whose personal and emotional conflicts bring him into contact with samurai warriors in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in 19th Century Japan. The film's plot was inspired by the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigō Takamori, and the westernization of Japan by foreign powers, though in the film the United States is portrayed as the primary force behind the push for westernization. To a lesser extent it is also influenced by the stories of Jules Brunet, a French army captain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War and Frederick Townsend Ward, an American mercenary who helped Westernize the Chinese army by forming the Ever Victorious Army.

The Last Samurai was well received upon its release, with a worldwide box office total of $456 million.[2] It was nominated for several awards, including four Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two National Board of Review Awards.

Plot

An officer in the US Army named Cpt Algren is traumatized by the atrocities he committed during battles against American aborigines, and has turned into an alcoholic. In need of money, he accepts an offer from his former commanding officer Col Bagley to train the newly formed Imperial Japanese Army, which is attempting to suppress the Satsuma Rebellion. The deal is brokered by a Japanese businessman named Omura, and would grant the US exclusive rights to supply arms to Japan. Despite all this, Cpt Algren continues to hate Col Bagley for his role in the former atrocities.

The first battle against the Samurai ends in defeat. The Imperial soldiers, who are poorly trained peasants without knowledge of fire-arms, are easily slaughtered. Cpt Algren kills several Samurai before he is captured, which impresses the enemy leader Katsumoto, who orders that Cpt Algren not be executed. As a result, Cpt Algren is taken to the Samurai village where he is cared for but kept under supervision. With the passing of time, Cpt Algren learns the Japanese language and culture, and develops sympathy for the Samurai, who are angry with the disintegration of traditional feudalism and the spread of modern technology. Cpt Algren also becomes close with Taka, the widow of one of the Samurai he killed. When Omura sends Ninjas to attack the village, Cpt Algren helps defend Katsumoto's family, which earns the Samurai's respect.

Katsumoto is given safe passage to Tokyo to meet with his former student, Emperor Meiji. He brings Cpt Algren along, intending to release him. Cpt Algren notices that the Imperial Army has gotten much better trained and equipped in his absence. Katsumoto, to his dismay, discovers that the Emperor is close with Omura and wishes to distance himself from Katsumoto. As the meeting ends, Katsumoto is arrested by Omura for carrying a sword in public, and asked to commit Seppuku to redeem his honor. After Omura sends men to murder Cpt Algren, Cpt Algren and the Samurai fight back and free Katsumoto, but Katsumoto's son dies in the process to buy time for their escape.

Katsumoto mourns the loss of his son and intends to commit Seppuku anyway, but Cpt Algren convinces him to fight until the end. As the Imperial Army assaults the village, the Samurai use traps and guerilla tactics to wear them down, and both sides proceed to suffer heavy casualties in close quarter melee. After the soldiers temporarily retreat, Katsumoto, knowing that the Samurai cannot win, orders a suicidal last charge on horse-back, during which Cpt Algren kills Col Bagley. As the last Samurai are shot to death by Gatling guns, Katsumoto commits Seppuku with Cpt Algren assisting him. The Imperial Army stops fighting and kneels in respect for the dead and dying warriors.

Days later, as trade negotiations conclude, Cpt Algren, though injured, arrives and interrupts the proceedings. He presents the Emperor with Katsumoto's sword and asks him to remember the traditions for which Katsumoto died. The Emperor realizes that while Japan must increase in foreign interaction, it also should remember its own culture and history. He decides to reject the trade offer and confiscates Omura's property to be given to the poor. Cpt Algren returns to the village to live with Katsumoto's sister.

Cast

Production

Engyō-ji in Himeji

Filming took place in New Zealand, mostly in the Taranaki region, with Japanese cast members and an American production crew. This location was chosen due to the fact that Egmont/Mount Taranaki resembles Mount Fuji, and also because there is a lot of forest and farmland in the Taranaki region. American Location Manager, Charlie Harrington, saw the mountain in a travel book and encouraged the producers to send him to Taranaki to scout the locations. This acted as a backdrop for many scenes, as opposed to the built up cities of Japan. Several of the village scenes were shot on the Warner Bros. Studios backlot in Burbank, California. Some scenes were shot in Kyoto and Himeji, Japan. There were 13 filming locations altogether.[3] Tom Cruise did his own stunts for the film.

The film is based on an original screenplay entitled "The Last Samurai", from a story by John Logan. The project itself was inspired by writer and director Vincent Ward. Ward became executive producer on the film – working in development on it for nearly four years and after approaching several directors (Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Weir), until he became interested with Edward Zwick. The film production went ahead with Zwick and was shot in Ward’s native New Zealand.

The film was based on the stories of Jules Brunet, a French army captain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War and Frederick Townsend Ward, an American mercenary who helped Westernize the Chinese army by forming the Ever Victorious Army. The historical roles of the British Empire, the Netherlands and France in Japanese westernization are largely attributed to the United States in the film, for American audiences.

Music

The Last Samurai: Original Motion Picture Score
Film score by Hans Zimmer
Released November 25, 2003
Genre Soundtrack
Length 59:41
Label Warner Sunset
Producer Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer chronology
Matchstick Men
(2003)		 The Last Samurai
(2003)		 King Arthur
(2003)

The Last Samurai: Original Motion Picture Score was released on November 25, 2003 by Warner Sunset Records.[4] All music on the soundtrack was composed, arranged, and produced by Hans Zimmer, performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, and conducted by Blake Neely.[5] It peaked at number 24 on the US Top Soundtracks chart.[5]

Track listing

All music composed by Hans Zimmer.

No. Title Length
1. "A Way of Life"   8:03
2. "Spectres in the Fog"   4:07
3. "Taken"   3:35
4. "A Hard Teacher"   5:44
5. "To Know My Enemy"   4:48
6. "Idyll's End"   6:40
7. "Safe Passage"   4:56
8. "Ronin"   1:53
9. "Red Warrior"   3:56
10. "The Way of the Sword"   7:59
11. "A Small Measure of Peace"   7:59
12. "The Final Charge [Apple exclusive bonus track]"   4:39
Total length:
 59:46

Reception

Critical response

The film achieved higher box office receipts in Japan than in the United States.[6] Critical reception in Japan was generally positive.[7] Tomomi Katsuta of The Mainichi Shinbun thought that the film was "a vast improvement over previous American attempts to portray Japan", noting that director Edward Zwick "had researched Japanese history, cast well-known Japanese actors and consulted dialogue coaches to make sure he didn't confuse the casual and formal categories of Japanese speech." However, Katsuta still found fault with the film's idealistic, "storybook" portrayal of the samurai, stating: "Our image of samurai is that they were more corrupt." As such, he said, the noble samurai leader Katsumoto "set (his) teeth on edge."[8]

The Japanese premiere was held at Roppongi Hills multiplex in Tokyo on November 1, 2003. The entire cast was present; they signed autographs, provided interviews and appeared on stage to speak to fans. Many of the cast members expressed the desire for audiences to learn and respect the important values of the samurai, and to have a greater appreciation of Japanese culture and custom.

In the United States, critic Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying it was "beautifully designed, intelligently written, acted with conviction, it's an uncommonly thoughtful epic."[9] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 65% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 214 reviews, with the site's consensus stating: "With high production values and thrilling battle scenes, The Last Samurai is a satisfying epic", and with an average score of 6.4/10, making the film a "Fresh" on the website's rating system.[10] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 55, based on 43 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".[11]

Box office reception

The film has been considered a commercial success as the current lifetime gross as of 1 January 2016 is a total of $456 758 981.00 against the production budget of $140 000 000.00.[12]

Accolades

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Ken Watanabe), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Sound (Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Jeff Wexler).[13] It was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Watanabe), Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Tom Cruise) and Best Score (Hans Zimmer).

Awards won by the film include Best Director by the National Board of Review, Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects at the Visual Effects Society Awards, Outstanding Foreign Language Film at the Japan Academy Prize, four Golden Satellite Awards and Best Fire Stunt at the Taurus World Stunt Awards.[14]

Criticism and debate

The Seikanron debate of 1873. Saigō Takamori insisted that Japan should go to war with Korea.

Motoko Rich of The New York Times observed that the film has opened up a debate, "particularly among Asian-Americans and Japanese," about whether the film and others like it were "racist, naïve, well-intentioned, accurate – or all of the above."[8]

Todd McCarthy, a film critic for the Variety magazine, wrote: "Clearly enamored of the culture it examines while resolutely remaining an outsider's romanticization of it, yarn is disappointingly content to recycle familiar attitudes about the nobility of ancient cultures, Western despoilment of them, liberal historical guilt, the unrestrainable greed of capitalists and the irreducible primacy of Hollywood movie stars."[15]

According to History professor Cathy Schultz, "Many samurai fought Meiji modernization not for altruistic reasons but because it challenged their status as the privileged warrior caste. Meiji reformers proposed the radical idea that all men essentially being equal ... The film also misses the historical reality that lots and lots of Meiji policy advisors were former samurai, who had voluntarily given up their traditional privileges to follow a course they believed would strengthen Japan."[16]

The fictional character of Katsumoto bears a striking resemblance to the historical figure of Saigō Takamori, a hero of the Meiji Restoration and the leader of the ineffective Satsuma Rebellion, who appears in the histories and legends of modern Japan as a hero against the corruption, extravagance, and unprincipled politics of his contemporaries. "Though he had agreed to become a member of the new government," writes the translator and historian Ivan Morris, "it was clear from his writings and statements that he believed the ideals of the civil war were being vitiated. He was opposed to the excessively rapid changes in Japanese society and was particularly disturbed by the shabby treatment of the warrior class." Suspicious of the new bureaucracy, he wanted power to remain in the hands of the samurai class and the Emperor, and it was for this purpose that he had joined the central government. "Edicts like the interdiction against carrying swords and wearing the traditional topknot seemed like a series of gratuitous provocations; and, though Saigō realized that Japan needed an effective standing army to resist pressure from the West, he could not countenance the social implications of the military reforms. For this reason Saigō, although participating in the Ōkubo government, continued to exercise a powerful appeal among disgruntled ex-samurai in Satsuma and elsewhere." Saigō fought for a moral revolution, not a material one, and he described his revolt as a check on the declining morality of a new, Westernizing materialism.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Last Samurai". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Last Samurai (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325710/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt
  4. ↑ The Last Samurai: Original Motion Picture Score (CD liner notes). Hans Zimmer. Warner Sunset Records. 2003.
  5. 1 2 "The Last Samurai – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Allmusic.com. Rovi Corp. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  6. ↑ "The Last Samurai (2003) – News". CountingDown.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Sampling Japanese comment". Asia Arts. UCLA.edu. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Rich, Motoko (January 4, 2004). "Land Of the Rising Cliché". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger (December 5, 2003). "The Last Samurai". Chicago Sun-Times. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  10. ↑ "The Last Samurai". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixter. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  11. ↑ "The Last Samurai". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  12. ↑ "The Last Samurai (2003) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
  13. ↑ "The 76th Academy Awards (2004) Nominees and Winners". Oscars.org. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Awards for The Last Samurai (2003)". IMDb. Amazon.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  15. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (November 30, 2003). "The Last Samurai". Variety. Reed Elsevier Inc. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  16. ↑ Schultz, Cathy. "The Last Samurai offers a Japanese History Lesson". History in the Movies. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  17. ↑ Ivan Morris (1975), The Nobility of Failure: Tragic Heroes in the History of Japan, chapter 9, Saigō Takamori. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0030108112.

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