The Last Samurai -- Movie Review

Whenever this movie was screened on TV, I would invariably change the channel. Finally, on Sunday, after a massive cleaning session that gave us a pile of to-be-disposed clothes, the Taurean and I decided that we would watch this movie rather than one of the IPL matches. The senior Arien was not really happy about this decision but he decided not to voice his opinion and watched the movie with us.  

As always, I was watching the movie from the scene where Tom Cruise is taken prisoner by the Samurai. The year is ~1870 and Tom Cruise is kept prisoner at a home where he is taken care of by a lady having two young sons.

Image Courtesy: http://www.the-reel-mccoy.com/movies/2003/TheLastSamurai.html

When Tom Cruise has enough energy to move about he is taken to the chief, Katsumoto. Katsumoto seems eager to have a conversation in English with Algren (aka Tom Cruise) but does not part with more than basic information. Algren learns that he killed Hirotaro, who was the brother of Katsumoto and is being tended by Hirotaro's wife, Taka.

Image Courtesy: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-last-samurai/images/24584023/title/last-samurai-screencap

He spends the winter at the Samurai village, and observes everything in the village and soon sees everyone in a new light. His conversations with Katsumoto, his bonding with Taka's boys, his attraction towards Taka, his ability to learn sword fighting, all give him a new meaning for life. When he leaves for Tokyo in Spring, he is not too pleased.

The movie kept us all engrossed as we watched Tom Cruise become a Samurai. The scene when his colonel calls the Samurai savages, you are surprised that you are angry. When the top knot of a Samurai soldier is cut off by the Emperor's soldiers, you are shocked that they could do that to one of their own kind.

Image Courtesy: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-last-samurai/images/10720257/title/algren-nobutada-photo

You watch in shock as the young, inexperienced Emperor takes decisions that are detrimental to his own people.

The movie was good. It included all the elements that make a movie great: courage, emotional bonding, great story-line, taut editing, and it connected with all three of us. I cannot believe I changed the channel every time this movie was screened. Tom Cruise does a great job of disappearing into the role. The movie was actually released in 2003 but I was seeing it finally in 2013. Sometimes a movie that is great in 2003 can be boring in 2013 but that was not the case here. I enjoyed this movie a lot.