The Last Samurai....Lean & Mean III W/O

I don't know about you, but I've always found it a pleasure when after watching a film you weren't very interested in, you sit back and realize that it was a great movie. Such is the case with 2003's The Last Samurai. This picture really caught me off guard. Combining action, depth, wonderful acting, and plenty of powerful emotion, I found that this film succeeds on just about every level.

The year is 1876 and civil war hero Captain Nathan Algren is drowning is a sea of self-despair. Eeking out a meager existence promoting Winchester rifles, Algren lives life day to day without any direction or purpose. But that changes when a Japanese delegation arrives looking to hire an officer to modernize their antiquated army. They need help to track down and destroy a band of rebel samurai, lead by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), who are threatening the Japanese cross-country railroad. So after being made an offer he can't refuse, Algren takes the job and ships off to Japan.

He wastes no time in training the Japanese soldiers but is unprepared when they are forced into an encounter with Katsumoto and his samurai. The Japanese forces are soundly defeated and Algren is captured. He is then kept captive in Katsumoto's village where he begins to learn about the samurai culture. The more he learns, the more he begins to accept and understand that the samurai are an honorable people. Treated as an outsider at first, Algren gains acceptance when he saves Katsumoto and helps defend the village from a ninja attack. A strong friendship develops between Algren and Katsumoto but he is soon forced to make a decision....return to his former life or side with the samurai and face certain death.

Without a doubt much of what makes this film great is the performance by Ken Watanabe. Although Cruise is the top billed actor here, Watanabe outshines him by far. He manages to bring a sense of strength and honor to his character that virtually steals every scene. Not to say that Cruise does a bad job. In fact he is very good in his role. It's that Watanabe's performance is just too dominating and persuasive.

Everything else about this film is pretty much top notch. The cinematography, editing, screenplay, and fight choreography are all fantastic. The battles are all beautifully shot and I think it is nice that the sword fights aren't embellished in the usual Hollywood style...they are quick and brutal without all of the fluff and flair that is so common these days.

While the ending "battle-against-overwhelming-odds" is a bit predictable, it is nonetheless an emotional experience as you watch the hundreds of samurai ride to their deaths.

So all in all, The Last Samurai is a wonderful film full of heart, soul, and intelligence. If you somehow missed this one in theaters, do yourself a favor and rent it. You'll be glad you did.

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This is an entry into Sleeper54's Lean & Mean III Write-Off. Come on movies, we are falling behind books.