frame²

I wanted to not care for this movie, because, well.. it's quite obvious. Tom Cruise. He's been a big huge media joke, since his couch jumping event. But this movie proves how great of an actor he is.

The idea of Tom Cruise playing a decorated Captain in the late 1800's was really not convincing. It was hard to take him seriously, but as the movie progressed you are captured by the people/characters involved to tell this story.

Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is a decorated Captain who makes his living telling stories of fight the natives, alongside Colonel Custer, when he in reality he is haunted by what he has done. You see his flashbacks as him viciously killing the Indians in a savage matter. Especially since the ones that guilt him everyday were the families of the Indians, not the warriors themselves. The Indians weren't the savages... the soldiers were. War is ugly.

While captured by the samurai's led by Katsumoto Nathan learns another side to the war. He learns of the samurai's ways of fighting and is deeply touched by how respectful they are, even to their enemies. They consider fighting on the battlefield to be the highest form of honor and fighting with swords is much more personal, as it should be. If you're fighting for something it should be hand to hand combat, right? To die on the battlefield is not a fearful thought but a welcoming thought. You died fighting for something. But to be alive at the end of a losing battle is shameful. Often seppuku (suicide performed by stabbing oneself in the abdomen) is taken place.

This film was sooooooo well done I can't even begin to explain. Everything was done so beautifully and the script was flawless. The bond that Katsumoto and Nathan have was touching and in a way romantic in the most non-gay way, which is another great example of how well done the movie was. Asians have very intimate friendships and it's so hard to explain. They had conversations as friends, and comrades and as teacher to student, and as enemies. They both learned from each other and relied on each other, regardless of the fact that they were enemies beforehand.

The king being so young plays a bigger part that most people missed. Katsumoto turns to him in the council meeting begging him to let him enter the council meeting as a samurai as the way the old country was. The king wanting to please everyone and not knowing what to do cannot look at him in the eyes, resulting in the arrest of Katsumoto which starts the war against him. Had he grown up and taken responsibility for what he really believed in as Katsumoto begged him to, in a conversation previously taken place, a lot of damage would've been avoided.

I consider the scene with Taka and Nathan one of the most beautiful/sexiest scenes. Right before the battle scene as Nathan leaves early dawn to prepare for the fight, Taka stops him and asks him to wear the armor of her former husband... that Nathan killed in a battle early on in the movie. She removes his current garbs and gracefully dresses him in the samurai armor her husband used to wear. They kiss softly and he goes on his way not caring if he was to die on the battlefield, but for the first time wanting to fight.

On the battlefield it's obvious they are outnumbered. Nathan tells the story of the 300 Greeks who held off an army of over a thousand. Katsumoto asks what happens to the Greeks. Nathan replies every single one of them died. Katsumoto smiles at the answer.

In the final moment of the battle they are left with about a dozen or so men. They charge full force and the automatic machine weapons are brought out killing the last remaining men. Katsumoto reaches for a dagger to commit seppuku. Nathan tries to stop him and Katsumoto begs him. "You have your honor back, let me have mine." As the opposing soldiers see this and Katsumoto dies in the arms of Nathan, they all kneel as a sign of respect to the fallen samurai's.