Has fate finally set its sights on Tom Cruise? The Oscar has managed to avoid Mr. Cruise on three separate cases, and while he has been part of several award winning efforts such as Born on the Fourth of July and Rain Man he has never been able to bring home a Golden Knight of his own.
Now teamed with Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall) he may finally have a chance at his first Oscar as The Last Samurai is a sprawling epic across the lands of Japan that manages to live up to any pre-release hype imaginable.
Set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai follows the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Cruise), an American war hero who risked his life for his country but now finds himself haunted by his gruesome memories of the Indian Campaigns, which ended in disillusionment and sorrow.
He now finds himself in a downward spiral just as he has been recruited to assist the Emperor of Japan to bring the Japanese army into the modern age by training his troops in an effort to end their feud with the Samurai, whom are dedicated to preserving their lifestyle and not be influenced by the Western way of life.
Algren is thrust into a battle for the soul of Japan and along the way he finds his own in the most unlikely of places.
There hasn’t been an epic comparable to The Last Samurai since Gladiator and Braveheart as a cast of knowns and unknowns along with the directing power of Edward Zwick introduce the beauty and splendor of the Samurai heritage and the honor and loyalty that come with it.
Most often when a trailer for a film uses words such as “honor” and “loyalty” it usually turns out to be just empty words trying to extract emotion that is not really there, but through brilliant acting, breath-taking scenery and the power of silence Zwick turns those words into visual poetry.
Captured by the Samurai, Katsumoto (Watanabe), Algren is forced to live among the Samurai, while being cared for by Katsumoto’s sister, Taka (Koyuki), a widow of the war whose ties to Algren are more than they appear from the onset.
The scenes Taka and Algren share are often silent and Koyuki’s ability to display her emotions without words are so powerful and heartfelt it is hard not to be moved by the pain she is feeling and the composure she manages to keep while Algren is in her care.
Silence soon makes way for lessons in life and the way of the Samurai, which Katsumoto is fighting desperately to keep alive. Ken Watanabe’s performance as the leader of the ancient warriors is as unique as ever before. The words honor and loyalty are evident; not only in his dialogue, but in the way he lives his life.
Watanabe and Cruise compliment each other so well that it no longer seems as if they are acting, but living the story. As they fight, either side by side or against one another, there seems to be a mutual respect that only grows as the film goes on.
The acting in The Last Samurai is excellent indeed as it serves as the words of this epic painted with a canvas filled with magnificent scenery dressed in a wardrobe to rival a king’s. Filming went on in Japan and New Zealand, sprawling through hill sides and tiny villages, managing to create emotion not often found on screen.
Scenery was created using actual Japanese villages surrounded by bamboo forests and costume designer Ngila Dickson (Lord of the Rings trilogy) made her part in the production felt through glorious wardrobes as she clothed the cast in shades of color complimenting the extravagant scenery.
Everything about Samurai worked and I was upset it had to end as I wanted to watch as more of the story was likely to unravel. In my mind award recognition is an afterthought as this film is worthy of nominations in Best Picture, Actor, Director, and Supporting Actor, not to mention nominations for costume and set design.
The Last Samurai is a riveting and heartfelt story of honor, love, loyalty and respect deserving of multiple viewings and the respect of everyone that has the pleasure of living it.
For my Samurai click here for clips and click here for some interviews.
