7/10
Tom Cruise's nice acting as a captain who becomes a respected Samurai warrior in the Japanese world
12 December 2005
Here Cruise is a honorable American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first Army in the art of modern warfare . The Emperor's reformist pursuit of international trade has outraged traditional isolationists . Then , a samurai rebellion led by the charismatic Katsumoto : Ken Watanabe threatens the court . But when Nathan is injured and captured , his allegiances shift . As he finds true cause in the rigid feudalism of duty , discipline and bushido code , the Way of the Warrior . In the face of an enemy, in the Heart of One Man, Lies the Soul of a Warrior.

Attractive and dramatic Japanese epic with breathtaking battles and colourful scenarios . An impressive epic , heartbreaking statement about honor , tradition and futility of war . This charming film deals with conflicts between the radical conservatism and modernism ; upon relation between the West and East World . Besides , a sweeping , complex drama with all the ordinary ingredients : noisy action , overwhelming battles that illuminate the full-blown tragedy of Samurais , a love story , duels , emotion and being very interesting . It contains stunning and spectacular battle images between the a faceless imperial army with heavy artillery and the out-numbered rebels with swords and arrows . As well as glimmering and colorfully filmed by cameraman John Toll . And evocative and sensitive musical score by Hans Zimmer . The motion picture was well directed by Edward Zwick that at the end draws confused parallels with the Spartans at Thermophylae and Custer at Little Bighorn . This attractive and enjoyable picture is partially based on historic events . Rating : Better than average . The movie will appeal to Tom Cruise fans.

The actual events were the following ones : Being dead emperor Komei , succeeded in 1867 Matsu Hito (in the film played by Nakamura) , once crowned as emperor Meiji , he abolished the Shogun , a dynasty occupied by the Togugawa family from XVI century until 1868 and characterized by ruling ¨ Daimios ¨ , confronting occidental people and shunning the opening imposed by Admiral Perry in 1863 ; in fact the latter was the first foreigner in Japan who carries out a culture shock (happenings developed in various films as ¨The Barbarian and the Geisha¨by John Huston with John Wayne and ¨ Shogun¨ series by James Clavell with Richard Chamberlain). Emperor Matsu Hito proceeded various changes , as a liberal cabinet , creating a Duma or Parliament and following actual models and modern spirit ; plus hiring foreign specialists in Army , military (at the film Tom Cruise, Tony Goldwyn , Billy Connolly ) . Anti-reform riots to return old values , traditional way of life and Bushido Code were carried out by the Samurais (in picture , leader is Ken Watanabe) , a type of medieval knight fighting for preventing of occidental life style . Emperor Meiji pulled off two wars , he waged war to China (1894-95) and Russia (1904-05) and when he died the throne was occupied by his son Yoshihito and continuing Hiro Hito and Aki Hito.
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