![]() ![]() Ancient Japan is portrayed at a distance: the samurai are shown as noble but innocent savages, foreign and one-dimensional, though the film clearly venerates their culture, albeit an inauthentic representation of it. “Orientalism” (a la Edward Said’s criticisms) is apparent throughout the film. The film stumbles its way into every modern Hollywood trope, in particular Tom Cruise plays the character of Captain Nathan Algren as a tortured and roguish alcoholic trying to atone for his past sins while living amongst the ‘mystical’ and ‘foreign’ peoples of Asia.’ It is a tiresome cliche. The Last Samurai is a beautifully shot film with an incredible score by Hans Zimmer, however the finished product is a painfully formulaic Hollywood film that disappointingly strains the audience’s credulity. ![]()
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