The Last Samurai - Patreon Version
Added 2023-06-29 13:00:05 +0000 UTC
Comments
Super late to comment, but I've been saving this for when I had time, because this is definitely one of my all-time favorite movies. I adore Japanese culture (it's my dream and goal to one day live there), so this movie is one of the few that make me cry EVERY time. To watch you be in awe of the customs and tragedies that are depicted in this will make this reaction one of my favorites of yours too.
Darchangel
2023-07-09 04:04:16 +0000 UTCLove this movie - it might not surprise you to learn a lot of the scenery is from New Zealand :) Also, of course the soundtrack, which adds so much to the movie - is Hans Zimmer! What I love the most is the acting - so many looks, gestures and glances instead of dialogue. So many movies seem to be afraid that if their characters don't talk about what they're feeling, we won't understand. There's a simple humanity in non-verbal communication, and it makes this movie far more powerful I think. Military ranks are a hard thing to explain, because they differ in different armies, and even different situations. Some common elements: "Private" is the lowest rank, and they command no-one. "General" as you guessed is usually the highest rank. Algren was a captain (you might recall Winters from Band of Brothers was a Captain for a while - when he commanded Easy Company. So like Algren says - Captain is kind of a middle-rank. Winters started as Lieutenant, then became a Captain, then Major. He reported to a Colonel, and Colonel's report to Generals).
crawlie
2023-06-30 23:15:24 +0000 UTCThird this! Dances with Wolves is a great movie!
Robert da Spruce
2023-06-30 03:45:32 +0000 UTCWonderful reaction Dasha! I also really like this movie. To answer a few of your questions: Tom Cruise’s Japanese isn’t very good. He has a pretty severe accent. But this is nothing new. He has a pretty thick accent in other languages like French in other films. Although they kinda explained it in the movie, the General killing himself is called Seppuku. Also referred to as Hara-Kiri. Hara-Kiri is actually the act of disemboweling oneself. Seppuku is the entire ritual. Usually including decapitation by another person. The decapitation was usually an act of mercy. So the person committing suicide wouldn’t suffer. The movie itself is kinda accurate. It’s an amalgam of historical events, mixed with fictional characters, and embellished events. You can read more about the accuracy of the film here: https://screenrant.com/last-samurai-movie-true-story-algren-jules-brunet/
Robert da Spruce
2023-06-30 03:43:17 +0000 UTCNathan Uhlgren: “Together we will make the emperor hear you.” Dasha: “The movie’s called The Last Samurai. I don’t think it will end well” Worth the price of admission. I love your point of view.
Greg Nelson
2023-06-29 23:46:48 +0000 UTCIt genuinely is an exceptional movie - I think they were hard done by at the Oscars only getting 4 nominations and some Golden Globe nominations, though to be fair even to get one is a big deal and I think we downplay that too much sometimes. Fun fact: even though it's a US production, it has a bigger box office in Japan than the US which is very unusual (and the US box office wasn't tiny - it's one of the all time biggest grossing movies in Japan which IMHO is an indicator of credibility if nothing else). It isn't directly analogous to real people or events but it is based on various events and people, and Cruise' character seems to be an amalgam of several people. What I really like is the theme music that is played at the end, it's really memorable - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P93JhrkedV0
Martin Nicholls
2023-06-29 23:43:00 +0000 UTCSecond this!
Jeff I.
2023-06-29 19:44:59 +0000 UTCHighly recommend Dances with Wolves. Incredibly majestic & epic film. Very similar themes to The Last Samurai.
Paul Ark
2023-06-29 18:03:30 +0000 UTCSame. Excited to watch this one tonight!
Robert da Spruce
2023-06-29 13:19:39 +0000 UTCOh this is gonna be great! Excited to watch this later, my work day can't end soon enough!
James Hawkins
2023-06-29 13:04:20 +0000 UTC
