Following
in the tradition of classics like Lawrence of Arabia and Dances With
Wolves, The Last Samurai is yet another film that portrays a “white”
soldier who finds his true calling and identity in the midst of a foreign
culture. Predictably, this realization leads the hero—in this case, Captain
Nathan Algren, an American civil war veteran who is haunted by his military
past—to side with his new allies—the last remaining band of samurai—and lead
them in a final, glorious revolt against the corrupt, oppressive culture Algren
only recently served with such valour.
Not
surprisingly, America is portrayed throughout the film as a seductive,
corrupting force, undermining the ancient Japanese code of honor—bushido—in
the pursuit of cold hard cash. This plays perfectly into the hands of Japanese
industrialists who are eager to modernize their country and make a quick buck
in the process.
The
conflict between the old Japan and the new, Americanized version of the country
is most poignant when Japanese businessman/minister Omura frantically orders
his troops—freshly trained by American mercenaries—to pull out the “new
machines” to stop an oncoming army of samurai. These new machines turn out to
be hand-cranked Gatling guns (recent purchases from America) that are capable
of firing 200 rounds per minute. Omura’s troops proceed to turn an entire
battery of these guns on the samurai—who are armed only with swords and
bows—mowing them down until not a single man remains. When it is all over,
instead of celebrating their victory, Omura’s soldiers fall to their knees in a
tearful tribute to Katsumoto, the leader of the samurai. Even Omura realizes
that he and his troops have done more than squelch a small uprising of rebels
that day. They’ve obliterated the core of their nation’s soul. And there’s no
going back from here.
True to its genre, this film also romanticizes the
samurai, depicting them as disciplined, enlightened people whose entire lives
are based around the strict bushido code and martial arts training. Add in the
fact that they live in a peaceful, remote mountain village, and it’s almost as
if Capt. Algren has stumbled across paradise when they take him captive there.
But lest we forget the dark shadow of death that lurks beneath this seemingly
idyllic world, the filmmakers wisely place Capt. Algren in the home of a man he
killed during his capture. There, Algren is forced to live with the dead man’s
wife and two young sons for an entire winter. This shattered family serves as a
constant reminder to both Algren and the viewer that those who live by the
sword may also die by it; but it is those left behind who pay the ultimate
price for the honor these strong men hold so dear.