In 1876, former U.S. Army Captain Nathan Algren, a skilled soldier who has become a bitter alcoholic traumatized by the atrocities he committed during the American Indian Wars, is approached by his former commanding officer Colonel Bagley. This acted as a backdrop for many scenes, as opposed to the built up cities of Japan. Algren then exemplifies their unpreparedness by having Simon order one of the troops to shoot him or threatening to shoot the soldier himself. Click on During prepositions however, General Hasegawa, an experienced general who fought alongside and respects Katsumoto (the rebellions leader) refuses to fight against him and as a result Algren is left to command their forces due to their officers being inexperienced even though Bagley orders him to move to the rear but he defies him, Bagley moves to the rear of the army while Algren is left in charge. [6] With these deaths, the Satsuma rebellion came to an end. He gets wounded several times, but continues to fight against the enemies, and doesn't stop fighting until he is completely dead/could go no longer. Title: Samurai Riot Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie Release Date: 13 Sep, 2017. For one more layer of thematic accessibility, Cruise's character in The Last Samurai explainsGreek history to Katsumoto by citing theBattle of Thermopylae (the premise for Zack Snyder's 300), and essentially explains the concept of protecting one's homeland at all costs to the audience. Why Anne Rice Hated Tom Cruise's Interview With The Vampire Casting, The Gilded Age True Story: How Well It Gets The Real History Right, 1883 True Story & Every Real Life Character Explained, Every Tom Cruise Horror Movie Ranked Worst To Best. He wound up staying in order to aid the samurai in a battle against Imperialists trying to further Westernize the country. stunt performer . Several of the village scenes were shot on the Warner Bros. Studios backlot in Burbank, California. The Last Samurai's Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on theiconic Japanese samuraiSaig Takamori. Battle is featured in song Shiroyama on album The Last Stand of Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton. He decides to organize a revolt against the new imperial Army and the progressive measures they . Ujio Phil DeSanti . Goals A Samurai had the right to kill an ingrate who accidentally or intentionally touches him or his swords. Ujio and his horse fall as he is He informs Algren that his betrayal and decision to side against them makes him nothing more than an enemy and that there will be no mercy for him but Algren is unconcerned and apprises him that he will be looking for him on the field. "[19], The fictional character of Katsumoto bears a striking resemblance to the historical figure of Saig Takamori, a hero of the Meiji Restoration and the leader of the ineffective Satsuma Rebellion, who appears in the histories and legends of modern Japan as a hero against the corruption, extravagance, and unprincipled politics of his contemporaries. Expert marksmanshipDeterminationMilitary tacticsSwordsmanship (after being trained by samurai)CharismaCombat proficiencyHigh intelligence As the war dragged on, this battle cry became most famously associated with so-called "Banzai charges"last-ditch human wave attacks that saw Japanese troops run headlong into American lines.. Algren said (something along the lines of - paraphrased) "I have to fight because this modern army has come to destroy what I have come to love." But due to politeness, the samurai may choose not to. Nathan Algren (simply known as Algren) is the main protagonist from Edward Zwick's 2003 American epic war movieThe Last Samurai. He executes a perfect dismount/roll and comes back up just carving through every enemy in his way. Ujio (1833-24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and master swordsman of the Satsuma Domain who served under Saigo Takamori during the Satsuma Rebellion. For example, Jack Reacher's Ed Zwick and companyAmericanize the storyline, with Cruise bringing the spirit of Brunet's story to the big screen. Her family includes three brothers and two sisters. Bagley and Omura lead a force of over 30,000 troops compared to the samurai's 500 and are confident of victory, the latter being overconfident however. The cast also assisted the reception ofThe Last Samuraiby the people of Japan, particularly when it came to Ken Watanabe and Tom Cruise's presence in the film. Algren manages to survive, meets with the Emperor, and seemingly begins a new life with Katsumoto's sister, Taka (Koyuki Kato). Still, Brunet did play a role in the Japanese wars of the time, and Saig did indeed sacrifice his life in the name of Japanese traditions. Financially, crushing the Satsuma Rebellion cost the government a total of 420,000,000 (8,400,000),[7] forcing Japan off the gold standard and causing the government to print paper currency. Seppuku gave the warrior one last chance to show his manliness and courage in those instances. After firing a final barrage of artillery lasting the night, Yamagata's men attacked Saig's position. Bagley and Algren overlooking the new Imperial Army. While innumerable descendants of former samurai live on in Japan to this day, there are essentially three primary schools of thought on when the last "true" samurai died. Nathan despises Bagley for his war crimes in which he massacred Native American villagers and led 211 troops to their deaths against a force of 2,000 Indians and later abandoned them sometime in the battle, Bagley tries to justify his actions by claiming he did what he was ordered to do. Artwork They also fought to keep faith with their ancestors. Type of Villain Both Costner's and Cruise's characters have suffered through a series of traumatic and brutal battles. For a short time, Saig's lines held, but were forced back due to being outnumbered. Mass murderAttempted genocide True Story Explained. He invites former U.S Captain, Nathan Algren to join them so as to convince him to help train Japan's army. Highly skilled samurai swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training. The Last Samurai's Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on the iconic Japanese samurai Saig Takamori. * In fact, Cruise's character even states that Custer "fell in love with his own legend," an ironic line given Hollywood's narrative twist on theJapanese-Frenchsource material. Following a dismissal from his job, he agrees to help the new Meiji Restoration government train its first Western-style conscript army for a hefty sum. It was nominated for several awards, including four Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two National Board of Review Awards. In the final act, Katsumoto asks Alpern what happened to the Greek soldiers, a thematic transition to the samurais' last stand. The imperial forces lines are broken by the cavalry charge while Bagley dies from his wound, the samurai proceed towards Omura and his forces who orders the gattling guns to be brought up and fired on them killing all but Algren and Katsumoto, the latter would then take his life in the traditional way of the samurai, his death effectively ended the rebellion. In 1876, former U.S. Army Captain Nathan Algren, a skilled soldier who has become a bitter alcoholic traumatized by the atrocities he committed during the American Indian Wars, is approached by his former commanding officer Colonel Bagley. Give specific examples from the movie. Katsumoto strives for perfection. Hobby Later, as trade negotiations conclude, the injured Algren interrupts the proceedings. is alive in this scene and obviously Algren doesn't know Ujio yet. This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 01:46. When tackling historical dramas based in other countries, studiosmustensure that movies are accurateto avoidmisrepresenting or offendingthat culture. Thank you :). Zen Buddhists believe that all things happen for a reason. Some scenes were shot in Kyoto and Himeji, Japan. An American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle. In the span of a decade,rebels fought to retain the old way of life but were ultimately defeated. Crimes He was planning an attack from all sides, and in an effort to prevent another escape, ordered that any position engaged by the enemy was to be fired upon, regardless of friendly casualties. C. showing Punish himself for his guilt over being involved in Colonel Bagley's atrocities (formerly).Aid the Samurai resistance (succeeded). One night, a group of ninja infiltrate the village and attempt to assassinate Katsumoto. Algren reluctantly agrees while Omura orders for him to be watched closely, should he go near Katusmoto (who has been arrested and is to perform seppuku to regain his honor for carrying a sword in the council chambers which is now forbidden by Omura's new laws) he orders him to be killed if he did so. He was opposed to the excessively rapid changes in Japanese society and was particularly disturbed by the shabby treatment of the warrior class." -Welcome to the Hero/Protagonist wiki! Katsumoto, to his dismay, discovers that the young and inexperienced Emperor has become a puppet of Omura. Algren is taken captive and Hasegawa takes his life with help from Katsumoto in the traditional ways of the samurai. Omura dismisses his recommendation as nonsense and demands a direct assault which Bagley reluctantly does so, the attack proves to be a disaster as the imperials are ambushed and the two sides engage in close combat and as a result the attack is stalled. Self-Hating Warrior, United States military Captain (formerly), DeterminationMilitary tacticsSwordsmanship (after being trained by samurai)CharismaCombat proficiencyHigh intelligence. He wanted to make the statement that the samurai will never back down, which represents that the bushido should live on forever even if they do modernize, and that they should always remember their Japanese roots (bushido) (Japeneseness) Katsumoto fought the last battle because he was the last Samurai and it was the Samurai's final stand, and he wanted to make the statement that the samurai will live on forever. Algren however during his time in captivity learns to respect the samurai and befriends Katsumoto, eventually he develops sympathy for them and learns their culture and the language. He wears the armor of Taka's husband because she said it would be an honor to her and her boys. They struggled for their own survival because it's who they were, and the code of bushido. Nathan Algren As a result of Algren's capture he is presumed dead and Bagley is left to train the army, as a result of the battle he chooses to heathe Algren's warning of sending undisciplined troops to the enemy. Family Tom Cruise portrays an American captain of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, whose personal and emotional conflicts bring him into contact with samurai warriors in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in 19th century Japan. In the medieval investiture controversy both the pope and the kings claimed ______ over the appointment of bishops. Upon arriving, Algren meets Simon Graham, a British translator knowledgeable about the samurai. The Last Samurai stars Top Gun'sTom Cruise as Nathan Algren, amember of the U.S. Army's7th Cavalry Regimentwhoserved during theAmerican Indian Wars, not long after fighting during the American Civil War. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. [1], Yamagata, although greatly outnumbering Saig, bided his time constructing a series of fortifications to encircle Saig and prevent any chance of a breakout, additionally requisitioning five warships to bombard the rebels and reduce their defenses. / / . Despite his hatred of Bagley, the impoverished Algren takes the job for the money. [7] Critical reception in Japan was generally positive. Omura would later be punished for his actions after Algren convinces the emperor to reject the USA's trade agreement and seizes Omura's family assets as a gift to his people with Omura protesting, but backs down when the emperor offers him to take his life in the traditional samurai way if he can not bear his shame. Also, according to historians, the costumes and overall productions are spot-on. A negotiation before the battle is arranged between Bagley, Omura, Katsumoto and Algren and requests Katsumoto's surrender but he refuses to do so, something which Omura was aware he would do. It all builds to a battle of good vs. bad, which is essentially a stand-in for the Satsuma Rebellion. Also,it was a Frenchman not an American who took his talents to Japan to instruct soldiers and then stayed for a while to helpbefore returningto his native country for regular military duties. The Imperial Army's victory consolidated their power, and the Satsuma Rebellion was the last instance of internal mutiny seen in the Empire of Japan. ; Bald of Authority: Katsumoto is the bald leader of the Samurai and also their strongest warrior, who personally leads them into every battle. [9] More critically, the defeat of the samurai displayed the power of modern artillery and rifles, against which a banzai charge had no appreciable effect. The Last Samurai builds to a violent final act, in which Algrenand Katsumoto battle the Japanese Imperial Army, along with the American'sformer commanding officer from the 7th Cavalry Regiment, Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn). If you speak more than one language - especially rare ones - and want to put your multilingual skills to use, come join us! The Last Samurai is a brilliantly crafted aesthetic pleasure, studded with supernal performances from Ken Watanabe and Tom Cruise. Saig was defeated and killed at the Battle of Shiroyama, which is the inspiration for the final extended battle sequence in The Last Samurai(and thus part of the true story). Tom Cruise stars in this sweeping epic set in Japan during the 1870s as Captain Nathan Algren, a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army. He also falls in love with Katsumoto's sister, Taka. * When Uijo looks at Algren towards the ending, Uijo is basically looking at an outsider, who the Samurai sees as being partially responsible for the modernization of Japan. Taka's husband (the guy in the red armor.. Hirotaro) died a good death because he died in battle. Is The Last Samurai Real At All? Emperor Meiji is used in the film to show how progressiveJapanese culture was being influenced byWestern concepts. Friends/Allies Omura requests Algren's presence to discuss a new agreement in which Algren would lead their forces against the samurai but Algren claims that their agreement was for him to train their army, Omura confers this and proposes to make a new agreement. [6], The film achieved higher box office receipts in Japan than in the United States. It might have been a bad thing to show the samurai in such a negative way.-If this scene was to take place before Nathan describes scalping to Mr. Graham, then Mr. Graham would have probably not asked Nathan to describe the technique of scalping.-Also, I think this scene would have taken away from Nathan's friendship with Ujio later on in the movie.-This is another point that I came up with. Whereas The Last Samurai's Algren previously participated in both the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars, the character's real-life inspiration, Brunet, served during theSecond Franco-Mexican War. If you can help us with this wiki please sign up and help us! How does this help a soldier deal with life and death? beheads the offensive man no more problem! Were the samurai fated to survive? An example of this is when Katsumoto's son dies in battle. They happen with a purpose. Throughout the movie Algren's journal entries reveal his impressions about traditional Japanese culture, which almost immediately evolve to admiration. Hi. *As for the comments about no blood during the beheading; the scene wasn't completed. 6B) Then why did they struggle so demonstratively for their own survival? * Meanwhile, Algren refuses Bagley's offer to resume command of the army, prompting Omura to send assassins after him, but Algren kills the assailants and then assists the samurai in freeing Katsumoto. The Meiji Restoration rebellions weren'tsimply about right vs. wrong, as it's suggested in themistake-filled blockbusterThe Last Samurai. * See production, box office & company info, A Potpourri of Vestiges Review: Pride and Honour, Siskel & Ebert: 21 Grams/The Singing Detective/Looney Tunes: Back in Action/Gothika/Tupac Resurrection. *Another reason submitted by a viewerUijo saw Algren (the gaijin) as being beneath his notice. The film was based on the stories of Jules Brunet, a French Imperial Guard sub-lieutenant who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War; Philip Kearny, a United States Army (Union Army) and French Imperial Guard soldier, notable for his leadership in the American Civil War, who fought against the Tututni tribe in the Rogue River Wars in Oregon; and Frederick Townsend Ward, an American mercenary who helped Westernize the Qing army by forming the Ever Victorious Army.

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