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The Last Samurai
- Thread starter sohaness
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funkinbeats
TRIBE Member
must....see....it....
DJ_Science
TRIBE Member
Yeah, I really want to see this one.
Umm, word of advice: go see this film.
At first, I thought, hey, it's Tom Cruise, so it's gonna be another typical Tom Cruise film. But then I saw that Zwick was directing this (he did "Glory", "Courage under Fire"), so I went and saw the film last night...the result? I'm fucking amazed that Zwick isn't more well-known, this film is incredibly good! I wouldn't give it a 10/10, but it's probably near to 9/10 (or 3.5 stars)....
It runs 2hrs and 40min, but it's worth every second, and you never, ever lose sight of the intimate relationships that Zwick develops so well in this film!! That's what I was so impressed by: you have these enormous, tumultous battles being waged, but the characters are all kept closely in perspective...he also does an amazing job of pulling off the good vs. evil theme and he (to me at least) sends a strong political message. Just a great film!
At first, I thought, hey, it's Tom Cruise, so it's gonna be another typical Tom Cruise film. But then I saw that Zwick was directing this (he did "Glory", "Courage under Fire"), so I went and saw the film last night...the result? I'm fucking amazed that Zwick isn't more well-known, this film is incredibly good! I wouldn't give it a 10/10, but it's probably near to 9/10 (or 3.5 stars)....
It runs 2hrs and 40min, but it's worth every second, and you never, ever lose sight of the intimate relationships that Zwick develops so well in this film!! That's what I was so impressed by: you have these enormous, tumultous battles being waged, but the characters are all kept closely in perspective...he also does an amazing job of pulling off the good vs. evil theme and he (to me at least) sends a strong political message. Just a great film!
el presidente Highsteppa
TRIBE Member
Beginning wasn't working for me that well until they got to Japan.
I know I won't see this movie at all unless a roomate rents it or something... just the idea that an american... whose already passed puberty and therefore nearly IMPOSSIBLE to train into a samurai becomes one...
LAME!
So even if it's pulled off brilliantly and all disbelief is beautifully suspended by fantastic direction and great characterisations/storytelling etc.... i'm still not gunna pay to see it in theatres...
my opinion
Peej
LAME!
So even if it's pulled off brilliantly and all disbelief is beautifully suspended by fantastic direction and great characterisations/storytelling etc.... i'm still not gunna pay to see it in theatres...
my opinion
Peej
el presidente Highsteppa
TRIBE Member
That's the thing. Cruise isn't The Last Samurai, he's a captive and an observer, and acts a bit more like a sidekick. The titular character is Ken Watanabe, a servant of the Emporer, gone renegade as he feels that the Emporer is not acting upon the will of the people or his own divine wisdom, but on the advice of the royal advisors. Cruise by no means becomes a samurai, he learns how to deal with the horrors of war that he's seen and learning some of the teachings of Zen.
The movie does romanticize the Samurai during that period (in the end of the 19th Century, samurais were more thugs with swords than anything resembling a knight or loyal warrior to the emporer), but they did it in a tasteful way.
el presidente Highsteppa
TRIBE Member
Reminded me a bit too much of Dances with Wolves. Past that and once they started training the Japanese soldiers, everything was a-ok.
I meant 3.5 out of 4 stars, but the reason I wouldn't give it 4/4 is because I reserve a perfect score to those films that achieve something above and beyond the measured bar of perfection. There wasn't anything wrong with "The Last Samurai" but it didn't do what "Open your Eyes" did for me, for example.
Is that the one where the Portugese(?) guy gets shipwrecked? I've read every one of Clavell's books and I get them confused.
When I first saw the trailer for The Last Samurai I thought it was Shogun as well.
FYI: there is a Shogun movie
Bumbaclat
Saw this movie today.
Wow!
Well, the first couple of minutes the movie was meh.. but then -IMO- its strongest part is in the last half of the movie.
Very powerfull ending and the ending -IMO- is a universal message that tries to convey the differences between old cultures trying to modernize themselves. Which is a theme that could be applied to Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Incan civilazations and many other cultures...even western culutures.
Anyways, the film started out okay but it did win me over towards the end. The acting is pretty good and the battle scenes are very well done. There is some similarities between dance with wolfes and this movie but even though I was skeptical about this being a rip-off I didn't really feel like it was a complete rip-off.
Anyways, this movie struck me as a very good action flick with cultural message. So.. I like it and I enjoyed myself. Some of the action kept me at the edge of my seat.
4/5
Wow!
Well, the first couple of minutes the movie was meh.. but then -IMO- its strongest part is in the last half of the movie.
Very powerfull ending and the ending -IMO- is a universal message that tries to convey the differences between old cultures trying to modernize themselves. Which is a theme that could be applied to Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Incan civilazations and many other cultures...even western culutures.
Anyways, the film started out okay but it did win me over towards the end. The acting is pretty good and the battle scenes are very well done. There is some similarities between dance with wolfes and this movie but even though I was skeptical about this being a rip-off I didn't really feel like it was a complete rip-off.
Anyways, this movie struck me as a very good action flick with cultural message. So.. I like it and I enjoyed myself. Some of the action kept me at the edge of my seat.
4/5
Dr. Grinch
TRIBE Member
What a fantastically heavy handed piece of shit this was.
I had looked forward to seeing it for a long time, and found myself on the verge of walking out 3 times during the last hour.
Nothing quite like having the same point drilled into your head over and over for the last hour of the film as you watch people being shit and dying in slow motion with a bullshit epic strings soundtrack playing in the background. All the while Tom Cruise has this forlorne hero look on his face as he cuts his way through an army of Japanese. Fuck this piece of shit. Save your money for something that isn't so stupid and laughable.
I had looked forward to seeing it for a long time, and found myself on the verge of walking out 3 times during the last hour.
Nothing quite like having the same point drilled into your head over and over for the last hour of the film as you watch people being shit and dying in slow motion with a bullshit epic strings soundtrack playing in the background. All the while Tom Cruise has this forlorne hero look on his face as he cuts his way through an army of Japanese. Fuck this piece of shit. Save your money for something that isn't so stupid and laughable.
I am sorry you see it that way but it wasn't as bad as you make it out to be.
I see your point on one thing though.. the movie was a bit violent in some cases.. but I guess I saw that as the point of the flick.
Old vs modern warfare...and obviously someone is going to get savagely beaten up if they don't have the same tools of warfare that the other side has. Although it was a bit overdramatized at times.. it isn't by far a stupid overdramatazation. It is -IMO- a very entretaining hollywood flick, not the best but not really bad.
I think it did its job within the action category.
I left the theater not overtly impressed but I was entertained, I wasn't really expecting a profound plot or a wicked story telling movie.
I see your point on one thing though.. the movie was a bit violent in some cases.. but I guess I saw that as the point of the flick.
Old vs modern warfare...and obviously someone is going to get savagely beaten up if they don't have the same tools of warfare that the other side has. Although it was a bit overdramatized at times.. it isn't by far a stupid overdramatazation. It is -IMO- a very entretaining hollywood flick, not the best but not really bad.
I think it did its job within the action category.
I left the theater not overtly impressed but I was entertained, I wasn't really expecting a profound plot or a wicked story telling movie.
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el presidente Highsteppa
TRIBE Member
I like flip flops with my flapjacks.
el presidente Highsteppa
TRIBE Member
Competes well, if his blade is sharp, his mind is keen, and he fucks children.