Personally I am not fond of War Movies as I don’t like to see the sight of blood and can’t stand killing and bloodshed. The gory sights especially in a big colored screen makes me feel sick. But last Sunday after a number of awfully busy weekends, I finally had gone for an outing to a multiplex that had come up in Calcutta a year or so back. I was dying to see Chameli after all the reviews that I had read in MS, it was the only film that could have made my day. But what one proposes, destiny opposes. We didn’t get tickets for Chameli and had to solace ourselves with a war movie - The Last Samurai. I was dead against on seeing this movie but just to accompany my hubby had to agree on watching it. But at the end it was me who had to be dragged out of the hall as I had got glued to the silver screen and didn’t want to miss even the last titling.
The Crew - The Main Backbone
A film from the Warner Brothers
Director - Edward Zwick
Staring -
Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren
Ken Watanabe - Katsumoto, last of the powerful samurais
Billy Connolly - Zebulon Gant
And many others
The Story – Synopsis
Nathan Algren, a Captain in the American Army who had fought several wars but who is haunted by the unreasonable killings that he had been a party to during an uprising of the Red Indians. He is summoned by the Army to take up a new job, to train a battalion of peasants the skills of artillery and the modern weapons like guns in Japan to curb the rebellion of the mighty Samurai against the Emperor. In Japan he leads an inadequately trained group to fight the Samurai, gets badly injured in a sword combat and is made a prisoner of war by the Samurais. To his surprise the Samurai superior Katsumoto doesn’t order him to be killed instead they carry him to their small village and he is kept in Katsumoto’s sister’s house and his family takes care of the Captain to make him recover his injuries. Slowly the Captain starts to like the small village and admire the people for their hardship, discipline, perfection and dedication to life as a whole. He is awed by their lifestyle and their attitude towards life and God. He experiences a spiritual enlightenment and slowly tries to mould himself to their lifestyle. With a number of twists and turns that follows the story finally sees to the end of the Last Samurai.
Performance - The Star Act
This is an epic drama that has been beautifully translated to the celluloid. I don’t give much heed to the accuracies of historic evidences regarding the tale but the performance of each character starting from Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe to the little kids have been top class. The actors have brought out the expressions of fear, anger, love, hate, agony or gratitude to the best capabilities. The casting of the actors has been convincing and have gelled well with the more than life characters of the epic saga. The director must be patted on his back for his good work. The music has lived up to the expectations of the film and has added to the momentum of the saga.
The scenes and dialogues to look out for - Watch Out
- When his Colonel offers him the new job, the Captain remarks that he is ready to kill anybody for a handsome amount but any given day he would kill the Colonel for free. The dialogue and the Captain’s expressions reflect a sheer hatred for the Colonel as he can never forgive himself for being a part to a unjust massacre that the Colonel had led his troupe to in a Civil War.
2.Captain’s expressions of astonishment, when for the first time he learns that the lady (Taka) who looks after his injuries is the wife of the person whom he had killed.
When Taka, the sister of the mighty Katsumoto tells her brother that she can no longer stand the sight of her husband’s murderer and the reply that she gets from Katsumoto that both had done their duties and now its her duty to take care of the guest.
The conversation between the Captain, Katsumoto’s son, Taka and her kids in the dining table. This is the time when the Captain has started to like the people of the village and appreciate their lifestyle. His eagerness to learn the customs and traditions of these people starting from eating rice with chopsticks, little words of Japanese language to sword fighting is worth watching.
When for the second time the Captain return to the village to fight for the Samurais and he finds Taka’s little son upset. Taka tells the Captain that her son is missing his father. The Captain enquires whether the kid is angry with him, as he is the cause for the kid’s miseries. But the Captain is stunned to hear that instead the kid is upset because he feels even the Captain will die in war ad he doesn’t wish so. The Captain approaches the kid and assures him that he’ll be all right. At this point the expressions of the little kid is amazing.
The conversations between the Captain and Katsumoto. Especially when the Samurai Lord returns the captain his diary that he had taken while the Captain was made a prisoner. Also the last conversation between the Captain and Katsumoto that actually ended all their conversations.
Why I liked the Movie
In spite of being a war film, full of gory scenes I still liked the film and enjoyed it because this film was not only of murder and death. This film didn’t only glorified the killings but alongside also portrayed the hardships and difficulties that the warriors and their family have to face. Here the savages were not shown to be monsters or devils but were shown as dedicated and devoted people, who devoted their entire lives for the cause of security for the nation, the emperor and the people. This film highlighted the discipline and the methodical approach these people had towards their life. It showed that duty comes before self and forgiveness is a blessing that God has given us to spread and enlighten our lives with.
I won’t say that this is a must see film for all, but all those who love epics and traditions and customs should see this movie. I was shocked to hear people commenting Tom Bhaiya ka kya bakwaas movie hai. I wouldn’t like people on MS to say so, so if you are expecting MI stuff from Tom Cruise then please don’t watch this film
Comments are more than welcomed and requested.
Paromita Dey