Drinker's Extra Shots - The Last Samurai
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe, is a gorgeous looking, solidly written and excellently directed historical epic that doesn't get talked about nearly enough these days. Let's fix that.
Want to help support this channel?
Check out my novels: www.amazon.com...
Subscribe on Patreon: / thecriticaldrinker
Subscribe on Subscribestar: www.subscribes...
I loved the use of the cherry blossoms. Katsumoto said you could spend your life looking for a perfect blossom and it would not be a wasted life. When he's dying and the blossoms are falling all around him he sees them all as perfect and knows his life was well spent. That part was just so beautiful.
At last, someone else who understands that scene's significance.
“Perfect…they are all perfect” 🥲
Tell me how he died
@@travismcclymans5487 I will tell you how he lived
I remember this quote often myself. Like much of old traditional Japanese poetry and philosophy it's ponderous and meditative and makes you consider your values. It's a brilliant scene in a great film.
This was one of my Dad's favorite movies. We watched it together about a month before he passed and it'll always hold a special place in my heart.
Every family movie night my Dad had the request, "Anybody want to watch Predator?"
Fantastic 🤣🤣
Sorry to hear about your dad, man. Hope you’re doing okay.
@@bakerfresh your dad sounds awesome 👌
I'm sorry for your loss
There’s so many good things about this film. Zwick’s Direction, Zimmer’s music, Wantanbe and Cruise. But the thing that stood out the most was the transformation of Algen’s escort while in the village. He goes from disdain, to complete respect. So much so that he sacrifices his life for him.
The scene of the camera panning around Algren as he meditates and reveals his escort observing him has always stuck with me. Damn good filmmaking.
His escort samurai is one of the things that stood out to me as well. Great insight into the transformation of the narrative surrounding Captain Algren.
Interestingly enough, he wrote early drafts of The Great Wall.
You of course refer to the great and honourable Bob.
@@martiansoldier Bob indeed sir, unmistakeably Bob.
That's what makes this movie great. There are many such small character interactions that aren't really part of the bigger plot but are very deep and meaningful. Like the fact that he is housed in the house of the samurai who he killed and he builds relationships with that man's wife and son. The son's love for him is really heart wrenching as he sees his new father go off into a suicide mission. Very well written movie indeed.
A friend of mine was stationed in Japan at the time this film was released. He said this was the only film he had seen Japanese people cry while watching at the theater.
Dude I shed a tear at the end…”They are all perfect”
Emperor "Tell me how he died."
Algren "I will tell you how he lived."
Wow! Thats really saying something. Only recently (20yrs later) have the japanese thought it was acceptable to clap or cheer at films
Whoa
Wow, that's incredible!
The part when the Japanese officer starts yelling at the gun crews to stop firing as Kasimoto charges and is cut down. Then basically crawls to his knees and bows and all the other soldiers do same gets me to tear up everytime.
It never happened.
@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl go away mate
@@ilikethewaysnrubberthinks truth hurts doesn't it?
@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl we know. We just don’t care. This is a movie, not a documentary. Creative liberties are allowed
@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl of course we know it didn't happen you clown.
You know when an actor is that damn good, when clips with him from a shit ton of different movies keep flashing in front of your eyes and your brain goes "Oh, I remember this... This one was amazing! Hey, this too, great stuff. Ah this one was really f*cking great!"...
The Last Samurai is pure gold, never get tired to watch it.
Especially Collateral - probably my favorite Tom Cruise movie, and as far as I know the only time he plays a true villain.
When you think about, ther's Only really a small handfull of movies that Cruise was in, that were "Meh" at best.
Nearly 90% of the movies he's in are absolutly amazing.
I love the exchange near the end where Katsumoto asks about the 300 Spartans Algren mentioned earlier and Algren grins "Dead to the last man." They both share a laugh in the face of certain death. It's the same reason I love the Rohirrim singing at the battle of Pellenor, just having a grand old time in the midst of a world-ending hellish slaughter. There's just something about that attitude that inspires me.
When you accept you are already dead, you no longer fear anything to come. Good soldiers almost always share that trait.
@@Judicial78 reminds me of a segment from a sci-fi book i read a while back - a surfer is standing on a beach faced by 200-foot tall 200 mile an hour tidal wave and he says 'when death is inevitable, all there is left is style... style' and he rides the face of the wave until it smashes him into a tall building.
@Nix91exactly, surviving and watching his way of life be butchered is the bad ending. Going out in battle is the samurai way.
Deep in my heart, I believe this exchange is _why_ the movie 300 got made
“Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death.” - Nagao Kagetora (Uesugi Kenshin) the Dragon of Echigo.
Saw it at the cinema when it first came out, great film. That final cavalry charge breaks my heart every time.
Those scenes that just pull the emotion from you in an almost breathtaking way are few and far between. The opening of The Last of Us is that way, as well as that newer Sandra Bullock movie where she gets out of Jail. I won't spoil that if you haven't seen it, but there is a reveal that is so beautifully done IMO. I love scenes that can do that, while I hate feeling that despair in the moment, but every now and then recalibrating and getting in tune with that aspect of our humanity is cathartic.
And rhen they bust out the Gatling guns, tough to watch.
@@robertdouth8979 absolutely! Loved the tension and excitement when those Ninjas showed up while they were celebrating!
The Last Samurai sits in the same weird historical niche that the Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven does, in that it is at once an incredibly inaccurate and somewhat hamfisted movie that's also absolutely captivating and extremely deep. Watching and understanding it in its proper context, though, is incredibly enjoyable, and it does bring me back to a time when "historical drama" could exist and not be an exact retelling of actual events.
Though this movie is at least closer to the source if you loosely connect it to the novel Shogun, Kingdom of Heaven gets literally every single thing it could wrong about the people and period to deliver a now quite dated Iraq War/911 allegory.
@@JCDenton3 nah
I disagree on the Iraq stuff, I think you misunderstood what it was trying to say
@@roberthipolito1351 Ridley Scott literally said that was what it was an allegory for though, he made the film not me.
@@JCDenton3 wtf???
Well wouldn't be the first time he misunderstood the scripts he directs.
If you accept it as a historically-influenced but not historically accurate action movie, it works. Same with Gladiator.
Katsumoto’s line “They are all perfect.” Actually finishes the Haiku about cherry blossoms Katsumoto was trying to come up with earlier in the film. When asked about his Haiku, he says he is “having trouble with the ending.” And when he says “They are all perfect.” It’s five syllables, which is a traditional end to the 5-7-5 version of Haiku.
It’s also a spiritual revelation for the character. He discovered a truth about the universe as he was dying. With his last breath the character continued to grow as a person.
The gatling gun moment still makes me cry a bit, namely when you see the face of the Lieutenant filled both anger and regret at his actions, knowing he is destroying the last of the old Japan, a Japan he knew and loved and in his heart still believed in.
They moved from a horrible Japan. To one that was completely mad
@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl But the move was probably still for the best. But it hurts to cut ties like that.
That seems to be what most Japanese people who love the movie say. It's not that it's accurate in detail, but that te emotions it portrays are real.
The Japanese that cut down the Samurai would probably do it again. But they understand that they lost something, and they're not happy about it. But it was time to move on.
(And as you put it, temporarily it put them into an even crazier place where they mixed the worst parts of Samurai attitude with the worst parts of Western imperialism and supremacy)
@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl Few things that Japan did during WWII were mad. The Rape of Nanking was justified (indeed it didn't go far enough) based on the past actions of the nation of China, and here again in the present they're proving the Japanese didn't go far enough.
One of the best on screen bloopers that was left in the movie happens just before the final battle. Cruise rides his horse back to the Samurai after meeting the generals in the middle of the battlefield. As he gets back to the Samurai he jumps off his horse and then the horse kicks some unfortunate soul in the nuts.
Hope that guy already had kids cus he’s not having any more.
I looked it up. That's hilarious lol
He takes it so well, too. Instead of crying out, he just backs up into the ranks. Maybe they kept it in out of respect and admiration.
Realistically I'm sure cavalry forces throughout history had to deal with plenty of well-aimed horse kicks to the sisters. So I guess it adds to the realism lol
@@robwalsh9843 That's actually a fair point.
Tom Cruise delivered the performance of his life in this movie. When he screams in torment for booze, tormented by the memories of the atrocities he lived, I get shivers every damn time.
That final battle and death of Watanabe as he looks at the cherry trees is one of the best scenes in cinematic history
And not to mentioned that it sounds and looks artistically poetic, all at the same time.
Whilst the onlooking Japanese troops with their guns drop to a knee and cry
Criminally underrated and undervalued as a hallmark piece of cinema in my opinion. Easily a Top 5 Hans Zimmer score too. He really went all in on it musically.
this film hands down has one of the best endings in all of cinema. maybe the best work hans zimmer ever did.
“A Small Measure of Peace” (on my wife’s TH-cam account) is my favorite pieces of music produced by Hans Zimmer.
Absolutely correct, sir!
I went through a phase of convincing my friends to watch this movie coz I felt not enough people knew about it lol so underrated
this movie and kingdom of heaven Director's cut are two I always recommend for people looking for period pieces that are fictionalized history. Kingdom of Heaven was butchered on the cutting floor for the theatrical cut and the whole film is a masterpiece in my eyes
The support cast are just brilliant in their performance
gotta love bob
that rascal
The translator guy. Played wormtail in the Harry Potter movies.
@@ATSaale he was delightful... until he asked about 'scalping' .. then shitgot dark
It's a classic. Everything about it is perfect for me. Writing, acting, cinematography, music and casting.
I think a standout moment from this film was when Higen and Algren were talking on the porch...
Higen: "I would be afraid to go into battle."
Algren: "So would I."
Higen: "But you've been in many battles!?"
Algren: "And I was always afraid."
That was amazing bonding moment. He hated Algren for killing his dad, but ended up loving him. Great storytelling.
I always thought this was such an underrated and under appreciated film!
Same
It's neither. A lot of ppl like this movie. This was before the whole "cultural appropriation" garbage infected stupid ppl.
One of the few movies I gave 10 out of 10. Another one is Blood Diamond, which was directed by the same guy. And it makes me wonder, why isn't he more famous making amazing films like these.
He also did Glory with Denzel Washington.
Loved Blood Diamond. Very good movie.
Love seeing some appreciation for Blood Diamond! All time fave! Incredible soundtrack as well.
@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 The "baboon speech" was both funny and gave an insight into the psyche and capabilities of Leo's character.
Blood Diamond is a very Hollywoodized take on the setting. The massacre in the city serves as a mere background set piece for the escape of the two main characters rather than being the focus of the scene, which I thought was a bit poorly thought out.
All these extra shots really take me down memory lane. Always felt alone in my appreciation for the films that you've brought back into the light, if only for a short time. Hopefully those that haven't been able to see these now classics can watch and appreciate them as I always have.
I have seen it long ago but just like Matrix I couldn't fully grasp the themes and implications as a dumb kid. I think I would like the movie if I were to watch it now.
You’re not alone.
Watched this recently with friend. We forgot how good storytelling can be when “THE MESSAGE” is not the focus. Loved it.
The ninja assault on the village is one of the most heart-pounding action scenes ever. I almost applauded when it was over.
It’s cool, however Ninjas would never engage Samurais in open combat.
@@daneoman1000 You're right of course, but I guess it's never expressly stated that they're "ninja" in the movie. I always just thought of them as a commando team sent to take out the leader of the rebellion. I am not sure it's possible to really depict ninja accurately in a film, given the fact there's not a lot of historical information about them in the first place.
Late response here. Saw it when it came out, EVERYONE applauded that fight scene when it ended. It was awesome.
I'm glad you showed some love for this movie. I chose it for my film presentation at acting school in New York, and everyone was extremely puzzled by it, especially because most chose pretty niche and artsy movies, but there is so much that's profound here that doesn't get enough attention. A lot of people don't like the film because they think it's a white savior story but that couldn't be farther from the truth. The Last Samurai doesn't refer to Tom Cruise, it refers to the samurai that saved him from a life of regret, waste, a lack of discipline, and a path of self-destruction that would've surely led to his death. It is a somber tale that most western audiences can't relate to, how 1000 years of samurai tradition, discipline, and honor was overtaken by machinery, industry, and the inevitability of time. Ken Watanabe is a standout performance, I can't help but cry every time he looks at the cherry blossoms, dying of his wounds, and says, "perfect".
Totally agree with your assessment. It’s much deeper than it gets credit for without being pretentious or deliberately obfuscatory (I’m looking at you The Lighthouse)
And I cry every time too. Especially when his son is killed
Very good assessment, it was the samurai who saved Tom Cruise's character, not the other way around.
Many western audiences hear the title and go "oh, a white dude is the last samurai?". But samurai is the plural of samurai; so I always interpreted the title as referring to the group that Cruise's character was captured by, they were the Last Samurai. Great movie. Very romanticized version of bushido to be sure, but that is what the movie is paying homage to, the ideal, not necessairly what it was actually like.
@@erdrickcapet3945 That's an interesting take, I hadn't considered the plural of Samurai being Samurai. I thought it was because Tom Cruise eventually got made into one and he was the last one left on the battlefield, making him the last Samurai in the end - a sort of ironic tragedy that the only Samurai left in the end would be one of the foreigners who supplanted them. But yours makes total sense too and I'm wondering if maybe it was meant to be a dual meaning that's open to interpretation.
"I will miss our conversations" - get's me every time
This is one of my all-time favorite movies. The best part of the movie is the differences between the western mind and the eastern mind. The clash of two different ways of thinking. The philosophy of Katsumoto and the how he changes Nathan Algren's philosophy about life. It is a really deep understanding about how sometimes we are powerless to the changes in life. Ultimately it is about living your life with honor no matter the sacrifice or the consequences. That is Bushido. Life in every breath.
I remember when this movie came out, TCM showed a trio of Akira Kurosawa films cohosted by Tom Cruise. I stayed up into the early morning watching 7 Samurai, Yojimbo, and Throne of Blood, it was a great and memorable night!
Not surprised, those 3 are for me the best of Kurosawa's films, the acting of Mifune in Throne of Blood is amazing. Impossible to not love those 3 films.
@@MrMagual82 Thoughts on Sanjuro?
The thing that stuck with me the most about this movie was that part of Algren's character was his disillusionment of General Custer and his last stand, and then the first time he meets Katsumoto not only does he know about Custer, but he likes him. Katsumoto is completely onboard with the concept of a last stand, and it dovetails into the climax nicely.
Yeah but Algren knew what kind of man custer was, which was a flamboyant arrogant prick who's antics got all of his men needlessly killed. I'll bet he wished he'd taken his Gattling guns with him instead of leaving them behind.
I always thought this movie was so underrated. The second act is filled with absolutely gorgeous slow-paced scenery that let's the film breathe.
Thanks for reminding me of this one Drinker, I think im gonna watch it tonight with the wife
i love how you edited all the Cruise running scenes together , its basically a staple of his films - he WILL have a running scene at some point in the movie !!
He has to, that is what makes Earth rotate. Duh
Wait until he runs in space. Not kidding. And now you're laughing :)
Cant catch me gay thoughts!
Ironic cause the Last Samurai actually doesn't involve his usual running.
Hey man, you'd run too if you pissed off Xenu as much as he has.
Even just these scenes with your narration over them are captivating.
I like to think that the ending to Katsumoto's poem is either
"Life in every breath" or
"They are all perfect"
even though they are in English. This film has some truly beautiful lines in it.
"The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life"...one of my favorite all time movie lines
It also has a ridiculously underrated Soundtrack. During the final battle, when the fighting has come to its peak, the music simultaneously does the same. It's hard to describe but I'm not sure if I've ever seen and/or heard anything like it in another film. It's a top 10 Movie for me and i'm not ashamed to admit that.
I’ve waited for the day Drinker covered this film.
The Last Samurai is one of my favourite movies ever.
That Final Charge is beautiful. The tears on the one Japanese general broke me. Man, such a phenomenal movie.
Also, “I will miss our conversations”. That line…
I hope Drinker covers Jack Reacher and MI- Fallout. Christopher McQuarrie is easily the best action filmmaker working today. Fallout is insanely well crafted.
But for now, thank you for this Drinker. 🙌🍻
TLS is one of those films i wake up and remember every once and a while. Give it a rewatch. Absolute gold
This really deserved a whole episode instead of just an extra shot.
This movie is so well done it brings me to tears when Katsumoto dies every single time I watch it. Just a masterful piece of storytelling and character development.
They are all perfect.
Same
Quite possibly my favourite Tom Cruise movie. Watching this made me fall in love with Japanese culture. Thank you for bringing it up
Someone who understands what a real movie treasure Tom Cruise is. His filmography and work with some of the best directors is very underrated. The Last Samurai is one of his best.
I watch the last samurai once every year and it is a timeless masterpiece! I also have the soundtrack that I listen to annually. Which reminds me, Hans Zimmerman did a phenomenal job with the soundtrack as it fits perfectly with the entire motif of the film.
Ever watch any Akira Kurosawa movies? Not to knock something you like, but you should check out some authentic samurai movies if you enjoyed this. Seven Samurai is a good place to start.
@@AtariDad the old forty ronin is one of my favorites
@@AtariDad Akira Kurosawa films are INCREDIBLE! Been watching them since the 90s. I have Seven Samurai in my DVD rack.
One of a handful of my favorite movies all-time. So underrated. Thank you.
This is one of my favorite movies ever, thank you so much for making a video about it! I'm even more appreciative of this masterpiece in recent years as it not only stands as a great reminder of what timeless, meaningful storytelling looks like but also directly battles modernity and prioritizes tradition and honor. The fact that we'll probably never see movies like this again is as devastating as the incomparable final charge of this film.
You nailed it, well said. We live in tragic times, everything beautiful is fading away, lost forever one treasure at a time.
It also shows why real costumes, decorations and fights are better, compared to 47 Ronins with CGI monsters. The full atmosphere requires everything to be real, holding swords near the green screen is not enough.
Thank you for covering this. Thats my favorite movie of all time and i watch it every year several times and still cry on some occasions. Just everything seems perfect for me in this film. The Music, a man fighting his own demons, the mutual respect and honor.
Massively underrated movie. Will always be favourite film. A truly special, emotionally gripping and amazing story.
Bit of trivia! His character was based on William Adams in real life, who was a trader who ended up stranded on a Japanese coast. He became personal friends with Ieyasu Tokugawa, the Shogun at the time, and he was given the name 'Miura Anjin'. He lived in Japan for the rest of his life, and, according to his friend's eye witness account, actively began to ignore other foreign traders and only interacted with the Japanese. He wrote in his journal that he considered himself more Japanese than European. The saddest part is, there is a street in Nihonbashi named after him, as well as a mural in Hiroshima where he died. Whereas in his home country, he doesn't even exist. So, if anyone ever yells 'white savior' about this film, hit them with that piece of info :)
Edit: Correction (in the comments below) - it seems they actually took more inspiration from a French officer named Jules Brunet. Thanks @The Shogunate !
Everyone knows he came to Japan to search for his guardian spirit Saoirse who was stolen by Edward Kelly gosh.
I think you're confusing this with Shogun by James Clavell (with a tv show version coming up soon). I believe Algren's character is based off a French military officer (I forget the name) who joined in with the Samurai during the Boshin war, the period this film is set in. William Adams arrived in Japan 250 years prior at the end of Sengoku
They certainly used bits of William Adams, but the main reference for Nathan Algren (The character Tom Cruise plays) is actually a French officer named Jules Brunet who fought alongside the Shogunate forces in the Boshin War.
@@TheShogunate Hey! Nothing like getting backed up by the best Japanese history channel on TH-cam! Love your stuff dude!
@@TheShogunateWhoah! Not only did I get info that I was totally unaware of, but I got it from *The Shogunate*? I am absolutely honored to be corrected by you! I had no idea about Jules Brunet, so I will definitely look into him. I find Miura/William so interesting, that he got made a samurai by Tokugawa himself.
One of my favorite movies all time. A true underrated masterpiece.
This is one of the 3 films that I saw in the cinema that I went and bought another ticket for as soon as I'd finished watching it. I think this is probably Tom Cruise's best work. I saw him as a different kind of actor after this film, he arguably wasn't the hero of the story. He's an observer in a bigger issue and seeks to reconcile with his personal demons by doing what he sees as "the right thing" for the first time in his military career. The only thing I wish had been fleshed out more in this film was the parallel between Cruise's character and the Japanese general that was formerly a samurai. It would have been interesting to see some more between those two, rather than having him beheaded at the end of the first fight. I do understand the plot device that was achieved by that scene, but I still think there was value to be gained there.
What were the other 2? X
This has been one of my favourite films ever since my dad showed it to me when I was a kid. As I've gotten older, instead of just watching it for the action scenes (the scene on the bridge with the archers immediately comes to mind) I have started to appreciate the nuance woven into the film through incredible writing, directing, and performances. Truly an underrated gem and well worth a watch.
This is personally one of my favorite movies. The battle scenes, the evolution of characters, and the detailed culture of pre industrial revolution in Japan really made it for me. Also, the ninja assault was a suprising scene I wish you had mentioned Drinker, but it's all good. Cheers.
This was a surprisingly poignant and respectful film for Hollywood to have made, and that’s coming from a massive fan of classic 50s-60s Japanese cinema. I will always highly recommend the 1962 film Harakiri as being the highest achievement of the samurai genre and the best cinematic example of what true honor is that I have seen.
I'll second that rec. Great film; anyone who sees this comment, listen to him and go watch it if you haven't seen it before!
@@redsoxu571 I still need to see HARAKIRI. What do you think of Kurosawa’s own samurai movies like SEVEN SAMURAI, and YOJIMBO, and SANJURO? I love the first two, haven’t yet seen the third in my list
@@AnandVenigalla you haven't seen Tsubaki Sanjuro?? that is a crime and has to be rectified immediately, friend lol
no but srsly you should watch that one
@@AnandVenigalla I've loved anything I've seen of Kurosawa's. Yojimbo is one of my favorite films, period...I will admit though that I haven't yet gotten around to Sanjuro! I'm looking forward to that one.
Yes, Harakiri is another must see film.
This has been my favorite movie for several years now. Glad to see this pop up here. If you can find it on disc or youtube, the behind the scenes are great too.
Thank you for highlighting this brilliant film!
And Tom Cruise deserves all the praise; he really is the last Hollywood superstar.
He also didn't take any payment for this movie to be made. Awesome man.
I grew up watching this movie. It was the first movie that started my interest in Japan culture and history. Thank you for your praise in this amazing movie =)
Tom is just that damn good, from the 1st time I've seen his classic Mission Impossible to the recent Maverick, I'm always satisfied by his work
Don't forget Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder!
genuinely intimidating in 'Collateral' - I remember the fuss when he was cast in 'Interview with a Vampire' and the pleasant surprise all the naysayers got when it came out
@@douglaswilliams6834 that role proved to me he can do comedy, and do it really well! I still to this day laugh with my little brother when we do the "G5" dance to Low 😂😂😂
@@richardhockey8442 a fantastic classic and his ability to be creepy/scary was amazing. Truly one of my favorite films ever
The Last Samurai is one of my favorite movies. I made a music video trilogy about it. I wish I still had those videos. A early youtube purge forced them off my channel and then my hard drive that held the files died. I used to also host the video files on my website so probably some people downloaded them. They may exist somewhere, oh well.
The scenery, acting, soundtrack, writing and tone are all perfect. This movie is exceptional and one of the best I've ever seen.
The cinematography is beautiful too, it’s so well shot.
This one has been on my top 5 movies list. This one made me see Tom Cruz in a different light as an actor. He does an amazing job of showing the internal pain and struggle in every expression in every scene. Great performance.
The little brush stroke of the old man there.
The very old samurai who is assigned as Tom Cruise guardian. Almost a comical relief but the guy dies in Battle doing his task. Without even any fancy editing or shot but the reaction of Cruise realizing how true the values were.
That's what I treasure from this film.
It is a great movie, one I rewatch every couple years or so. Tom Cruise is great in it, probably one of his best. Historically though, it's a rather loose & fast representation of what happened during the Meiji Reconstruction, when Japan finally opened up and modernized. There were actually several foreign advisors that came in from France, UK, US, etc that helped train the nationalized Japanese army, but no account of an American joining the Samurai. Speaking of the Samurai, they actually did use rifles when they could get their hands on them, in conjunction with their traditional ones... they weren't completely foolish to pass up a tactical advantage. The whole relationship they had with the people of Japan then is also a bit skewed... Shogun leaders were seen as thugs by many in the modernized Japan, clinging on to the old ways simply because they wanted to retain their power and hold over the rural areas, which some of them did ruthlessly and more or less held their people hostage. In the end though, this is a gorgeous movie that captures a lot of the period well, beautifully shot, acted, and scored (Hans Zimmer strikes again).
Ken Watanabe deserved an oscar for his performance.
He was nominated for this. I can't remember who won that year though.
Let's not forget the music. The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful!
One of my absolute favourite films, brilliant acting, great soundtrack and the ending where Tom Cruise kneels with Katsumoto's katana before the emperor never fails to make me cry.
This movie is criminally underrated and should have made a bigger splash when it came out. It's a movie you couldn't make today because DiVErsItY/ wHiTE WasHinG or whatever. I watched this movie on the big screen every week till it left the theater, shedding tears during most of the viewings. Drinker hit the nail on the head.
You could make it today. He would just have to be French. Dances with wolves probably couldn't be redone, which is too bad in a way. Hostiles was really good though. It's not all bad. The Americana in This movie was a little unnecessary. Ought to have been French, could be done except that cruise already made it so probably not any money in a more accurate remake anyway.
Conservatives try not to be covert racists challenge: LEVEL IMPOSSIBLE
They have a name for it; the white saviour trope. It's what Dune has been accused of
@@erikred8217 , one of the suspected reasons the script was changed was due to anti French sentiments at the time. Regardless, you're right.
@@DjigitDaniel yeah. what a bunch of babies. no wonder they ended up with bad political cancers of the head. So petty and cowardly when it comes to artistic principle vs cash.
I’s great to hear the critical drinker praise a movie I’ve always loved.
The last Samurai and Collateral are probably my 2 favorite Tom Cruise films. Probably because they are so different from what you typically
expect from a standard Tom Cruise movie. The soundtrack for this also deserves a special mention.
Tropic Thunder 😉
Exactly! My two favorite Tom Cruise movies too!
I think something you missed was also showing the character the traditional life and the mentality of the samurai by living with the family of the samurai he killed in single combat
That's why this movie and seven samurai are so amazing and so not Hollywood. Hollywood is often just brain dead.
I am a HUGE fan of Japanese cinema, and I can say without reservation that this is as extremely close and honest as Hollywood DID and will EVER come to making an authentic historical Japanese epic film! Something tells me Hollywood will never make something like THIS ever again!
Hollywood can't even cast these days
@@ΑναστάσιοςΠαπαζαχαρίου Right. Today, they'd have people from every race traipsing around 19th century Japan, and a gay subplot between Algren and Katsumoto.
Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is everything. So good.
one of the few movies that made me cry, very touching without being artificial, this clash of young and old itraditions are many times so touching.
Great Film, and it's based slightly off reality. When I lived in Japan, I lived in a town called Anjinzuka, which was named after Anjin Miura, a.k.a. William Adams. He was a man that was forced to land in japan during a time when outsiders were killed. He went on to become a great statesman and samurai, and died in Japan.
This is an amazing film, I can't believe its now 20 years old!
I can't believe he's 60!
Dear god, I'm a fucking relic.
I absolutely love this movie. I know it's Hollywoodized history but, especially at the time this was released, there was not a lot of Japanese culture that I could relate to in media. I am 1/4 Japanese and my grandmother, who's from Japan, raised me on a lot of the small customs shown in the movie. It's almost yearly viewing at our house and one of the few American films she'll watch with me.
Fun fact: My girlfriend (at the time of this being released) is from Himeji where some of this was shot. Her father is a renowned chef in that area and one of the only men in Japan who has a license to run a restaurant in a temple here.
Some of the scenes in the movie were shot in Shoshazan Engyoji where her father works and close by to where the family lives. She met Tom and interviewed Edward Zwick about the movie. I still have an audio recording of it somewhere.
One of my favorite movies ever for more reasons than one.
An excellent movie. There's a TH-camr called "Gaijin Goombah" that works to make Japanese culture accessible to Western audiences, typically using popular shows and movies that originated from Japan as a window into their culture and history. He talked up "The Last Samurai" as being not only a good movie, but being a great representation of what it's like for a foreigner to try to integrate into Japan. (He lived and taught English there as part of the JET program.) Some people might be interested in checking out his channel, and that video in particular.
Damn, he is still making vids? I completely forgot about him. Thanks for the recommend.
Agreed. I absolutely love this film! So easy to watch, (and rewatch over and over). Tom Cruise is very good and Ken Watanabe is as brilliant as always.
This is easily one of Cruises top 3 movies of all time. Epically delivered and both Cruise and Watanabe are absolutely amazing in this. Not to mention anything with Hiroyuki Sanada in it is gonna be excellent. So emotional and an amazingly well written story. The score is one of my favorite all time as well. A 9 out of 10 in my book.
Excellent review.
Agreed
And let's not forget Timothy Spall's great supporting role.
I ended up watching the Last Samurai on TV one time as a kid. The final calvary charge traumatized me and gave me nightmares for weeks. God I love that scene.
The final charge brought tears to my eyes as the captain orders his men to ceasefire as he sees those which were once legends pass on into an age that history will look back on.
Truly poignant stuff.
Definitely one of my all time favorite. Highly recommend. Thank you, Drinker, for spotlighting it. Cheers, mate.
Fantastic movie. Seeing the one clip from Collateral makes me wish you would review that movie too at some point. That movie means to much to me and I'd like to hear whether you think it's a good movie or a flawed one.
I'm not him, but I think Collateral was pretty good. Cruise and Foxx were great, and I love how the whole movie looked a lot like "Heat" (Michael Mann directed that one too).
I won't say anything about the female actress, cause I don't want to get punched by Will Smith, but... she was good too.
I know is not what you were asking for, but hey... if he doesn't review it, at least you got this crappy opinion from a randy XD
Cheers!
Yes, he should do Collateral!
I love Collateral. Whenever I watch that movie, I always think that Tom Cruise should play a villain more often. As far as I know, it's the only movie where he plays a villain, not counting "Interview with the vampire" because I think in that he was just villain-ish 😉
@@PantoniStrikesBack Well, that was a nice reply. Thank you very much.^^
This is a brilliant film. I watched it with a room full of my boys. We were drinking, joking and laughing at the beginning, but by the end, it was quiet in the room. No tears flowed, but you can tell all of us were holding them back. The Last Samurai just proves you don't have to 'see yourself' to identify with characters. Just write them well, with a great story, and you'll connect with the audience.
One of my absolute favorite movies. The score is fantastic too.
One of my all time favorites. My wife also loves it! Excellent on all fronts, I could simply watch this forever
One of the really great movies. Everything in it, every scene, every look, every sound is just E P I C !
I'm going to have to rewatch this movie. I remember loving it when I saw it but I was 14 I think when I saw it in theaters. Tom Cruise is one of my all time favorite actors. I always appreciate his intensity and commitment to his roles. That being said, I'd be real interested in seeing the Drinker's take on Ad Astra. I don't think he's done it before, and I think Brad Pitt, like Tom Cruise, brings so much to his roles and has continued to age like a fine wine. Ad Astra was such a different Sci Fi movie than is usual as well. Ad Astra next, Drinker! haha
My favourite film of all time and it just gets better with age - the music, cinematography and acting are incredible, brilliant film from the glory days of historical epics
You mustn't forget that Han Zimmer score. Coupled with the amazing direction and visuals make it a masterpiece. Everytime the Japanese ( I think he's perhaps a general ) forces them to stop firing with tears in his eyes, bows to Katsumoto always wrecks me. I watch this flick every year on New Years eve.
One of Tom Cruise’s best movies and Tom Cruise is one of the best actors ever.
I wouldn’t say he’s one of the “best”, but he’s one of the most charismatic. Same goes for Keanu Reeves and The Rock.
One aspect of this really extraordinary film that you didn't mention I can speak to from experience. In the early 2000s, there were a number of young men who were coming back from war, and were suffering and burned out. This movie did a good job of making Cruise's character seem like a real burned out vet who is pretty relatable by modern standards. Obviously, the native American massacre backstory is one dimensional and reductionist in this film (probably the weakest part of the entire movie) but regardless of why he was hurting, the hurt itself came across as authentic. His performance in the early part of the movie where he self loathingly sells high tech toys to curious onlookers for the Winchester company struck a chord with a real combat vet, which is definitely worth noting. Very few movies "get it" in any meaningful way.
Nothing reductionist about his story. Those types of masacres happened, and I'm sure more than one soldier regreted partaking in such events
@@TheRogueJedii No, nothing at all reductionist about the fact that the ONLY view we get into a long and complex conflict during this period is literally a massacre of women and children. No. That isn't reductionist at all.
@@jubalbiggs4559 perhaps a bit, yes. They did not show much of his backstory. All I meant to point out is that such things happened. The main focus was on his adventures in Japan. But I get your point.
Thank you for reminding me how much I love this film. It was one of my first encounters with Japanese culture when I was a wee lad of 10 years and now almost 20 years later I've learned some decent japanese, visited the country and completely fell in love with the culture and history. Such a film would be unthinkable in today's movie landscape.
これ好きです！Yeah it inspired me to go to Japan too :)
5:31 that actor wasn't watching the machine gun charge, he was looking at an empty field. That's what you call an actor 🫡
Some extra shout-outs for people who helped make this movie as excellent as it is: I find Hiroyuki Sanada (Ujio in this film) always improves everything he's in, so I like to shout him out where I can... But, the big one is John Toll, the Director of Photography. There's no other way to put it: this movie is *breathtaking*. One of the most beautifully shot films I've ever seen, and the score complements the visuals amazingly.
Beautifully summarised for a bloody beautifil film! MASTERPIECE!
I saw The Last Samurai a couple of years after it came out and was obsessed by it. I used to watch in every day for about a year and literally thought about ot again yesterday and now you upload this video!
Thanks for the perfect timing, Drinker!
my most favourite movie of Tom Cruise by far! saying that since a loooong time. nice to see you point out all the things I loved about the movie.
I have been wishing that you would review this movie! Thank you so much!