The Last Samurai

[xrancid_milkx]

I can honestly say that this was one of, if not the best movies I have ever seen.

It had a meaningful plot, and performed it beautifully.

Deffinitley joining my DVD collection in the future.

[dansim]

okay i walked in about 7 minutes late so did they show tom cruise with custer? or is it all flashbacks, also im still not really why japan was fighting themselves, i mean why start a war with the samurai?

[gibby]

Originally posted by dansim
okay i walked in about 7 minutes late so did they show tom cruise with custer? or is it all flashbacks, also im still not really why japan was fighting themselves, i mean why start a war with the samurai?

I believe the war was all about old vs. new Japan...The samurai represented the old ways of Japan and the current Emperor and his advisors wanted to modernize Japan. Some of the samurai didn't agree to the new ways and fought back to preserve the honor system and the old culture which their country was built upon. Someone correct me if I'm wrong...I'm sure there's more to it.

[Sir_Brass]

Originally posted by dansim
okay i walked in about 7 minutes late so did they show tom cruise with custer? or is it all flashbacks, also im still not really why japan was fighting themselves, i mean why start a war with the samurai?

This isn't just something someone dreamed up, it was an actual revolution. The samurai ways were being supressed and basically was sending the message to the samurai "We don't want you or need you anymore" and the samurai disagreed. Their way of life was being threatened and so they fought against it.

[Pballwizz]

How gory is it? From waht I cant gather from this thread, it seems kinda like the anime Ruroni Kenshin (for those who have seen it), because I believe they take place in the same era.

[xrancid_milkx]

Gore is not a problem. The only parts where blood is anywhere near excessive (which in my opinion is used approriatly, and not excessive at all) is the showing of bullet impacts in a few parts of the movie.

[gibby]

Originally posted by Pballwizz
How gory is it? From waht I cant gather from this thread, it seems kinda like the anime Ruroni Kenshin (for those who have seen it), because I believe they take place in the same era.

Gore is appropriate. Yes..I loved the RK(Trust and Betrayal) movies. The anime affects are very subtle...but if you're familiar with those types of blood affects, you can see it. For instance...one where a guy gets slashed and you see blood spray and fan out in streams. It's not overdone at all and one can miss the affect.

[xrancid_milkx]

The gore is a lot like Gladiator.

Its there, but quick and appropriate

[Sir_Brass]

Originally posted by xrancid_milkx
Gore is not a problem. The only parts where blood is anywhere near excessive (which in my opinion is used approriatly, and not excessive at all) is the showing of bullet impacts in a few parts of the movie.

don't forget some of the spraying. it's quite realistic, as the spraying is what happens when you cut along a major artery. Spraying blood from a wound IS a real thing if cut in the right place, and a real hard thing to stop.

I was quite impressed with the realism in the gore. It was quite appropriate and realistic.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

It was a very good film, but I thought the ending was terrible. It seemed very much like it was tacked-on to make some Hollywood big-shot happy.

IMO, that movie would be much better, and I would have more admiration for TC's character, if the film had ended five minutes earlier, with him following Katsumura's example.

[WicKeD_WaYz]

TC cant die. You should know this by now.


tight *** movie though. Those are some skillzz with a blade. I was impressed

[MrMag]

too bad the movie is so historically incorrect it's not funny.

1. Samurai don't take prisoners

2. If they take you as a prisoner, they sure as hell aren't going to teach you their ways

3. Samurai spent their entire lives becoming what they are, yet tom cruise did it in a fraction of the time.

4. If after taking you prisoner, and then teaching you how to become a samurai in the fraction of the time it took them, the head samurai(can't remember the name right now) sure as hell is not gonna let you get it on with his sister.

[dansim]

Originally posted by MrMag
too bad the movie is so historically incorrect it's not funny.

1. Samurai don't take prisoners

2. If they take you as a prisoner, they sure as hell aren't going to teach you their ways

3. Samurai spent their entire lives becoming what they are, yet tom cruise did it in a fraction of the time.

4. If after taking you prisoner, and then teaching you how to become a samurai in the fraction of the time it took them, the head samurai(can't remember the name right now) sure as hell is not gonna let you get it on with his sister.

Hi, i dont care thanks.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

Originally posted by MrMag
too bad the movie is so historically incorrect it's not funny.

1. Samurai don't take prisoners

2. If they take you as a prisoner, they sure as hell aren't going to teach you their ways

3. Samurai spent their entire lives becoming what they are, yet tom cruise did it in a fraction of the time.

4. If after taking you prisoner, and then teaching you how to become a samurai in the fraction of the time it took them, the head samurai(can't remember the name right now) sure as hell is not gonna let you get it on with his sister.

Are you a samurai or bushido expert? Have you read the Hagakure? Or even Sun Tzu's "Art of War"?

(1) Bushido teaches that it is dishonorable to surrender, and thus as a rule samurai would not allow themselves to be captured. That's not necessarily the same thing as not taking prisoners when it appears advantageous. I thought that the movie gave a reasonable explanation. Samurai did study Sun Tzu, who teaches that it is important to know your enemy.

(2) TC's character was already an experienced warrior, and during the several months of his time with Katsumura he was only shown studying the sword, not the bow, the spear or any other samurai weapons. I have some friends who seriously study European medieaval martial arts, and from them I understand that it would normally take 6-8 months of full time study for a student starting from scratch to become proficient in one weapon. And TC's character wasn't really starting from scratch.

(3 While Katsumura was alive, there was no romantic relationship between TC and his sister. It was only hinted at after he was dead. As I stated above, IMO TC's character should not have lived through the movie.

The American experience with Japanese PoWs in WW2 was that they never expected to be able to go home after they had surrendered. Many would go to great lengths to ingratiate themselves with their captors, telling military secrets and otherwise cooperating in an attempt to be welcomed into the new society.

In any case, this was just a movie, and the assumption should be "a willing suspension of disbelief".

[MrMag]

meh