The Last Samurai

[AlwaysAnarchy]

I wanted to know what people here thought of the film, The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise and company? Like, I though it was important how it brough up that many Indian and Native people don't like our own version of "progress" and "modernity" and how it's important for us to realize that and respect it as well.

Thoughts? Discuss. :)

[Pirate Utopian]

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c....e_shitty_movies (http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=five_shitty_movies)

number 5, im not always agreeing with maddox but he's right about these movies

[loveme4whoiam]

I enjoyed it - true, the point Maddox brings up is valid, but they handle it far better than he says. The difference between Cruise's character and the guy he killed is that the guy took pleasure in killing, whereas Cruise didn't, and regretted it. The love story could have been developed more to show the wife showing at least a smidgeon of disgust at herself for fancying the man who killed her husband; or even why she doesn't seem to care that much that he died.

Overall, fairly good plot (if predicable), a half-decent performance from Cruise, pretty fecking good battle scenes (the massacre in the rain is class, I can't watch Cruise getting his head stove in enough :P); plus, it has Billy Connolly in it, for however brief a time. And, as we all know, his involvement in anything automatically makes the endeavour rule.

[Comrade_Scott]

didnt particularly like the movie- but i find it hillarious how the US are there own worst enemy japan for example they ripped it open for forced trade and because of that killed a culture and then japan ripped pearl harbour.... (and vietnam) :lol: its hillarious

[Janus]

The history was off, but that's something to be expected in Hollywood movies. I disliked the movie in how it celebrated the samurai spirit; which was never destroyed in that it fused with Japanese militarism and imperialism in the decades to come.

[MrDoom]

An ok movie.

But ninjas > samurai. :ph34r:

[Patchd]

I liked the movie but I would have to agree with Janus in that I didn't like the portrayal of the feudalist samurai culture, and especially how it was not destroyed but was encorporated with 19-20th century Japanese imperialism. The ninjas were cool though... :ph34r: :trotski: :ph34r: :marx: :ph34r:

EDIT: Hey, the Trotsky emoticon actually looks quite cool, it reminds me of Flander's hippy dad from the Simpsons.

[Delta]

Didn't really like the movie. I just remember seeing them charge those machine guns at the end and get slaughtered for nothing. Way to support your family guys....

[Vargha Poralli]

that movie is a biggest piece of bullshit ever to come from Hollywood. true it is based on the historical incidents, but the director of the movie twisted many facts. The imperial nations which helped modernize Japan were British ,French and Dutch not US.


I though it was important how it brough up that many Indian and Native people don't like our own version of "progress" and "modernity" and how it's important for us to realize that and respect it as well

In reality the samurai abandoned their traditional weapons to firearms even b4 Tokugawa period.Hideyoshi's Invasion of Korea is an example to it.They had the Gunpowder usage even b4 the Europeans(Chinese invented the gunpowder) and they imported firearms from the Portuguese sailors.The real reason for that supposed struggle is just which clan has the right to puppeteer the emperor and continue oppressing the poor Japanese people.Not some Bullshits like upholding the tradition or hating the modernity like that shit.If the samurai's spirit is really dead during that time their atrocities against Chinese,Koreans and Philippines which are no way less than Nazi atrocities will not have occurred.

That movie clearly distorts History. PA you are still continuing to be an @$$#013 .you must really stop taking shits from Hollywood seriously and start learning the real history of all existing societies i.e the history of class struggle. If you continue these stupid posts without learning anything then i think that unrestricting you is not helping anyone IMHO.

[LuXe]

I hate the americans for destroting such. AN AMERICAN IS THE LAST SAMURAI LOL... Not only a great hero, but shags the lady of some other samurai.

[Comrade J]

Originally posted by Big [email protected]ember 19, 2006 09:00 pm
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c....e_shitty_movies (http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=five_shitty_movies)

number 5, im not always agreeing with maddox but he's right about these movies
I like his 'Tom Clancy Plot Generator' on that page - so very true :D

[LuXe]

Communists devise a scheme to take over a generic industrial compound for ransom under the watchful eye of corrupt Gypsie nationals. The plot twists when the Communists threaten to unravel the keystone of civilization with wild orgies, unless an ex-con with a big heart can learn to trust humanity again and stop the Communists once and for all. The movie ends with a mildly comical and/or ironic scene in which the Communists blow up or go to prison. Another satisfying tale of political intrigue and personal redemption closes, and we all walk away from this movie a little wiser.

xD

[loveme4whoiam]

that movie is a biggest piece of bullshit ever to come from Hollywood.
What about Pearl Harbour?

LMAO LuXe, nice selection :D

[gilhyle]

I'm not so sure about this. The version of samurai culture that reemerged in the late 19 century in Japan has often been criticised as artificial and quite different from the class based culture of the actual samurai retainers - and that criticism seems true to me. In other words it seems true to me that there was (very quickly) in Japan a neo-feudalist revival of reactionary character which came to dominate Japanese politics in the 1920s and 1930s and which was subsequently glorified by Mishima and turned into a sick pastiche by the Yakuza. This was different from the original, stultifying samurai culture which was overthrown in the 1860s (or when ever it was) in what was a progressive move towards power of a clique willing to represent bourgeois interests - a move not unlike the Whig Rebellion in England in 1688.

On that interpretation, this film glorifies a dying feudal culture in which samurai values made sense - now that is not necessarily a bad thing because it can be a double edged sword (sorry !!). On the one hand it can be seen as reactionary in a wistful sense in that it glorifies an irretrievable past (but this is a kind of a-political reactionary position because it is self-confessedly impractical) and, secondly, it can be seen as a slightly twisted way to criticise the reactionary neo-feudalism that then came to dominate Japanese politics as a tragic and false imitation of Japenese feudal values

[Janus]

true it is based on the historical incidents, but the director of the movie twisted many facts
Certainly, they've mixed several different incidents together in the movie.


In reality the samurai abandoned their traditional weapons to firearms even b4 Tokugawa period
Well, they didn't abandon them per se but rather added them to their arsenal. However, contact with foreigners was severely restricted by Sakoku during the Tokugawa shogunate.

[bcbm]

Is this another one of those movies where the White Male has to come in and teach the non-whites how to do everything? <_<

[Mujer Libre]

Originally posted by black banner black [email protected] 27, 2006 10:55 pm
Is this another one of those movies where the White Male has to come in and teach the non-whites how to do everything? <_<
You know, thats exactly what I thought. I haven&#39;t even seen it but I was like "Hmm, a film set in an Asian country, involving themes distinct to that country. But wait&#33; It&#39;s ok&#33; The lead character is a good old White Man&#33; Phew."

[Phalanx]

The Last Samurai was a shitty disgrace for a movie. If you&#39;re into samurai movies, check out Yojimbo or the Seven Samurai. But please, don&#39;t waste your money on a movie so bad as the Last Samurai.

[AlwaysAnarchy]

Originally posted by black banner black [email protected] 27, 2006 10:55 pm
Is this another one of those movies where the White Male has to come in and teach the non-whites how to do everything? <_<
WTF? Did you even see the movie? One of the reasons I liked it was because Tom Cruise (the white guy) actually gets beat up by the Samurai and LEARNS from them, trains with them to learn the "Samurai" way&#33;

He does give them advice on how to fight a modern army because he was in that modern army himself as an officer before being captured so yea that makes sense. But he also LEARNS a great deal from the Samurai culture, so much that he prefers that over his own life in America.


You know, thats exactly what I thought. I haven&#39;t even seen it but I was like "Hmm, a film set in an Asian country, involving themes distinct to that country. But wait&#33; It&#39;s ok&#33; The lead character is a good old White Man&#33; Phew."

Well I suggest you two both watch the movie before making assumptions...