The Last Samurai (2003)

The Last Samurai

• I freaking love a good period piece. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to watch this. Of course, I was solely here for Tom Cruise, but even without him, this is a fantastic piece of filmmaking. In terms of story, it doesn’t necessarily differ from other action/drama films. It has the cliche “fight the oppressor to save what you love” storyline, so there’s not too much that you learn that you haven’t seen in other films. I do really like the use of Japanese/samurai culture, which is much more different than a normalized American setting. However, it still depicts the samurai with an American lens, and you can tell it’s a Hollywood-ized production. I’m not well versed on the film’s historical accuracy, so I can’t speak on that, but at least from what I saw, one could make an argument that this an American white saviour film. I would disagree, but I understand why someone would say so. But either way, it’s still a fun film that highlights ancestry and tradition. The production design is quite impressive, as it really pulls you into the time and setting. Not once did I ever feel like I was seeing a film set. By the time the film finished, I felt I was right along with anyone, in Japan in 1876. Same goes for the costumes. Everything felt so authentic, and it really did transport me. The entire cast was also on point, with exceptional performances from Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, and Hiroyuki Sanada. Cruise is good in anything he does, and his hardcore yet vulnerable performance is well noted. Plus, he has a beard and long hair, which made him instantly 1000000% hotter than he already is (which is certainly saying something). But the two biggest highlights of the film are this: any action sequence, and Hans Zimmer’s score. From the tiniest sword fight to the final stand, every scene is very well choreographed and fills you with so much angst and excitement. I was absolutely captivated, and in terms of action, this easily goes towards the top of all time best battle sequences in film history. Then there’s Hans Zimmer. We already know he’s a top three composer of all time, but this score might just be one of my favorites from him. Maybe even number one. It’s such a sweeping sound that perfectly captures each moment, and the emotion that fills the moment. It’s also crazy how this film marked his 100th score, yet it’s one of his best, showing that he never, never loses his touch. Overall, this film is brilliantly paced, showing a soft side to life, while also showing the bleakest of the bleak. It’s very entertaining, and very emotional, and I’m so glad I’ve finally seen it. I would recommend it to all action/drama fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!