This movie is indeed loosely based on real events. Tom Cruise's character, Captain Nathan Algren, is based on French military officer Jules Brunet who was sent to Japan to train their military in the use of modern weapons and tactics, and ended up aiding the Tokugawa samurai in their resistance against Emperor Meiji, and his efforts to Westernize Japan. While the film does take "creative license" with many of the events that occured, I still feel this is one of Tom Cruise's best films, and a fantastic look at Japanese culture, tradition, and history.
One of the biggest licenses they took was the whole guns vs swords thing: Samurai had been using guns for about 300 years by this point. They still carried swords into battle but they got guns from Portugal since the mid 1500's. Also, the Tom Cruise character was part of an earlier conflict, The Boshin war, which took place about a decade before the Satsuma Clan rebellion in the movie. He never strapped on armor and learned to swing a sword and he certainly wasn't at that last stand at Shiroyama, and he didn't retire in Japan, he rejoined the French military about seven years before the events depicted in the film and his career continued another thirty years until his death.
A really big creative license was Japan contracting the Americans to modernize their military. Japan wanted to be trained by the best army in the world and the best navy in the world. For the army it was the French at first then Prussia (Germany) for the navy it was the British.
@@suflanker45 while it's true that military modernization during the Meiji period was modeled mostly after the Prussians, during the same period Japan was happily and greedily absorbing as much as possible from wherever possible. This included sending thousands of students and emissaries abroad to Europe and the United States to learn science, technology, languages, culture, fashion, etc etc. There were many Japanese students who attended military academies in the USA at this time, and many foreign experts from all over the world, including the US, brought in to assist in the modernization and industrialization of the country. While the US army of the 19th century was certainly not the strongest or more professional (the latter award almost certainly, does, go to Prussia), they were arguably the most modern. The American Civil War of the mid-19th century began with tactics very reminiscent of those used during the Napoleonic wars... but a few short years later had evolved into using the sort of trench warfare that came to characterize World War 1 half a century later. The same conflict also saw the first use of the Gatling Gun and a couple other similar firearms - which you see in the final scene here used to wipe out the last samurai. It also had the first duel between two ironclad ships. It's often called the first modern war in history. Anyway... Americans in this period would have been called upon mostly for their expertise in industrialization and manufacturing... but... Japan could have benefitted (and did) from their military know-how, as well. I'm not saying that the film's portrayal of events are wholly historically accurate... but... it's not inaccurate to say that there were consultants brought in from many places including the US. So the story is not entirely far-fetched and IMO this is far from the biggest "inaccuracy." It's only inaccurate if you infer things that the film doesn't say (such as that they did not consult any other countries besides the US). If you're unfamiliar with the huge role that America played in opening up Japan to the West I suggest looking up Matthew C. Perry.
The real ‘last samurai’ was Saigo Takamori. He was a giant of a man, a giant of a character, and had a penchant for fat Geishas (I’m not making that last bit up). He certainly didn’t need - or receive - any help from foreigners. Also, the Meiji armies were based on the German military and were trained by them. The idea that a French or American officer was important to Japan was also laughable (the French military had just been utterly destroyed by Prussia in 1870). That’s why Japanese military officers (with notable exceptions like Tadamachi Kuribayashi who completed his staff training in the USA) later spectacularly failed to understand the material superiority of the west. But this movie is insulting to Japan and the Japanese. A far better movie is Letters from Iwo Jima, fir which Clint Eastwood received the equivalent to an honorary knighthood from the Japanese emperor. Letters from Iwo Jima is extremely factual, even if kuribayashi was shorter than ken Watanabe and the Iwo survivors remained on the island - technically still fighting - in some cases until 1946. The BEST movie about the demise of the samurai system is Twilight Samurai - a million times better than any other movie on this subject and sadly not well known in the west. The star of twilight samurai appears in the last samurai. It’s beautiful and sad. A really fantastic movie. I’ve linked the trailer: ruclips.net/video/op4KVD-9p2Q/видео.html
This movie is one of Cruise's best. He played the soldier with PTSD quite well. But Ken Watanabe is the undisputed star of this film. Such an emotive performance.
@@jenmurrayxo The men black are Ninjas they are former samurais turned assassins . They have been around 100 years during the Edo period and before. Some say they exist today, quietly lurking in the shadows. Japan had Civil Wars 1200-1840, on and off.
The original work of this movie is modeled on Japan's last civil war, the Battle of the South. The name of the model is "Takamori Saigou" My 4th and 5th generation grandfather has died. My fifth grandfather was a close friend and was retired at the time, and I just wanted to see the "Saigou" outing, but suddenly I brought my sword to my house and died. The fifth generation of his son fought until the end, and like the movie, he was "Harakiri" at the age of 25 and pierced the last SAMURAI. The two tombs are now sleeping in the same place as "Takamori Saigou.
The Imperial Army was no longer using muskets in all scenes following Algren’s return to Tokyo with the samurai. Rather, they were using bolt-action rifles, the re-chambering and reload time of which is far quicker.
NINJA were assassins who fought against the Samurai because the SAMURAI worked in Service of the Emperor and they oppressed the peasant farmers and some peasant farmers became assassins against the Samurai and government.
Dont worry not a single horse got injured during the film. Those animals are well trained to perform specific stunts such as falling down on cue, and the rest of the illusion is created by the filmmakers.
Jen: He is traumatized by all the stuff he has seen........ Mo: Nooooooo, he is traumatized by the horrible things he has done to the innocent. This is a redemption story of his soul.
More interesting than the movie itself is the story of this emperor he was fearless and very benevolent to his country. The end was almost a sneak peek to who he becomes
IN THE FIRST FIGHT HE DID NOT KILL THE SAMURAI because he was with the other army. The Old Samurai Killed Himself to Save Honor for fighting against The One Leader Samurai Cut the Old Samurais head off IN HIS HONOR so he did not have to suffer ( A MERCY KILL ). YES, the Japanese history is Rich.
The Last Samurai was actually January 1, 1946..... The Imperial Rescript was released on January 1, 1946. In it, Emperor Hirohito declares that he is not a living god and that the concept of the Emperor's divinity is not true....It took two atomic bombs and over 400,000 US troops.....The day of long sharp swords, kamikaze attacks, Banzai Bayonet Charges....Is over.
Best movie EVER about the samurai is a movie called Seibei Samurai - or, in English “Twilight Samurai’. Beautiful. Factual. And it will break your heart. Very hard to get hold of though (I had to order the DVD from Japan). But Twilight Samurai has no competition when it comes to portraying the collapse of the samurai system.
Another very good samuraj movie is (47 Ronin) Just like this movie it is based on a real event and if i am not mistaken there are a pilgrimage place in Japan to honor, lets say events without spoiling anything if u havent seen it. A very good movie imo.
"They are both thinking he's going to die." You have no idea exactly how true your statement was. Japanese tradition says the robe that was being put of was his burial clothes. The Samurai considered themselves dead before going into battle. Historically the Rebellion happened. But America at the time was not considered a military or individual power. The Japanese were trained by German, Austrian, French, and British. In the ways of western culture including war and railroad
You can be sure the horses were fine and well-treated; trained to do the things you saw. There are very strict rules on studio film sets to protect them, and people present whose job it is ensure no animals are harmed.
It is entirely possible several horses were in fact injured during filming. Despite what people believe, there are no governmental or state laws protecting animal actors on movie sets. There are laws at the state level regarding animal cruelty, so intentionally harming animals CAN be against the law depending on where it is filmed, but animals getting injured in the course of filming still happens. Often the disclaimer you see regarding animals being harmed will read "No animals DEPICTED IN THIS FILM were harmed" but that just means they didn't use the footage of animals that got injured.
They also used a lot of animatronics for the horses. There's a making of videon ,where the actors are all giddy with how realistic the animatronics is.
I always loved the way they showed Katsumoto’s vision of the white tiger and the staff that Cruise’s character holds. Such powerful imagery and one understands why Katsumoto would keep him alive just because of that connection.
Funny thing is, he practically denied Emperor's wish, but his offer was better, so it was all good. Still not many people in the history denied direct request from Japanese emperor.
Jen: "It's so time consuming...these guns...these old muskets." Me: A well trained soldier would have been able to load and fire a musket three times in one minute. However, you have already astutely observed, these guys are not ready for combat.
@@jenmurrayxo Well that was the Brits and they really focused on speed because Muskets arent really meant for accuracy.... But later guns are actually Bolt action rifles so my inner Gun Nutt really cringes each time you call them muskets
@@tomicbranislav3 In fairness, these specific guns were, in fact, rifled muskets. The ones used for filming were 1861 Springfield muzzle-loading rifles, and the historical Japanese Army of the day used breech-loading Snider-Enfields. Bolt action designs were in use in Europe in the 1870s, such as the early Mausers, but would not be introduced in Japan until some years after this battle.
It's not easy to find but the 1980 mini-series "Shogun" with Richard Chamberlain and screen legend Toshiro Mifune is excellent. It's several hours long so they really delve into Japanese culture of this era in much greater detail. Well worth a watch for anyone interested. I even named a cat Yoshi Toranaga after the show. Cheers.
It is indeed very good. The part that stuck with me all these years from seeing it on TV is the poor fellow who disobeyed the orders of Richard Chamberlin's character and cut down the hanging (and stinking) carcass. He knew what was to come but did it anyway for the good of the household - it was still a shock though to see that the culture thought so little of a life when that person came from the 'lower orders'.
The miniseries is good. The book on which it is based is fantastic. The richness and depth of the setting and characters is quite astonishing. You learn so much about not just Japan but the state of the world at that time in history. Its EPIC. James Clavells other books Tai-Pan and Nobel House are almost as good.
18:29 "She is honored to have my guest in her house" is a literal truth: the Daimyo is doing her honor, to express to everyone, that she is the best place he can board a guest. Like her husband, she is Samurai. Her greatest honor is to be of best service. Her personal feeling about this were never mentioned, and in the usual course of things, never need to be. They are irrelevant to her role in harmonious society.
@@thomaslemons5224 It largely depends on the historical period, but "samurai" does mostly refer to both the whole social class and the occupation of a warrior, only the latter of which is gender-specific. Taka is a samurai in the sense that she belongs to military nobility, and she was brought up in its values, so even though she is a woman, I don't think it's entirely inaccurate to call her a samurai.
You don't think Bob could be a lady's man!?!?!? What!?!?!? Why you gotta hate on Bob like that? Joking aside, I gotta say that Bob and many of the other background characters are some of my favorites, because due to the nature of the film, their actors had to convey so much without using language. Sure they spoke but because their lines often weren't translated to the audience, they had to convey the meaning in body language. You know Bob is stoic and dutiful even though he only says maybe 3-5 words in the whole film. Also speaking of Bob, RIP Seizô Fukumoto (Bob) who died a year ago today.
My girlfriend in China thought it was ridiculous that "oriental" is considered racist in America. She said that she preferred the beauty of that word to "Asian", and would much rather be called Oriental.
@@sean---the-other-one The reality is for a non english speaker, an english word can only be taken as a negative or pejorative if taught as such. I could only assume that a person in china is taught the definition of the word, not the connotation or added sensitivities to word. Thus eliminating its negatives.
Everyone has their own opinion. I used to know a Vietnamese girl who hated the word "oriental". "I'm not a rug!" she'd always say. Different strokes for different folks.
The movie is a mix of history and fiction. The Samurai were professional warriors. They have used firearms in war for centuries as well as cannons. Though there were practical reasons why they kept using outdated weapons or didn't use firearms themselves while some of their troops were armed with them. For one, Japan never had many sources of iron. History is complicated. I enjoy this movie as a romantic version of a history that could have been, because the lessons are no less real because of it.
I found this! "The movie The Last Samurai, for example, enacted extensive battle scenes involving more than 60 horses without injuring a single one. Animals used in filmed entertainment are well-trained to perform specific stunts (such as falling down on cue), and the rest of the illusion is created by the filmmakers."
During the first encounter between the Imperial Army and the Samurai, the soldiers were mostly farmers and other conscripts armed with muzzle-loaders. During the 2nd encounter, the Army was armed with modern bolt-action rifles. There really was a Samurai Rebellion in 1877, and this movie is loosely based on this. The character of Katsumoto is believed to be very loosely based on real life samurai Saigō Takamori.
Specifically black powder single-shot rifles, its just like a musket but its easier to reload. And after a few shots the gun clogged up due to gun powder fouling since they're using the old stuff unlike the modern smokeless powder that guns uses today.
The final battle scene is loosely based on the Battle of Shiroyama (24th September 1877), which ended the Satsuma Rebellion. Hopelessly outnumbered and out of ammunition (even though not depicted in this film, the Samurai did use firearms), the remaining 40 or so Samurai warriors charged the enemy lines with their swords. It ended with the complete annihilation of the Samurai.
■ Lafcadio Hearn, who conveyed the "soul" of Japan, the Japanese name is 小泉八雲. He is often mentioned first as a foreigner who has made Japanese culture known to the world. In living as a Japanese, ◇ No other civilized country, like the Japanese, knows enough about the secrets to living happily. The joy of life depends on the well-being of those around us, and that is why we have selflessness and patience. No other nation understands as broadly as the Japanese that we need to cultivate. ◇ If there are some weaknesses in Japanese life, There is also stupidity. Some are evil and some are cruel. But the closer you look, the more the extraordinary goodness, Perseverance that seems miraculous, The unchanging grace, I am amazed at the simple heart and the goodness of being immediately considerate of the other person. ◇ The Japanese do not roughly cut off only the tips of flowers to create meaningless lumps of color, as barbaric Westerners do. It can be said that the Japanese love nature too much to do such an innocent thing. ◇Hahn discovered the good old things that the West had lost. Hahn says. "If you blend from Western civilization into Japan's natural, completely normal living environment, the pressure will be much less. Individualism, which is a fundamental feature of Western civilization, is not here. That is one of the attractions of Japanese society for me. Here, individuals do not try to extend the scope to the point of sacrificing others. " "In my opinion, as well as many other observers who are looking at Japanese life more objectively, Converting to Christianity in Japan has no benefit in terms of morals or other aspects. Rather, there are many places to lose. " ◇The smile of the Japanese is a carefully crafted and nurtured method for many years. It is also a "language of silence". Even if I lived in some country, could I enjoy the joy of touching the subtleties of humanity? Japan has a "beautiful heart". Why "to imitate the West" ◇At that time, he wrote in a letter to an American friend: "I am strongly attracted to Japan. (Omitted) What I like most about this country is its national people, its naive people. It's like heaven. If you look around the world, you won't find any more attractive, rustic and pure people. None of the books written about Japan describe this kind of charm. I love all the Japanese gods, customs, kimonos, bird singing, their homes, superstitions and weaknesses. (Omitted) I don't think of my own interests and, if possible, want to be here for this most beloved nation in the world. I want to take root here. " ◼️ Morse ◇ One day when I traveled to the Setouchi region Leave your wallet and pocket watch at an inn in Hiroshima, I tried to go out for a while from there. At that time, the maid of the inn said, "I will keep it." I just put my watch and wallet on the tray and put it on the tatami mat in the room where Morse stayed. Of course, the room is up to the fusuma It ’s just a partition, No keys or stomach are locked. Morse called the innkeeper because he thought it was "outrageous". The owner replied plainly, "If you leave it here, it's safe." This room during my trip There are many customers who use it, The maids also go in and out from beginning to end. There was no reason for Morse to wipe out his anxiety. ◇But Morse takes the plunge here It seems that he intended to do an "experiment in Japanese society" so he went out as it was. ◇ A week later, Morse returned to the inn Open the bran in the room I was really surprised. Morse wrote about that time as follows. "When I got home, not to mention the clock, even a penny of coins When I left them "Exactly like" it was on a tray without a lid. " ◇ According to Morse, in Western hotels at that time, to prevent theft, The cassotte of the drinking fountain has a chain, It seems that the thermometer was usually screwed to the wall. Morse follows the text in this diary "Japanese are innately honest" he wrote it down. ◼️ Also, Morse's praise for the filial piety and respect of Japanese children It is issued in the following sentence. "Children in this country are not only treated kindly, but also Than children in any other country Have a lot of freedom, Abuse of that freedom A lesser and more pleasant experience, Have more changes. During the babyhood, Riding on the backs of their own mom and others. No punishment, no blame, Without being scolded It's noisy and you won't be slammed. Considering the benefits and benefits that Japanese children receive, They seem to be spoiled and grow up, There is nothing like a Japanese child who respects his parents and respects the elderly all over the world. Respect your father and mother (...) This is a characteristic that has deeply penetrated the Japanese people. " ◼️ Many Westerners make various observations, but what they all have in common is that "people are poor, but they look happy." That's why American Morse said, "There are poor people, but There is no such thing as poverty. " In the West, wealth means happiness, and poverty means desperate circumstances such as miserable life and moral corruption, but It was surprised that this is not the case at all in this country. ◼️ Isabella Bird ◇ I have never seen people who love their children as much as Japanese people. Hugging children, carrying them on their backs, holding hands when walking, watching children's games, participating in them, always giving them new toys, taking them to excursions and festivals, Without children, it always seems boring. ◇ Only yesterday, one leather band was lost. It was already dark, but the horse went back in search of it. I tried to give him some money for the fracture, He never received the money, saying that it was my natural responsibility to deliver it safely to the end of the trip. ◇ At the resting place (station building) of the hot and humid summer post station, the landlady will continue to fan for hours with a fan. I tried to give a tip she said "It's very embarrassing to get such a thing". It states that it was rejected. ◇I believe that there is no country where women can travel safely without being as dangerous or rude as Japan. There has never been a truly unreasonable charge. I wasn't rude when I was surrounded by the crowd. ◼️ Henry Heusken He wrote a letter / report to my home country that describes the "actual situation of Japanese society" at that time. Among them, I admire the lack of decoration, along with the prudent customs of the people of this country. Seeing the richness of this land, Full of everywhere Listen to the children's funny laughter And I couldn't find anything miserable anywhere, "Oh God, this happy scene is about to end, Westerners do their grave vices It seem like their trying to bring it in… ◼️ Francois Karon The Japanese are recognized as trust worthy. They strive for the primary purpose of honor. Also, knowing shame does not hurt others. They are willing to give up their lives in order to maintain their honor. ◼️ “Lip'n Chen Shin (Japanese spirit)” … It is well established as Taiwanese. Diligence, aspirations, honesty, valuing work, keeping promises, keeping time, being fair…etc. These are the virtues that the prewar Japanese brought to Taiwan. It is the feeling of Taiwanese who have accepted it as a good thing and cherished it. ◼️ What is the "Chinese style"? The idea of things that only you should make a profit. It is a Chinese way of thinking that never believes in the government, never believes in order, and "if there is a policy above, there is a measure below." It is a Taiwanese society where the Japanese spirit is fading day by day and is becoming more and more "Chinese". ◼️ Engelbert Kaempfer was a German who visited as a doctor at the Dutch trading house in Dejima, Nagasaki in 1690 "It is possible to call this entire empire a school of etiquette." ◼️ Earl of Elgin, a British envoy who came to seek a trade treaty in 1858 " Their happy, yet polite and reverent facial expressions and demeanor. The elegance and innocence that we finally acquire in the UK with huge wealth The richness of the southern country is piled up I have something that completely exceeds all the expectations I once had in my heart I felt I finally found it. " ◼️ Swedish botanist Karl Tuyunberg ◇ In 1775, he came to Dejima and joined Edo Defu to observe and record Japanese people. "They are first-class people. Diligent, wise, polite and brave. " And "In China Korea, women are slaves, "In this country, women sits with a men, they can walk freely on the table. " "They like cleanliness and once a week On the contrary, they take a bath every day. " I was amazed at this thing. ◼️ British poet Edwin Arnold and others In a lecture held in Tokyo in 1890, he said so much about Japan. "It is the country closest to heaven or paradise on earth. … The scenery is as graceful as a fairy, the art is exquisite, Its god-friendly nature is even more beautiful, its charming attitude, its politeness, It's humble but not subservient, it's elaborate but it doesn't decorate. This is the reason why Japan, It puts us in a higher position than any other country in almost everything that makes life worthwhile. "
Very honorable reaction. ❤ 10:44 Seppuku (切腹, 'cutting [the] belly'), a ritualistic act of disembowelment called hara-kiri (腹切り, lit. 'abdomen/belly cutting', a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. While harakiri refers to the act of disemboweling one's self, seppuku refers to the ritual and usually would involve decapitation after the act as a sign of mercy. Harakiri refers solely to the act of disembowelment and would only be assigned as a punishment towards acts deemed too heinous for seppuku. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor. (from wiki)
My Mom was born in Yokohama and told me as a teenager she was running & dodging bombs . I have a couple of Japanese Dolls she passed down to me , one is a Samurai and the other a Geisha Doll whose face is very similar to Taka.
Harakiri is a way of dying with honor and bringing honor to the family. As brutal as it may seem, the one who performs the blow to the head is usually a friend or godfather of the one who performs the act.
@@sabrecatsmiladon7380 Yes, i know, i say "honor" becouse is "honor" and as strange as it sounds to Western culture, bringing honor to family, to your ancestry, is not Ego, it is by definition about yourself.
@@sabrecatsmiladon7380 When a samurai does something wrong his whole family is blamed for that and they can lost all of their possesions and became outcasts, so the samurai kill himself to "clean" his family name and keep them safe. If you're not willing to sacrifice yourself in order to keep shame and disgrace away from your family because you don't give a shit about them and you only think about yourself, that's EGO.
It is worth bearing in mind that Harakiri is the literal term for slitting the belly. The ritual suicide that most people mean when they say Harakiri is called Seppuku. It is so central to the culture that, even now, those of us who train in the Japanese Sword Arts learn a kata specifically for the role of standing as 'second' to someone performing it. I studied Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai, so the kata I learned is called Kaishaku and, whilst it may over-gild the lily to term it 'sacred', it is so revered a role that we never perform it as a demonstration other than when learning it. It is a great honour to be asked as it means the person committing seppuku truly trusts not only your swordsmanship but also your judgement - for it is your task to finish their 'suicide' before they can show pain or fear (and thus dishonour themselves and their family) but you must not strike too soon and deprive them of the chance to show their courage and fortitude. A note for the film is that the seppuku shown is absolutely terrible! The 'lumberjack' cut from Katsumoto is the sort of thing that would get you chastised in the dojo for ineptitude and coupling that with the scream ... very bad. And, saving the worst until last, severing the head and having it roll on the ground ... the cut must be judged so that the spine is severed but the neck is not cut all the way through. At the end, the blade is drawn back to separate the head, without imparting momentum, so that it drops into the subjects lap and stays there.
@@dallassukerkin6878 a side note if I may Japanese kanju have two readings, "lower" or "Japanese" reading, that is used when the hieroglyph is used solo, and "upper" or "Sino-Japanese"reading that resembles Chinese reading for same symbols sometimes and is used when a word is formed from multiple hieroglyphs, the reason being that "on" reading is shorter and the words become shorter and the speech is faster this way. An example, when saying "water" Japanese will say "mizu" but when forming a word that has 'water' in it, such as "waterpipe" the Mizu becomes Sui, and "waterpipe" is "suikan" So the Harakiri and Seppuku are same hieroglyphs with different reading, and also in slightly different order for better sounding and direct meaning Hara Kiri uses lower reading of the word "stomach" (hara) and infinitive form of verb "cut" in lower reading as well (kiri) Seppuku uses upper reading of the word "cut" (setsu) and "stomach" (huku) Both words have exact same written symbols but the order is reversed and the "seppuku'" is considered more formal and higher speech in Japan due to Sino-Japanese "upper" reading
The messed up part of this is as a veteran myself I have seen how PTSD like Cruises character has can destroy men like this. When you see death in that way your never the same. I know
Japan is indeed beautiful and it was when I visited, however as a Brit now living in Aotearoa New Zealand I'm proud that my adopted country is in fact what you see in this movie. The double for Mount Fuji is our very own Mount Taranaki. The whole movie was filmed in and around here.
A beautifully done film. I really liked Katsumoto’s last words about the cherry blossoms “… perfect. They’re all perfect.” Each cherry blossom (human being) is perfect in their own unique way. Enjoyed the reaction. Keep up the good work Jen.
The only part that bugs me about all that is that you can see it as they're charging and it's in the background when the enemy army bows in respect after he dies. I wish we only had seen it when he did leaving us to wonder did he really see it or is he looking into some Heavenly afterlife where all the cherry blossoms are perfect? I would like, just like the ending with Tom's character and what became of him, for us to guess instead of being shown the answer. Other than that though possibly my favorite death of a character in any movie.
@@msdarby515 Honestly the first time I saw this I was so emotional that it wasn't until the second time I noticed he was talking about the tree. I thought he was referring to his Men and that this was the perfect, honorable ending for them.
When it came out, this movie took flak for making a white guy "the last samurai." However, since the plural of 'samurai' is still 'samurai', the title _The Last Samurai_ could be interpreted as referring to the whole group, not any individual person.
Right. I’ve never looked at it as referring to the Tom Cruise character at all, just Katsumoto & his crew, in both the singular, Katsumoto literally being the ‘Last Samurai,’ and the plural, Katsumoto’s crew being the ‘Last Samurai.’
Yeah, I don't know what the intended interpretation is; it could be singular, plural, both, neither - I just think it's interesting that it _can_ be interpreted multiple ways. It's a more clever title than it was originally given credit for.
If you want to know what times were like in Japan during the time around in which this movie takes place, I highly recommend the book: The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa.
i believe its a mix if two actual real battles that happened, and the man Tom Cruise's character is based on was actually French i believe. this is one of my all time favorite movies though, and i loved Tom Cruise's performance as well as Ken Watanabe's. i really like Shin Koyamada too. they were all perfection. i also loved Algren and Taka's love scene, i thought it was so beautiful because most love scenes are about taking clothes off but this one was about her putting clothes on him. this was a really enjoyable reaction to watch.
So much to love in this film. But I'll just focus on just how marvelous the soundtrack is, Hans Zimmer at his best. So powerful, so sweeping, so lovely.
One thing to know that a lot of people miss or misinterpret in movies and series is an event like what you see where Nathan is practice fighting the oldest son of the Red Samurai in the rain. After it turns into a more serious fight with the samurai that doesn't like or trust him, Nathan refuses to give up, but it's not out of earning respect. He knows he can't win, isn't even really trying. He wants him to beat the Hell out of him. He hates himself from his past and has too many regrets that if a man can't punish himself, he finds someone else to take out their rage on them so they can get the pain back they feel they deserve. It's as cathartic as breaking something when you're upset, except YOU feel you need to break. To make up for past wrongs. Of course, it may just be a guy thing, and I am biased.
It's the same as the earlier scene where he asks a young Japanese recruit to shoot him. Nathan didn't really mean what he was saying. That's why he was so angry during that scene - not because the new recruits were so unorganised, but because as bizarre as it seems it was his way of dealing with his PTSD. So it really baffles me when people comment how "brave" Nathan is in the scene in the rain with Ujio. He's NOT standing up out of bravery. You can see the emptiness in his face and body. The troubled expression of Taka is a huge hint as well. The only reason why Nathan doesn't end his life is because as tormented as he is, deep down inside he is a fighter - like the white tiger that Katsumoto saw in his visions. He is still clinging onto life without himself being aware of it.
Thank you for taking time to acknowledge Taka's character, and her actor's performance. She is one of the most beautiful women I've seen in any film, and she doesn't show an inch of salacious skin. She doesn't need to. There is so much grace, strength, vulnerability and beauty in her portrayal (and the cinematography and costume design for her scenes, obviously). Female characters in modern films could learn something from Taka.
Jen, this is one of my favorite movies. Great story, visually stunning, and phenomenal music. When Koyuki Kato helps Tom Cruise dress in her late husbands armor that is one beautiful sensuous scene. It is great how she goes from hating him to loving him. 💑 Thank you.
Lovely reaction Jen. Quite a redemption story for Nathan and a tragic but beautiful way for him to win back his honor. I love when Katsumoto returns Nathan's journals to him and says, "When I took these, you were my enemy." Taka is indeed stunning and the scene where she is dressing Nathan in her husband's armor was amazingly sensual. One of my all-time favorite movies. A couple more movies you may want to add to your reaction list are "Meet Joe Black" (with Brad Pitt, Claire Forlani, and Anthony Hopkins), and "About Time" (with Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams). Both excellently acted romantic stories with a twist.
Despite the inaccuracies historically, I still love this movie. The reason I love it is because on top of the acting, scenery, etc., is that I feel it does an exemplary job of displaying what a Samurai was ideally supposed to be. Historically the concept of what honor was came down to matters of duty and loyalty to one's lord, but I like to think that the spirit shown in this film is what a Samurai would strive to represent. They are some of the most fascinating warriors and people in human history as well as my favorite elite class of warriors that have ever lived. This has nothing to do with my commentary, but that puppy is just too adorable! ^_^
i for one believe the way of bushido should be present in every day life. just because samurai dont carry swords anymore, the ways of honor should not be dismissed as useless for a lack of blades. bushido is more than a sword
Samurai are an almost direct parallel to western medieval knights, and were the privileged elite while most Japanese people at the time were just peasants owing them complete deference. It’s interesting to see their depiction here - a lot of the “devoting themselves to mastering a craft” stuff is very fair, but it’s worth remembering that the Meiji Restoration that Katsumoto is fighting against was a revolution calling for greater freedom, equality, and democracy in Japan. Those samurai who fought against it were essentially fighting for feudalism and tyranny over democracy. The scene where they ride into the city looking incredibly noble is particularly striking when you notice the ordinary people fleeing from them. Those people had a taste of liberty, and were scared that the samurai were going to subjugate them all over again. That said I absolutely love this movie because it’s a great story, beautifully shot, and despite the politics I do love the aesthetic and ideals of the samurai.
Yeah spot on. It is easy to romanticize certain classes of people and places from the past and take them out of context. If you put them in context it is often a rather grim story to tell about how everyone else lived. I feel like the genre most guilty of this would be the Princess genre where you see all these things going on for the 1% of the population and the peasants are noticeably absent from the narrative. If you watch most of the great samurai films from the 1960s and 1970s a lot of the emphasis is given to the rather grim life that the peasants and traders lead during the Shogunate. Speaking of which... Jen you should watch The Seven Samurai on here, that will maybe de-romanticize the setting for you Jen, it's also nice because it's not a white savior movie!
@@ididthisonpulpous6526 Getting to know the life of the common person in anything historical or fantasy is incredibly underrated and I absolutely think Seven Samurai would be a good watch. One monologue in particular really calls out the "nobility" of the samurai. Although, I used to think Last Samurai was very white saviory, until I realized the movie was more about Asian culture saving him; Algren didn't show up and start giving the right answers to the problems of the Japanese, instead he was shown the answers to a troubled life by Katsumoto and his people.
@@jjhh320 I don't think Last Samurai hits the worst pitfalls of the white savior trope, it does hit many of them. I think it's a good movie, but than again I still love Tarzan books unironically. It tells a compelling story, but the entire conception of going and finding the ONE white, American especially which was not who the Japanese sought out at the time as advisors, man who is good enough to teach even these backwards Japanese peasants to be soldiers! It does try and change some of the expectations in the second act, but Algren is NEVER depicted as NOT the super soldier and the ONE. He is seen in prophetic vision in the opening and learns in a couple of months how to fight as good or better than native samurai. In the end he speaks directly to the emperor, mind you a feat that ONLY MacArthur pulled off in 1945 up to that point in real history and he needed nukes to get the right to do that. It is a white savior story because Algren is a white super hero that learns the ways of the natives so well he gets to be better to than the actual samurai and lives happily ever ever. "Going Native" has been a white savior trope straight through the genre. Natty Bumpo(Hawkeye) was a white savior who was adopted by the Mohicans and became the bestest fighter in the ways of the Indians that ever was! Dances with Wolves, which Last Samurai gets a lot of comparisons to, is also a white savior story about the hero "going native"
@@ididthisonpulpous6526 The pre Mongol Invasion Samurai are the most "honorable" in the entire Samurai era. They end wars in a duel and the introduce themselves to each other before doing it, no backstabbing business going on (most of the time). After that the Samurai know how to play dirty, betrayal after betrayal. Not to mention they learned how to make firebombs and lastly, guns and cannons.
@@erratas1952 The descriptions you are referring to are basically epic poetry. It is very similar to how the Greeks are depicted fighting wars in Homerian poetry. I don't think that actual warfare at the time much resembled the kinds of fighting in epic poetry. All signs we do have of how early samurai fought was with horse archery and polearms. Warfare, wherever and whenever it is fought is going to tend to be fought in the manner best suited to win the engagement and assuming people in the past believed differently is probably a false assumption.
History buffs did a great analysis of this film and its historical accuracy-I had a wonderful time watching your reaction, and look forward to the rest to come from ya in the future! Consider me subscribed ^_^
The battle scenes in this movie, Brave Heart, Saving Private Ryan, and Hacksaw Ridge are brutal. The latter two being the most brutal and accurate. I'm think it a good thing that film makers are trending away from romanticising combat and war. It's good they show how absolutely horrifying they are.
Almost every detail in Brave Heart including how the battles were fought and almost every detail of William Wallace was wildly inaccurate. The others I'm not so sure about.
Another emotional, heartfelt reaction from Jen, which is why I'm here. Like Subotai, Jen cries for me because I won't! BTW Jen, you can fly to Japan nowadays, you don't have to go by ship. And I bet you would find an economy seat comfortable for the 13 hour flight. Maybe add this to your Wishlist as a crowdfunded item!
I think the ambiguousness of the title (and perhaps the marketing of the time) may have drawn in viewers who might have skipped the film if they knew what it was truly about. When I saw it in a theater I ended up seated behind a couple of 'frat bros' who were obviously disappointed that it wasn't a straight up testosterone fueled action flick. I was annoyed at the time about their disparaging remarks. In retrospect I hope they came away learning something despite their resistance and might have been able to look back later with more maturity to realize it was a film that had benefitted their understanding of the world and helped them in achieving some measure of that maturity. I hope.
Enjoyed your reaction to this period piece from another part of the world. If this setting and culture interests you, perhaps you will be intrigued to look at some classic Japanese cinema. A great, classic samurai movie, although not in the usual 'jidaigeki' style (strangely, too realistic in the fight scenes even though the cinematography is not), is Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". Kurosawa was influenced in part by John Ford's Westerns, and then his "Seven Samurai" was reinterpreted as a Western, "The Magnificent Seven". And his film "Yojimbo" was used by Sergio Leone to construct his formative 'spaghetti Western', "A Fistful of Dollars". Of course, Japanese cinema has expanded far beyond the classic directors, Yasujiro Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, and Akira Kurosawa. And then there's anime, and even the movies of Studio Ghibli, too. Have fun, whatever you choose to explore. In terms of lighter fare, I also love the movie, "Tampopo", a noodle Eastern...
after the first battle scene there is a silver haired japanese soldier on his knees, he stabs himself and is then beheaded.. That is the ritual suicide of a samurai that has failed his lord. To Samurai, honor was everything and they would kill themselves before they would dishonor their name or their lord. The man who decapitates him is actually in a position of great honor, the purpose is to prevent him from crying out which would also harm his honor.
If you read the book Shogun four or five dozen times you'll pick up some of the Japanese language! The author was James clavell. It's one of my favorite books is an historical fiction.
In your comments about the Japanese being polite. They dont exactly say no, but they talk around it. "The day after tomorrow" or "Week after next" are common phrases used. If someone dosent like you, they have ways of letting you know without being rude exactly. If you respond back in the same kind of way, its appreciated.
I am honoured to call myself a Subscribert. I love this film. It's one of my favourite, and "beautiful" is the perfect word to describe it. I too long to visit Japan. I will probably wait until I retire from work, because I know there is a good chance that I will visit and choose never to leave.
29:31 That "Yesss" tho 😌 This movie was filmed near lake Wānaka, New Zealand. Cruise fell in love with the place so he actually mentioned it in Mission Impossible 3 too.
'Orientals' was indeed the lingo of the time. it was considered a more progressive term, superceding the more 'offensive' word, 'celestials' (a derogatory term based on the cultural (Shinto) appreciation of stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies as spiritual beings). It's funny to me (and by funny, I mean heartbreaking) that we seem to deny calling a minority group one name, becuse it is dehumanizing, in favor of another, which quickly is used in such a way as to make it equally dehumanizing. We can pass laws or social contracts with the intent to act decently to our fellow people, but we also always find new ways to act indecently, that avoids legal action.
@@ArtofFreeSpeech yeah that’s always been most peoples issue with him. The Scientology. I will say I recently re watched Rainman and came to the conclusion that his acting in that is top tier. Maybe one of the underrated performances. Of course Hoffmann was amazing. But Tom’s character has the arch. You despise him the first half the movie more and more. Then by the end you actually like him and feel for him.
@@jenmurrayxo I’ve never liked the Scientology stuff like everyone else. That being said I’ve always been someone who didn’t understand why he got shit about Oprah he had the energy from her audience going nuts. He’s being asked by the legend Oprah about his brand new being in love with Katie Holmes. If you watch the actual clip it’s a pretty reasonable response to an extremely wild situation. I think it was a case of everyone hating the guy on top who’s also into Scientology. I keep waiting for the world to turn on Keanu reeves next.
It is a matter of interpretation, because Taka never openly speaks her feelings, but I have the impression that when she goes to Katusmoto to request moving Cap. Algreen to a different place, she is already falling for him. She maybe feels ashamed and confused to have feelings for a gaigin (foreigner) who killed her husband and she is trying to remove the temptation, but she is ordered to fulfill her duty, which leads to deeper feelings, as the interactions between Cap. Algreen and her (and her family) become more personal and profound.
The humane society oversees the safety and treatment of animals seen in films. None are harmed. Call all of that a combination practical effects and cgi. Great reaction to a great film.
Omg a reaction to The Last Samurai by the reaction queen??? ♥♥♥ Couldn't ask for a better start to my new year. Youre the best, Jen. Your subs all love you!
@@jenmurrayxo your positivity, genuineness, and the overall amazing vibes you give off makes us love you! Covid has personally affected my life quite a lot to the point where I need to spend over 90% of my time indoors, resulting in significantly less social interactions and more stress, but your videos have been constantly making me smile in the same ways i am sure you make all your viewers smile. Sorry for the paragraph lol, just wanted you to know how you positively effect us!
Oh my goodness I appreciate you writing all that to me so much 💙 I'm sorry to hear you've been so affected by covid, it's been such a crazy tough couple years. I myself found a lot of comfort during covid through RUclips & felt like I was hanging out with friends & it's one of the reasons I wanted to make this channel 👍 Hearing that my videos make you smile is so amazing! Thanks for sharing with me 🙏
One of my favorite movies, my favorite line, “Life in every breath”. It’s astonishing they shot the movie in cities and everything they just pointed the camera away. Google is full of set photos traffic jams in the foreground a camera crew and Tom Cruise walking up massive steps in one shot. Light and shadows movie magic
No don't say that. The Emperor 'always' had a backbone as he himself was raised in the culture of the Samurai. But, he was an extremely young man with too many of the wrong old men in his ear. What he did (modernizing Japan) he felt truly was in the best interest of his people. Simply put, he was misguided and for a time, forgot the value of his own culture for the sake of Western culture. Which he rectified in the end.
@@jenmurrayxo There was a greater context too, regarding the Emperor and his actions. This was during a time when western nations were colonizing (conquering) Asian countries at an alarming rate. Americans had already sailed modern warships into Tokyo harbor, to “negotiate” an opening of trade between the two nations. So Emperor Meiji did the only sensible thing he could do: he opened Japan to trade, and went about modernizing his country at an astounding pace, procuring the weapons and technology he needed to keep his people free and safe. Ironically, you can almost draw a direct line between America’s heavy-handed used of warships to intimidate Japan, to the Japanese war machine sinking half our fleet in Hawaii roughly sixty years later.
Very interesting. Admittedly I don't know anything about the historical factors, I was purely looking at it from a superficial "he should help the guys I like" way. I should've seen there is much more nuance to this character
Jen, as I am rewatching some of your earliest reactions, I am hoping that this spring / summer you'll consider watching Godzilla: Minus One, which has a heartwarming plot, mixed with giant action, kind of like this film 😉 I believe it will get plenty of views for you, as more folks finally see it when it arrives on streaming, folks will want to see your reaction, specifically, because you love big explosions, giant creatures, and tender emotions. My fingers remain crossed. 🤞🏼
Hey, Jen. Pip-pip, cheerio and all that rot. Capitol reaction! I'm a huge Cruise fan, so I like pretty much everything he's done(I highly recommend Vanilla Sky if you haven't seen it). Japan's culture is fascinating. My aunt and uncle lived there for two years. They loved it. Anywho, keep up the stellar work. PS: I like your puppy dog!! What's it's name? 🤘😎🤘 Oh yeah, also Happy New Year!!!
subscriber and patreon member. great film and cast Ken Watanabe Hiroyuki Sanada amazing performances. Billy Connolly as Zebulon Gant Connolly is an amazing comedian who tells great comical stories I highly recommend search you tube for his comedy nsfw but then he is Scottish lol
Graham: "He IS samurai... Jen: "Hm. Killer moustache." L way ol. This is also my favourite love scene in all of cinema because of its subtlety, and what it doesn't have to show.
Those men in black were ninja. A ninja or shinobi was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included espionage, deception, and surprise attacks. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed dishonorable and beneath the honor of the samurai. A simple word would be assassin.
I watched this movie in theaters when i was a kid. Rewatched it on dvd many times when i wasa kid. The entire time i thought the last samurai was referring to tom cruises character. It wasnt until i rewatched it as an adults i understood he wasnt.
The part of the movie when a katsumoto and Tom Cruise's character are going to attack again on the horses it shook the theater and the concrete with how much base the horses made including the cannonball guns it was awesome I saw this movie six times in theaters it's one of the best movies to test out your subwoofers on your surround sound system LOL greatest movie I ever watched
In the beginning of the film Katsumoto had a premonition or dream about a white tiger so then when he sees Tom Cruise with the white tiger on the flag it brings us full circle.
This movie is indeed loosely based on real events. Tom Cruise's character, Captain Nathan Algren, is based on French military officer Jules Brunet who was sent to Japan to train their military in the use of modern weapons and tactics, and ended up aiding the Tokugawa samurai in their resistance against Emperor Meiji, and his efforts to Westernize Japan.
While the film does take "creative license" with many of the events that occured, I still feel this is one of Tom Cruise's best films, and a fantastic look at Japanese culture, tradition, and history.
Thanks for that I thats something new I've learned today frist one for the new year
One of the biggest licenses they took was the whole guns vs swords thing: Samurai had been using guns for about 300 years by this point. They still carried swords into battle but they got guns from Portugal since the mid 1500's.
Also, the Tom Cruise character was part of an earlier conflict, The Boshin war, which took place about a decade before the Satsuma Clan rebellion in the movie. He never strapped on armor and learned to swing a sword and he certainly wasn't at that last stand at Shiroyama, and he didn't retire in Japan, he rejoined the French military about seven years before the events depicted in the film and his career continued another thirty years until his death.
A really big creative license was Japan contracting the Americans to modernize their military. Japan wanted to be trained by the best army in the world and the best navy in the world. For the army it was the French at first then Prussia (Germany) for the navy it was the British.
@@suflanker45 while it's true that military modernization during the Meiji period was modeled mostly after the Prussians, during the same period Japan was happily and greedily absorbing as much as possible from wherever possible. This included sending thousands of students and emissaries abroad to Europe and the United States to learn science, technology, languages, culture, fashion, etc etc. There were many Japanese students who attended military academies in the USA at this time, and many foreign experts from all over the world, including the US, brought in to assist in the modernization and industrialization of the country. While the US army of the 19th century was certainly not the strongest or more professional (the latter award almost certainly, does, go to Prussia), they were arguably the most modern. The American Civil War of the mid-19th century began with tactics very reminiscent of those used during the Napoleonic wars... but a few short years later had evolved into using the sort of trench warfare that came to characterize World War 1 half a century later. The same conflict also saw the first use of the Gatling Gun and a couple other similar firearms - which you see in the final scene here used to wipe out the last samurai. It also had the first duel between two ironclad ships. It's often called the first modern war in history.
Anyway... Americans in this period would have been called upon mostly for their expertise in industrialization and manufacturing... but... Japan could have benefitted (and did) from their military know-how, as well. I'm not saying that the film's portrayal of events are wholly historically accurate... but... it's not inaccurate to say that there were consultants brought in from many places including the US. So the story is not entirely far-fetched and IMO this is far from the biggest "inaccuracy." It's only inaccurate if you infer things that the film doesn't say (such as that they did not consult any other countries besides the US).
If you're unfamiliar with the huge role that America played in opening up Japan to the West I suggest looking up Matthew C. Perry.
The real ‘last samurai’ was Saigo Takamori. He was a giant of a man, a giant of a character, and had a penchant for fat Geishas (I’m not making that last bit up). He certainly didn’t need - or receive - any help from foreigners. Also, the Meiji armies were based on the German military and were trained by them.
The idea that a French or American officer was important to Japan was also laughable (the French military had just been utterly destroyed by Prussia in 1870). That’s why Japanese military officers (with notable exceptions like Tadamachi Kuribayashi who completed his staff training in the USA) later spectacularly failed to understand the material superiority of the west. But this movie is insulting to Japan and the Japanese.
A far better movie is Letters from Iwo Jima, fir which Clint Eastwood received the equivalent to an honorary knighthood from the Japanese emperor. Letters from Iwo Jima is extremely factual, even if kuribayashi was shorter than ken Watanabe and the Iwo survivors remained on the island - technically still fighting - in some cases until 1946.
The BEST movie about the demise of the samurai system is Twilight Samurai - a million times better than any other movie on this subject and sadly not well known in the west. The star of twilight samurai appears in the last samurai. It’s beautiful and sad. A really fantastic movie. I’ve linked the trailer:
ruclips.net/video/op4KVD-9p2Q/видео.html
This movie is one of Cruise's best. He played the soldier with PTSD quite well. But Ken Watanabe is the undisputed star of this film. Such an emotive performance.
Don’t forget the amazing soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.
Yes!!
@@jenmurrayxo it is not historically accurate they didn't wear armor in the 1800s they stopped wearing that in the 1300 hundreds
@@jenmurrayxo The men black are Ninjas they are former samurais turned assassins . They have been around 100 years during the Edo period and before. Some say they exist today, quietly lurking in the shadows. Japan had Civil Wars 1200-1840, on and off.
I think this is Tom Cruise’s best movie, from a story standpoint.
Also glad I found this channel, watching Jen enjoy these movies is so fun.
Thanks Bill, glad you are enjoying ☺
The MVP is carved in stone. The low key MVP is more of a close call. My lkMPV is Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada).
The original work of this movie is modeled on Japan's last civil war, the Battle of the South. The name of the model is "Takamori Saigou" My 4th and 5th generation grandfather has died. My fifth grandfather was a close friend and was retired at the time, and I just wanted to see the "Saigou" outing, but suddenly I brought my sword to my house and died. The fifth generation of his son fought until the end, and like the movie, he was "Harakiri" at the age of 25 and pierced the last SAMURAI. The two tombs are now sleeping in the same place as "Takamori Saigou.
The Imperial Army was no longer using muskets in all scenes following Algren’s return to Tokyo with the samurai. Rather, they were using bolt-action rifles, the re-chambering and reload time of which is far quicker.
NINJA were assassins who fought against the Samurai because the SAMURAI worked in Service of the Emperor and they oppressed the peasant farmers and some peasant farmers became assassins against the Samurai and government.
Dont worry not a single horse got injured during the film. Those animals are well trained to perform specific stunts such as falling down on cue, and the rest of the illusion is created by the filmmakers.
They repeated the fight scene where several men attack Cruise--because Tom did the entire scene in ONE take.
Jen: He is traumatized by all the stuff he has seen........
Mo: Nooooooo, he is traumatized by the horrible things he has done to the innocent. This is a redemption story of his soul.
More interesting than the movie itself is the story of this emperor he was fearless and very benevolent to his country. The end was almost a sneak peek to who he becomes
IN THE FIRST FIGHT HE DID NOT KILL THE SAMURAI because he was with the other army. The Old Samurai Killed Himself to Save Honor for fighting against The One Leader Samurai Cut the Old Samurais head off IN HIS HONOR so he did not have to suffer ( A MERCY KILL ). YES, the Japanese history is Rich.
The Last Samurai was actually January 1, 1946..... The Imperial Rescript was released on January 1, 1946. In it, Emperor Hirohito declares that he is not a living god and that the concept of the Emperor's divinity is not true....It took two atomic bombs and over 400,000 US troops.....The day of long sharp swords, kamikaze attacks, Banzai Bayonet Charges....Is over.
Best movie EVER about the samurai is a movie called Seibei Samurai - or, in English “Twilight Samurai’. Beautiful. Factual. And it will break your heart. Very hard to get hold of though (I had to order the DVD from Japan). But Twilight Samurai has no competition when it comes to portraying the collapse of the samurai system.
Ken Watnabe also played in Clint Eastwood's flags of our fathers. The better of Clint's two tales of Iwo Jima
Another very good samuraj movie is (47 Ronin) Just like this movie it is based on a real event and if i am not mistaken there are a pilgrimage place in Japan to honor, lets say events without spoiling anything if u havent seen it. A very good movie imo.
"They are both thinking he's going to die." You have no idea exactly how true your statement was. Japanese tradition says the robe that was being put of was his burial clothes. The Samurai considered themselves dead before going into battle.
Historically the Rebellion happened. But America at the time was not considered a military or individual power. The Japanese were trained by German, Austrian, French, and British. In the ways of western culture including war and railroad
thanks for the video
Thanks for watching! ☺
You can be sure the horses were fine and well-treated; trained to do the things you saw. There are very strict rules on studio film sets to protect them, and people present whose job it is ensure no animals are harmed.
That makes me feel better, thank you!!
Why would animals be harmed in a recent film lmao, it's literally illegal and they would suffer charges
Arcane It’s possible because accidents happen. I’m sure you know that people have died on movie sets, so why couldn’t horses?
It is entirely possible several horses were in fact injured during filming. Despite what people believe, there are no governmental or state laws protecting animal actors on movie sets. There are laws at the state level regarding animal cruelty, so intentionally harming animals CAN be against the law depending on where it is filmed, but animals getting injured in the course of filming still happens. Often the disclaimer you see regarding animals being harmed will read "No animals DEPICTED IN THIS FILM were harmed" but that just means they didn't use the footage of animals that got injured.
They also used a lot of animatronics for the horses.
There's a making of videon ,where the actors are all giddy with how realistic the animatronics is.
I always loved the way they showed Katsumoto’s vision of the white tiger and the staff that Cruise’s character holds. Such powerful imagery and one understands why Katsumoto would keep him alive just because of that connection.
"Tell me how he died"
"I will tell you how he lived"
One of the best lines in movie history.
So great 👍
Funny thing is, he practically denied Emperor's wish, but his offer was better, so it was all good. Still not many people in the history denied direct request from Japanese emperor.
Jen: "It's so time consuming...these guns...these old muskets."
Me: A well trained soldier would have been able to load and fire a musket three times in one minute. However, you have already astutely observed, these guys are not ready for combat.
Sharpe always said "What makes a good soldier is the ability to be able to fire three rounds a minute in any weather"
3 rounds in a minute! Oh that is faster than I thought! 👍
@@reginaldgickington4793 Even if they could hav fired three rounds a minute, they didn't stand.
@@jenmurrayxo Well that was the Brits and they really focused on speed because Muskets arent really meant for accuracy.... But later guns are actually Bolt action rifles so my inner Gun Nutt really cringes each time you call them muskets
@@tomicbranislav3
In fairness, these specific guns were, in fact, rifled muskets. The ones used for filming were 1861 Springfield muzzle-loading rifles, and the historical Japanese Army of the day used breech-loading Snider-Enfields. Bolt action designs were in use in Europe in the 1870s, such as the early Mausers, but would not be introduced in Japan until some years after this battle.
It's not easy to find but the 1980 mini-series "Shogun" with Richard Chamberlain and screen legend Toshiro Mifune is excellent. It's several hours long so they really delve into Japanese culture of this era in much greater detail. Well worth a watch for anyone interested. I even named a cat Yoshi Toranaga after the show. Cheers.
Oh interesting!
Indeed... Shogun is such a beautiful movie and story (I have the DVD boxed set). It delves much deeper into the beauty and tradition of old Japan.
It is indeed very good. The part that stuck with me all these years from seeing it on TV is the poor fellow who disobeyed the orders of Richard Chamberlin's character and cut down the hanging (and stinking) carcass. He knew what was to come but did it anyway for the good of the household - it was still a shock though to see that the culture thought so little of a life when that person came from the 'lower orders'.
The miniseries is good. The book on which it is based is fantastic. The richness and depth of the setting and characters is quite astonishing. You learn so much about not just Japan but the state of the world at that time in history. Its EPIC. James Clavells other books Tai-Pan and Nobel House are almost as good.
I've heard they're making another adaption of it, I know that Hiroyuki Sanada is going to be in it I think
18:29 "She is honored to have my guest in her house" is a literal truth: the Daimyo is doing her honor, to express to everyone, that she is the best place he can board a guest. Like her husband, she is Samurai. Her greatest honor is to be of best service. Her personal feeling about this were never mentioned, and in the usual course of things, never need to be. They are irrelevant to her role in harmonious society.
She was wife to a Samurai but women warriors of Japan were called Onna-Bugeisha. Samurai was Gender specific.
@@thomaslemons5224 It largely depends on the historical period, but "samurai" does mostly refer to both the whole social class and the occupation of a warrior, only the latter of which is gender-specific. Taka is a samurai in the sense that she belongs to military nobility, and she was brought up in its values, so even though she is a woman, I don't think it's entirely inaccurate to call her a samurai.
You don't think Bob could be a lady's man!?!?!? What!?!?!? Why you gotta hate on Bob like that? Joking aside, I gotta say that Bob and many of the other background characters are some of my favorites, because due to the nature of the film, their actors had to convey so much without using language. Sure they spoke but because their lines often weren't translated to the audience, they had to convey the meaning in body language. You know Bob is stoic and dutiful even though he only says maybe 3-5 words in the whole film. Also speaking of Bob, RIP Seizô Fukumoto (Bob) who died a year ago today.
My girlfriend in China thought it was ridiculous that "oriental" is considered racist in America. She said that she preferred the beauty of that word to "Asian", and would much rather be called Oriental.
@@sean---the-other-one The reality is for a non english speaker, an english word can only be taken as a negative or pejorative if taught as such. I could only assume that a person in china is taught the definition of the word, not the connotation or added sensitivities to word. Thus eliminating its negatives.
Everyone has their own opinion. I used to know a Vietnamese girl who hated the word "oriental". "I'm not a rug!" she'd always say. Different strokes for different folks.
The movie is a mix of history and fiction.
The Samurai were professional warriors. They have used firearms in war for centuries as well as cannons. Though there were practical reasons why they kept using outdated weapons or didn't use firearms themselves while some of their troops were armed with them. For one, Japan never had many sources of iron.
History is complicated.
I enjoy this movie as a romantic version of a history that could have been, because the lessons are no less real because of it.
Hands down one of the best movies Tom Cruise has ever made, great reaction!
Thanks ☺
I found this!
"The movie The Last Samurai, for example, enacted extensive battle scenes involving more than 60 horses without injuring a single one. Animals used in filmed entertainment are well-trained to perform specific stunts (such as falling down on cue), and the rest of the illusion is created by the filmmakers."
During the first encounter between the Imperial Army and the Samurai, the soldiers were mostly farmers and other conscripts armed with muzzle-loaders. During the 2nd encounter, the Army was armed with modern bolt-action rifles. There really was a Samurai Rebellion in 1877, and this movie is loosely based on this. The character of Katsumoto is believed to be very loosely based on real life samurai Saigō Takamori.
So interesting! Thanks 👍
Specifically black powder single-shot rifles, its just like a musket but its easier to reload. And after a few shots the gun clogged up due to gun powder fouling since they're using the old stuff unlike the modern smokeless powder that guns uses today.
The final battle scene is loosely based on the Battle of Shiroyama (24th September 1877), which ended the Satsuma Rebellion. Hopelessly outnumbered and out of ammunition (even though not depicted in this film, the Samurai did use firearms), the remaining 40 or so Samurai warriors charged the enemy lines with their swords. It ended with the complete annihilation of the Samurai.
■ Lafcadio Hearn, who conveyed the "soul" of Japan, the Japanese name is 小泉八雲.
He is often mentioned first as a foreigner who has made Japanese culture known to the world.
In living as a Japanese,
◇ No other civilized country, like the Japanese, knows enough about the secrets to living happily.
The joy of life depends on the well-being of those around us,
and that is why we have selflessness and patience.
No other nation understands as broadly as the Japanese that we need to cultivate.
◇ If there are some weaknesses in Japanese life,
There is also stupidity.
Some are evil and some are cruel.
But the closer you look, the more the extraordinary goodness,
Perseverance that seems miraculous,
The unchanging grace,
I am amazed at the simple heart and the goodness of being immediately considerate of the other person.
◇ The Japanese do not roughly cut off only the tips of flowers to create meaningless lumps of color, as barbaric Westerners do.
It can be said that the Japanese love nature too much to do such an innocent thing.
◇Hahn discovered the good old things that the West had lost.
Hahn says.
"If you blend from Western civilization into Japan's natural, completely normal living environment, the pressure will be much less.
Individualism, which is a fundamental feature of Western civilization, is not here.
That is one of the attractions of Japanese society for me.
Here, individuals do not try to extend the scope to the point of sacrificing others. "
"In my opinion, as well as many other observers who are looking at Japanese life more objectively,
Converting to Christianity in Japan has no benefit in terms of morals or other aspects.
Rather, there are many places to lose. "
◇The smile of the Japanese is a carefully crafted and nurtured method for many years.
It is also a "language of silence".
Even if I lived in some country, could I enjoy the joy of touching the subtleties of humanity?
Japan has a "beautiful heart".
Why "to imitate the West"
◇At that time, he wrote in a letter to an American friend:
"I am strongly attracted to Japan. (Omitted)
What I like most about this country is its national people,
its naive people.
It's like heaven.
If you look around the world,
you won't find any more attractive, rustic and pure people.
None of the books written about Japan describe this kind of charm.
I love all the Japanese gods, customs, kimonos, bird singing, their homes, superstitions and weaknesses. (Omitted)
I don't think of my own interests and,
if possible, want to be here for this most beloved nation in the world.
I want to take root here. "
◼️ Morse
◇ One day when I traveled to the Setouchi region
Leave your wallet and pocket watch at an inn in Hiroshima,
I tried to go out for a while from there.
At that time, the maid of the inn said,
"I will keep it."
I just put my watch and wallet on the tray and put it on the tatami mat in the room
where Morse stayed.
Of course, the room is up to the fusuma
It ’s just a partition,
No keys or stomach are locked.
Morse called the innkeeper
because he thought
it was "outrageous".
The owner replied plainly,
"If you leave it here, it's safe."
This room during my trip
There are many customers who use it,
The maids also go in and out from beginning to end.
There was no reason for Morse to wipe out his anxiety.
◇But Morse takes the plunge here
It seems that he intended to do an "experiment in Japanese society"
so he went out as it was.
◇ A week later,
Morse returned to the inn
Open the bran in the room
I was really surprised.
Morse wrote about that time as follows.
"When I got home, not to mention the clock, even a penny of coins
When I left them "Exactly like"
it was on a tray without a lid. "
◇ According to Morse,
in Western hotels at that time,
to prevent theft,
The cassotte of the drinking fountain has a chain,
It seems that the thermometer was usually screwed to the wall.
Morse follows the text in this diary "Japanese are innately honest"
he wrote it down.
◼️ Also, Morse's praise for the filial piety and respect of Japanese children
It is issued in the following sentence.
"Children in this country are not only treated kindly,
but also Than children in any other country Have a lot of freedom,
Abuse of that freedom A lesser and more pleasant experience,
Have more changes.
During the babyhood,
Riding on the backs of their own mom and others.
No punishment, no blame,
Without being scolded
It's noisy and you won't be slammed.
Considering the benefits and benefits that Japanese children receive,
They seem to be spoiled and grow up,
There is nothing like a Japanese child who respects his parents and respects the elderly all over the world.
Respect your father and mother (...)
This is a characteristic that has deeply penetrated the Japanese people. "
◼️ Many Westerners make various observations,
but what they all have in common is that "people are poor,
but they look happy."
That's why American Morse said,
"There are poor people,
but
There is no such thing as poverty.
" In the West, wealth means happiness, and poverty means desperate circumstances such as miserable life and moral corruption,
but It was surprised that this is not the case at all in this country.
◼️ Isabella Bird
◇ I have never seen people who love their children as much as Japanese people.
Hugging children, carrying them on their backs, holding hands when walking, watching children's games, participating in them, always giving them new toys, taking them to excursions and festivals,
Without children, it always seems boring.
◇ Only yesterday, one leather band was lost.
It was already dark, but the horse went back in search of it.
I tried to give him some money for the fracture,
He never received the money,
saying that
it was my natural responsibility to deliver
it safely to the end of the trip.
◇ At the resting place (station building) of the hot and humid summer post station,
the landlady
will continue to fan for hours with a fan.
I tried to give a tip
she said
"It's very embarrassing to get such a thing".
It states that it was rejected.
◇I believe that there is no country where women can travel safely without being as dangerous or rude as Japan.
There has never been a truly unreasonable charge.
I wasn't rude when I was surrounded by the crowd.
◼️ Henry Heusken
He wrote a letter / report to my home country that describes the "actual situation of Japanese society" at that time.
Among them,
I admire the lack of decoration, along with the prudent customs of the people of this country.
Seeing the richness of this land,
Full of everywhere Listen to the children's funny laughter
And I couldn't find anything miserable anywhere,
"Oh God, this happy scene is about to end,
Westerners do their grave vices
It seem like their trying to bring it in…
◼️ Francois Karon
The Japanese are recognized as trust worthy.
They strive for the primary purpose of honor.
Also, knowing shame does not hurt others.
They are willing to give up
their lives in order to maintain their honor.
◼️ “Lip'n Chen Shin (Japanese spirit)”
… It is well established as Taiwanese.
Diligence, aspirations, honesty, valuing work, keeping promises, keeping time, being fair…etc.
These are the virtues that the prewar Japanese brought to Taiwan.
It is the feeling of Taiwanese who have accepted it as a good thing and cherished it.
◼️ What is the "Chinese style"?
The idea of things that only you should make a profit.
It is a Chinese way of thinking that never believes in the government, never believes in order,
and "if there is a policy above, there is a measure below."
It is a Taiwanese society where the Japanese spirit is fading day by day
and is becoming more and more "Chinese".
◼️ Engelbert Kaempfer was
a German who visited as a doctor at the Dutch trading house in Dejima, Nagasaki in 1690
"It is possible to call this entire empire a school of etiquette."
◼️ Earl of Elgin,
a British envoy who came to seek a trade treaty in 1858 "
Their happy, yet polite and reverent facial expressions and demeanor.
The elegance and innocence that we finally acquire in the UK with huge wealth
The richness of the southern country is piled up
I have something that completely exceeds all the expectations
I once had in my heart
I felt I finally found it. "
◼️ Swedish botanist Karl Tuyunberg
◇ In 1775, he came to Dejima and joined Edo Defu to observe and record Japanese people.
"They are first-class people.
Diligent, wise, polite and brave. "
And
"In China Korea, women are slaves,
"In this country, women sits with a men,
they can walk freely on the table. "
"They like cleanliness and once a week
On the contrary,
they take a bath every day. "
I was amazed at this thing.
◼️ British poet Edwin Arnold and others
In a lecture held in Tokyo in 1890, he said so much about Japan.
"It is the country closest to heaven or paradise on earth.
… The scenery is as graceful
as a fairy, the art is exquisite,
Its god-friendly nature is even more beautiful,
its charming attitude,
its politeness,
It's humble but not subservient,
it's elaborate but it doesn't decorate.
This is the reason
why Japan,
It puts us in a higher position than any other country in almost everything that makes life worthwhile. "
@@としちゃん-s5e - An interesting read, thank you kindl!
Very honorable reaction. ❤
10:44 Seppuku (切腹, 'cutting [the] belly'), a ritualistic act of disembowelment called hara-kiri (腹切り, lit. 'abdomen/belly cutting', a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. While harakiri refers to the act of disemboweling one's self, seppuku refers to the ritual and usually would involve decapitation after the act as a sign of mercy. Harakiri refers solely to the act of disembowelment and would only be assigned as a punishment towards acts deemed too heinous for seppuku. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor. (from wiki)
My Mom was born in Yokohama and told me as a teenager she was running & dodging bombs . I have a couple of Japanese Dolls she passed down to me , one is a Samurai and the other a Geisha Doll whose face is very similar to Taka.
Super underrated movie. One of Tom Cruise's best work. Epic score. 🔥
How to know you're not in the 80s anymore: nobody recognizes ninja
Harakiri is a way of dying with honor and bringing honor to the family. As brutal as it may seem, the one who performs the blow to the head is usually a friend or godfather of the one who performs the act.
EGO isnt HONOR
@@sabrecatsmiladon7380 Yes, i know, i say "honor" becouse is "honor" and as strange as it sounds to Western culture, bringing honor to family, to your ancestry, is not Ego, it is by definition about yourself.
@@sabrecatsmiladon7380 When a samurai does something wrong his whole family is blamed for that and they can lost all of their possesions and became outcasts, so the samurai kill himself to "clean" his family name and keep them safe.
If you're not willing to sacrifice yourself in order to keep shame and disgrace away from your family because you don't give a shit about them and you only think about yourself, that's EGO.
It is worth bearing in mind that Harakiri is the literal term for slitting the belly. The ritual suicide that most people mean when they say Harakiri is called Seppuku.
It is so central to the culture that, even now, those of us who train in the Japanese Sword Arts learn a kata specifically for the role of standing as 'second' to someone performing it.
I studied Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai, so the kata I learned is called Kaishaku and, whilst it may over-gild the lily to term it 'sacred', it is so revered a role that we never perform it as a demonstration other than when learning it.
It is a great honour to be asked as it means the person committing seppuku truly trusts not only your swordsmanship but also your judgement - for it is your task to finish their 'suicide' before they can show pain or fear (and thus dishonour themselves and their family) but you must not strike too soon and deprive them of the chance to show their courage and fortitude.
A note for the film is that the seppuku shown is absolutely terrible! The 'lumberjack' cut from Katsumoto is the sort of thing that would get you chastised in the dojo for ineptitude and coupling that with the scream ... very bad. And, saving the worst until last, severing the head and having it roll on the ground ... the cut must be judged so that the spine is severed but the neck is not cut all the way through. At the end, the blade is drawn back to separate the head, without imparting momentum, so that it drops into the subjects lap and stays there.
@@dallassukerkin6878 a side note if I may
Japanese kanju have two readings, "lower" or "Japanese" reading, that is used when the hieroglyph is used solo, and "upper" or "Sino-Japanese"reading that resembles Chinese reading for same symbols sometimes and is used when a word is formed from multiple hieroglyphs, the reason being that "on" reading is shorter and the words become shorter and the speech is faster this way.
An example, when saying "water" Japanese will say "mizu" but when forming a word that has 'water' in it, such as "waterpipe" the Mizu becomes Sui, and "waterpipe" is "suikan"
So the Harakiri and Seppuku are same hieroglyphs with different reading, and also in slightly different order for better sounding and direct meaning
Hara Kiri uses lower reading of the word "stomach" (hara) and infinitive form of verb "cut" in lower reading as well (kiri)
Seppuku uses upper reading of the word "cut" (setsu) and "stomach" (huku)
Both words have exact same written symbols but the order is reversed and the "seppuku'" is considered more formal and higher speech in Japan due to Sino-Japanese "upper" reading
The messed up part of this is as a veteran myself I have seen how PTSD like Cruises character has can destroy men like this. When you see death in that way your never the same. I know
Oh I can't imagine. That must be one of the worst things to go through. 😔
Japan is indeed beautiful and it was when I visited, however as a Brit now living in Aotearoa New Zealand I'm proud that my adopted country is in fact what you see in this movie. The double for Mount Fuji is our very own Mount Taranaki. The whole movie was filmed in and around here.
The music is what stood out to me the most. I still tear up when I listen to it. Hans Zimmer is one of the best of his craft.
Oh yes for sure! Beautiful score!
Filmed in New Zealand. I love this movie.
Such a gorgeous country!
Agreed!
A beautifully done film. I really liked Katsumoto’s last words about the cherry blossoms “… perfect. They’re all perfect.”
Each cherry blossom (human being) is perfect in their own unique way.
Enjoyed the reaction. Keep up the good work Jen.
Thank you Trav! Such beautiful last words, it was really moving 🌸
The only part that bugs me about all that is that you can see it as they're charging and it's in the background when the enemy army bows in respect after he dies. I wish we only had seen it when he did leaving us to wonder did he really see it or is he looking into some Heavenly afterlife where all the cherry blossoms are perfect? I would like, just like the ending with Tom's character and what became of him, for us to guess instead of being shown the answer. Other than that though possibly my favorite death of a character in any movie.
@@chaospoet I've always hoped he was seeing the ancestors and fellow Samaria in the afterlife, and they are all perfect.
@@msdarby515 Honestly the first time I saw this I was so emotional that it wasn't until the second time I noticed he was talking about the tree. I thought he was referring to his Men and that this was the perfect, honorable ending for them.
When it came out, this movie took flak for making a white guy "the last samurai." However, since the plural of 'samurai' is still 'samurai', the title _The Last Samurai_ could be interpreted as referring to the whole group, not any individual person.
Right. I’ve never looked at it as referring to the Tom Cruise character at all, just Katsumoto & his crew, in both the singular, Katsumoto literally being the ‘Last Samurai,’ and the plural, Katsumoto’s crew being the ‘Last Samurai.’
Oh I thought it was referring to Katsumoto! 🤔
Yeah, I don't know what the intended interpretation is; it could be singular, plural, both, neither - I just think it's interesting that it _can_ be interpreted multiple ways. It's a more clever title than it was originally given credit for.
If you want to know what times were like in Japan during the time around in which this movie takes place, I highly recommend the book: The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa.
Another fantastic job editing! I really enjoyed spending the time with you. Thanks for sharing this. Have a great day!
i believe its a mix if two actual real battles that happened, and the man Tom Cruise's character is based on was actually French i believe. this is one of my all time favorite movies though, and i loved Tom Cruise's performance as well as Ken Watanabe's. i really like Shin Koyamada too. they were all perfection. i also loved Algren and Taka's love scene, i thought it was so beautiful because most love scenes are about taking clothes off but this one was about her putting clothes on him. this was a really enjoyable reaction to watch.
So much to love in this film. But I'll just focus on just how marvelous the soundtrack is, Hans Zimmer at his best. So powerful, so sweeping, so lovely.
I get the sense that you try not to be loose with it, which made the Gatling Gun "Oh fuck" particularly real and smile inducing.
Lollll that one slipped out 😆
the last samurai is one of my favorite movies. dope reaction
Thanks!
One thing to know that a lot of people miss or misinterpret in movies and series is an event like what you see where Nathan is practice fighting the oldest son of the Red Samurai in the rain. After it turns into a more serious fight with the samurai that doesn't like or trust him, Nathan refuses to give up, but it's not out of earning respect. He knows he can't win, isn't even really trying. He wants him to beat the Hell out of him. He hates himself from his past and has too many regrets that if a man can't punish himself, he finds someone else to take out their rage on them so they can get the pain back they feel they deserve. It's as cathartic as breaking something when you're upset, except YOU feel you need to break. To make up for past wrongs.
Of course, it may just be a guy thing, and I am biased.
Ohhh interesting, I can see that. It would make sense for Nathan's character too. Thanks for that perspective 👍
It's the same as the earlier scene where he asks a young Japanese recruit to shoot him. Nathan didn't really mean what he was saying. That's why he was so angry during that scene - not because the new recruits were so unorganised, but because as bizarre as it seems it was his way of dealing with his PTSD.
So it really baffles me when people comment how "brave" Nathan is in the scene in the rain with Ujio.
He's NOT standing up out of bravery. You can see the emptiness in his face and body.
The troubled expression of Taka is a huge hint as well.
The only reason why Nathan doesn't end his life is because as tormented as he is, deep down inside he is a fighter - like the white tiger that Katsumoto saw in his visions. He is still clinging onto life without himself being aware of it.
Thank you for taking time to acknowledge Taka's character, and her actor's performance. She is one of the most beautiful women I've seen in any film, and she doesn't show an inch of salacious skin. She doesn't need to. There is so much grace, strength, vulnerability and beauty in her portrayal (and the cinematography and costume design for her scenes, obviously). Female characters in modern films could learn something from Taka.
I agree! 👌
Jen, this is one of my favorite movies. Great story, visually stunning, and phenomenal music. When Koyuki Kato helps Tom Cruise dress in her late husbands armor that is one beautiful sensuous scene. It is great how she goes from hating him to loving him. 💑 Thank you.
Thank you! Oh I didn't mention the music but you're right it was awesome!
Lovely reaction Jen. Quite a redemption story for Nathan and a tragic but beautiful way for him to win back his honor. I love when Katsumoto returns Nathan's journals to him and says, "When I took these, you were my enemy." Taka is indeed stunning and the scene where she is dressing Nathan in her husband's armor was amazingly sensual. One of my all-time favorite movies. A couple more movies you may want to add to your reaction list are "Meet Joe Black" (with Brad Pitt, Claire Forlani, and Anthony Hopkins), and "About Time" (with Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams). Both excellently acted romantic stories with a twist.
Thank you John! So many lovely moments in thus film. Oh I'd like to see both of those suggestions, thanks! 👍
Despite the inaccuracies historically, I still love this movie. The reason I love it is because on top of the acting, scenery, etc., is that I feel it does an exemplary job of displaying what a Samurai was ideally supposed to be. Historically the concept of what honor was came down to matters of duty and loyalty to one's lord, but I like to think that the spirit shown in this film is what a Samurai would strive to represent. They are some of the most fascinating warriors and people in human history as well as my favorite elite class of warriors that have ever lived.
This has nothing to do with my commentary, but that puppy is just too adorable! ^_^
i for one believe the way of bushido should be present in every day life. just because samurai dont carry swords anymore, the ways of honor should not be dismissed as useless for a lack of blades. bushido is more than a sword
Samurai are an almost direct parallel to western medieval knights, and were the privileged elite while most Japanese people at the time were just peasants owing them complete deference. It’s interesting to see their depiction here - a lot of the “devoting themselves to mastering a craft” stuff is very fair, but it’s worth remembering that the Meiji Restoration that Katsumoto is fighting against was a revolution calling for greater freedom, equality, and democracy in Japan. Those samurai who fought against it were essentially fighting for feudalism and tyranny over democracy.
The scene where they ride into the city looking incredibly noble is particularly striking when you notice the ordinary people fleeing from them. Those people had a taste of liberty, and were scared that the samurai were going to subjugate them all over again.
That said I absolutely love this movie because it’s a great story, beautifully shot, and despite the politics I do love the aesthetic and ideals of the samurai.
Yeah spot on. It is easy to romanticize certain classes of people and places from the past and take them out of context. If you put them in context it is often a rather grim story to tell about how everyone else lived. I feel like the genre most guilty of this would be the Princess genre where you see all these things going on for the 1% of the population and the peasants are noticeably absent from the narrative.
If you watch most of the great samurai films from the 1960s and 1970s a lot of the emphasis is given to the rather grim life that the peasants and traders lead during the Shogunate. Speaking of which... Jen you should watch The Seven Samurai on here, that will maybe de-romanticize the setting for you Jen, it's also nice because it's not a white savior movie!
@@ididthisonpulpous6526 Getting to know the life of the common person in anything historical or fantasy is incredibly underrated and I absolutely think Seven Samurai would be a good watch. One monologue in particular really calls out the "nobility" of the samurai.
Although, I used to think Last Samurai was very white saviory, until I realized the movie was more about Asian culture saving him; Algren didn't show up and start giving the right answers to the problems of the Japanese, instead he was shown the answers to a troubled life by Katsumoto and his people.
@@jjhh320 I don't think Last Samurai hits the worst pitfalls of the white savior trope, it does hit many of them. I think it's a good movie, but than again I still love Tarzan books unironically. It tells a compelling story, but the entire conception of going and finding the ONE white, American especially which was not who the Japanese sought out at the time as advisors, man who is good enough to teach even these backwards Japanese peasants to be soldiers!
It does try and change some of the expectations in the second act, but Algren is NEVER depicted as NOT the super soldier and the ONE. He is seen in prophetic vision in the opening and learns in a couple of months how to fight as good or better than native samurai. In the end he speaks directly to the emperor, mind you a feat that ONLY MacArthur pulled off in 1945 up to that point in real history and he needed nukes to get the right to do that.
It is a white savior story because Algren is a white super hero that learns the ways of the natives so well he gets to be better to than the actual samurai and lives happily ever ever. "Going Native" has been a white savior trope straight through the genre. Natty Bumpo(Hawkeye) was a white savior who was adopted by the Mohicans and became the bestest fighter in the ways of the Indians that ever was! Dances with Wolves, which Last Samurai gets a lot of comparisons to, is also a white savior story about the hero "going native"
@@ididthisonpulpous6526 The pre Mongol Invasion Samurai are the most "honorable" in the entire Samurai era. They end wars in a duel and the introduce themselves to each other before doing it, no backstabbing business going on (most of the time). After that the Samurai know how to play dirty, betrayal after betrayal. Not to mention they learned how to make firebombs and lastly, guns and cannons.
@@erratas1952 The descriptions you are referring to are basically epic poetry. It is very similar to how the Greeks are depicted fighting wars in Homerian poetry. I don't think that actual warfare at the time much resembled the kinds of fighting in epic poetry. All signs we do have of how early samurai fought was with horse archery and polearms. Warfare, wherever and whenever it is fought is going to tend to be fought in the manner best suited to win the engagement and assuming people in the past believed differently is probably a false assumption.
History buffs did a great analysis of this film and its historical accuracy-I had a wonderful time watching your reaction, and look forward to the rest to come from ya in the future! Consider me subscribed ^_^
The battle scenes in this movie, Brave Heart, Saving Private Ryan, and Hacksaw Ridge are brutal.
The latter two being the most brutal and accurate.
I'm think it a good thing that film makers are trending away from romanticising combat and war.
It's good they show how absolutely horrifying they are.
Almost every detail in Brave Heart including how the battles were fought and almost every detail of William Wallace was wildly inaccurate. The others I'm not so sure about.
Another emotional, heartfelt reaction from Jen, which is why I'm here. Like Subotai, Jen cries for me because I won't! BTW Jen, you can fly to Japan nowadays, you don't have to go by ship. And I bet you would find an economy seat comfortable for the 13 hour flight. Maybe add this to your Wishlist as a crowdfunded item!
I think the ambiguousness of the title (and perhaps the marketing of the time) may have drawn in viewers who might have skipped the film if they knew what it was truly about. When I saw it in a theater I ended up seated behind a couple of 'frat bros' who were obviously disappointed that it wasn't a straight up testosterone fueled action flick. I was annoyed at the time about their disparaging remarks. In retrospect I hope they came away learning something despite their resistance and might have been able to look back later with more maturity to realize it was a film that had benefitted their understanding of the world and helped them in achieving some measure of that maturity. I hope.
Enjoyed your reaction to this period piece from another part of the world.
If this setting and culture interests you, perhaps you will be intrigued to look at some classic Japanese cinema. A great, classic samurai movie, although not in the usual 'jidaigeki' style (strangely, too realistic in the fight scenes even though the cinematography is not), is Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". Kurosawa was influenced in part by John Ford's Westerns, and then his "Seven Samurai" was reinterpreted as a Western, "The Magnificent Seven". And his film "Yojimbo" was used by Sergio Leone to construct his formative 'spaghetti Western', "A Fistful of Dollars". Of course, Japanese cinema has expanded far beyond the classic directors, Yasujiro Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, and Akira Kurosawa. And then there's anime, and even the movies of Studio Ghibli, too. Have fun, whatever you choose to explore.
In terms of lighter fare, I also love the movie, "Tampopo", a noodle Eastern...
Ken Watanabe (Katsumoto) absolutely OWNED this movie, even over Tom Cruise. 🤩
Agreed 👍
after the first battle scene there is a silver haired japanese soldier on his knees, he stabs himself and is then beheaded.. That is the ritual suicide of a samurai that has failed his lord. To Samurai, honor was everything and they would kill themselves before they would dishonor their name or their lord. The man who decapitates him is actually in a position of great honor, the purpose is to prevent him from crying out which would also harm his honor.
Japan is indeed really beautiful, but I am pretty sure this whole movie was filmed at New Zealand.
Oh yes, I have since learned this! 👌
$400 US per month back when the film took place would have the buying power of over $10,600 US per month today.
that Gatling gun scene is like watching the last breath of an era.
If you read the book Shogun four or five dozen times you'll pick up some of the Japanese language! The author was James clavell. It's one of my favorite books is an historical fiction.
In your comments about the Japanese being polite. They dont exactly say no, but they talk around it. "The day after tomorrow" or "Week after next" are common phrases used. If someone dosent like you, they have ways of letting you know without being rude exactly. If you respond back in the same kind of way, its appreciated.
I am honoured to call myself a Subscribert.
I love this film. It's one of my favourite, and "beautiful" is the perfect word to describe it. I too long to visit Japan. I will probably wait until I retire from work, because I know there is a good chance that I will visit and choose never to leave.
29:31 That "Yesss" tho 😌
This movie was filmed near lake Wānaka, New Zealand. Cruise fell in love with the place so he actually mentioned it in Mission Impossible 3 too.
Oh NZ is so beautiful, I went there a few years ago! No wonder this film is so gorgeous! ☺👍
If you want to learn more about Japanese history, History of Japan by Bill Wurtz is a good/fun video on RUclips.
REACT to Schinder lista.TERMINATOR AND TERMINATOR 2
'Orientals' was indeed the lingo of the time. it was considered a more progressive term, superceding the more 'offensive' word, 'celestials' (a derogatory term based on the cultural (Shinto) appreciation of stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies as spiritual beings).
It's funny to me (and by funny, I mean heartbreaking) that we seem to deny calling a minority group one name, becuse it is dehumanizing, in favor of another, which quickly is used in such a way as to make it equally dehumanizing. We can pass laws or social contracts with the intent to act decently to our fellow people, but we also always find new ways to act indecently, that avoids legal action.
This is definitely a good one, never been a big Tom cruise fan but this is one of the few films I don’t mind him in
Lol everyone that that doesn’t like Tom cruise has a few they like him in. Usually this or tropic thunder or rain man or a few good men or top gun etc
Ya he seems a bit nutty offscreen but I like his acting! 👍
@@ArtofFreeSpeech yeah that’s always been most peoples issue with him. The Scientology. I will say I recently re watched Rainman and came to the conclusion that his acting in that is top tier. Maybe one of the underrated performances. Of course Hoffmann was amazing. But Tom’s character has the arch. You despise him the first half the movie more and more. Then by the end you actually like him and feel for him.
I'm watching Rain Man soon, excited to see his performance 👍
@@jenmurrayxo I’ve never liked the Scientology stuff like everyone else. That being said I’ve always been someone who didn’t understand why he got shit about Oprah he had the energy from her audience going nuts. He’s being asked by the legend Oprah about his brand new being in love with Katie Holmes. If you watch the actual clip it’s a pretty reasonable response to an extremely wild situation. I think it was a case of everyone hating the guy on top who’s also into Scientology. I keep waiting for the world to turn on Keanu reeves next.
It is a matter of interpretation, because Taka never openly speaks her feelings, but I have the impression that when she goes to Katusmoto to request moving Cap. Algreen to a different place, she is already falling for him. She maybe feels ashamed and confused to have feelings for a gaigin (foreigner) who killed her husband and she is trying to remove the temptation, but she is ordered to fulfill her duty, which leads to deeper feelings, as the interactions between Cap. Algreen and her (and her family) become more personal and profound.
Oh I didn't think of that but it makes total sense! 👍
Imagine getting killed and the dude who killed you goes to bang your wife after, thats rough
You should react to Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy
Its samurai movie
The humane society oversees the safety and treatment of animals seen in films. None are harmed. Call all of that a combination practical effects and cgi.
Great reaction to a great film.
Omg a reaction to The Last Samurai by the reaction queen??? ♥♥♥ Couldn't ask for a better start to my new year. Youre the best, Jen. Your subs all love you!
@iatasever this made me smile so much, thank you!! ☺ So glad you're enjoying, I'm having a blast with you guys 💙💙💙
@@jenmurrayxo your positivity, genuineness, and the overall amazing vibes you give off makes us love you! Covid has personally affected my life quite a lot to the point where I need to spend over 90% of my time indoors, resulting in significantly less social interactions and more stress, but your videos have been constantly making me smile in the same ways i am sure you make all your viewers smile. Sorry for the paragraph lol, just wanted you to know how you positively effect us!
Oh my goodness I appreciate you writing all that to me so much 💙 I'm sorry to hear you've been so affected by covid, it's been such a crazy tough couple years. I myself found a lot of comfort during covid through RUclips & felt like I was hanging out with friends & it's one of the reasons I wanted to make this channel 👍 Hearing that my videos make you smile is so amazing! Thanks for sharing with me 🙏
The horses are special effects made out of rubber and metal. No real horses were injured in this or braveheart.
One of my favorite movies, my favorite line, “Life in every breath”. It’s astonishing they shot the movie in cities and everything they just pointed the camera away. Google is full of set photos traffic jams in the foreground a camera crew and Tom Cruise walking up massive steps in one shot. Light and shadows movie magic
Oh wow, it's crazy what camera trickery can do!
The horses they use in movies are very well trained to fall so that it looks bad. They can do all sorts of tricks.
No don't say that. The Emperor 'always' had a backbone as he himself was raised in the culture of the Samurai. But, he was an extremely young man with too many of the wrong old men in his ear. What he did (modernizing Japan) he felt truly was in the best interest of his people. Simply put, he was misguided and for a time, forgot the value of his own culture for the sake of Western culture. Which he rectified in the end.
Fair enough! It's easy to judge from the outside looking in
@@jenmurrayxo There was a greater context too, regarding the Emperor and his actions. This was during a time when western nations were colonizing (conquering) Asian countries at an alarming rate. Americans had already sailed modern warships into Tokyo harbor, to “negotiate” an opening of trade between the two nations.
So Emperor Meiji did the only sensible thing he could do: he opened Japan to trade, and went about modernizing his country at an astounding pace, procuring the weapons and technology he needed to keep his people free and safe.
Ironically, you can almost draw a direct line between America’s heavy-handed used of warships to intimidate Japan, to the Japanese war machine sinking half our fleet in Hawaii roughly sixty years later.
Very interesting. Admittedly I don't know anything about the historical factors, I was purely looking at it from a superficial "he should help the guys I like" way. I should've seen there is much more nuance to this character
"No body wins in war" true especially in ww2 am i right the allies didnt win
Jen, as I am rewatching some of your earliest reactions, I am hoping that this spring / summer you'll consider watching Godzilla: Minus One, which has a heartwarming plot, mixed with giant action, kind of like this film 😉 I believe it will get plenty of views for you, as more folks finally see it when it arrives on streaming, folks will want to see your reaction, specifically, because you love big explosions, giant creatures, and tender emotions. My fingers remain crossed. 🤞🏼
Thanks Jon, you know I love monsters!!
you are so freaking cute and relatable. Thanks.
Muito bom ✌🏻🇧🇷 samurais best warriors ever.
Your sweater is the sane color as the blossoms 🌸
🙇🏻♂️
Hey, Jen.
Pip-pip, cheerio and all that rot. Capitol reaction! I'm a huge Cruise fan, so I like pretty much everything he's done(I highly recommend Vanilla Sky if you haven't seen it).
Japan's culture is fascinating. My aunt and uncle lived there for two years. They loved it.
Anywho, keep up the stellar work.
PS: I like your puppy dog!! What's it's name? 🤘😎🤘
Oh yeah, also Happy New Year!!!
Thanks Neal! My pup's name is Boston & he's my BFF!
Would love to go to Japan someday!
Want to see Vanilla Sky at some point for sure 👍
@@jenmurrayxo Boston. I like the group and now the dog 🤣 👍
Next Reaction film 300 Spartan 👍👍
subscriber and patreon member. great film and cast Ken Watanabe Hiroyuki Sanada amazing performances. Billy Connolly as Zebulon Gant Connolly is an amazing comedian who tells great comical stories I highly recommend search you tube for his comedy nsfw but then he is Scottish lol
Thanks Ken! ☺👍
Graham: "He IS samurai...
Jen: "Hm. Killer moustache."
L way ol.
This is also my favourite love scene in all of cinema because of its subtlety, and what it doesn't have to show.
Those men in black were ninja. A ninja or shinobi was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included espionage, deception, and surprise attacks. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed dishonorable and beneath the honor of the samurai. A simple word would be assassin.
Ohh interesting!
Great reaction Jenn! I've seen this movie roughly 2 or 3 million times, and it still gets me teary eyed in many scenes. ❤
Thank you! The best movies can stir emotions every time you watch 💙
Please visit when it's ok to travel. In April (sometimes March) are when the cherry blossoms bloom, hope you can see them in person.
Oh that sounds so lovely ☺
"Look at the scenery. I really want to go to Japan one day"...
Yeah that's New Zealand where it was filmed.
Lol fair enough.
they're shooted with amnesic darts, they can't hurt them
all wars and battles are nonsense withouth exception
People think Tom Cruise is the Last Samurai, but it's definitely Katsumoto.
I watched this movie in theaters when i was a kid. Rewatched it on dvd many times when i wasa kid. The entire time i thought the last samurai was referring to tom cruises character. It wasnt until i rewatched it as an adults i understood he wasnt.
The part of the movie when a katsumoto and Tom Cruise's character are going to attack again on the horses it shook the theater and the concrete with how much base the horses made including the cannonball guns it was awesome I saw this movie six times in theaters it's one of the best movies to test out your subwoofers on your surround sound system LOL greatest movie I ever watched
Those sticks in the stick fight scene are called boken
the $25 is equal to about $840 today. The $400 is around $13.4k.
Crazy!
In the beginning of the film Katsumoto had a premonition or dream about a white tiger so then when he sees Tom Cruise with the white tiger on the flag it brings us full circle.
Love that 👍