The last samurai...
Ok just wanted to list points that support my belief that Kastumoto was the last samurai.
-Katsumoto presented him with a Samurai sword, but there was not ceremony where he was presented with "the two swords", these are a samurai's rank and honor.
-When Cruise is infront of the emperor, he is wearing his American uniform with his American sword. This implies to me that he is returning, even though the movie implies he goes back to the village. Here's soemthing to chew on though, if he WERE samurai he would have come to the emperor in either armor or in hakama and gi, with his two swords. If you recall the counselors meeting where Kastumoto refused to part with his sword you will understand the meaning of this scene. Katsumoto would rather face the dishonor of being placed under arrest, than relinquish his samurai swords(honor) even in the presence of the emperor. Considering the emperor just outlawed samrai, this is treason. There is one fundamental rule of the physical world when it comes to being samurai, never relinquish your sword.
-At the end of the movie the entire japanese army gets down and bows to the ground when Kastumoto dies....yeah you know why? Because they realize that with his death an era of japanese history and honor are gone because...oh wait this is a suprise, he was the LAST SAMURAI. They sure as hell don't bow because it's Tom Cruise. People know Kastumoto, the entire city got down and bowed infront of him when he rode into town.
-Cruise didn't kill himself on the battlefield. "Oh well that' wasn't his way" yeah but it's the way of the samurai, you cannot say "well he's sort of the last samurai", it's either he is or he isn't. You don't pick and choose qualities to classify something, otherwise there is no point. "I'm mostly catholic"...yeah ok.
We talked about this last night, it should have been called The Last Daimyo, no question then.
Katsumoto might not have been THE LAST samurai, since there were probalby survivors around japan in the story that didn't join his cause. However he was the last real samurai figurehead of the movie. Hence my conclusion that he is the Last Samurai. I would sooner consider the emperor or Taka's children to be the last samurai than Cruise's character, they have an implicit knowledge of things that Cruise's character only gets a taste of.
It was a good movie, I suggest people read some James Clavell's Shogun for more insite. And Gaijin if you want to read about the Satsuma revolt.
-Katsumoto presented him with a Samurai sword, but there was not ceremony where he was presented with "the two swords", these are a samurai's rank and honor.
-When Cruise is infront of the emperor, he is wearing his American uniform with his American sword. This implies to me that he is returning, even though the movie implies he goes back to the village. Here's soemthing to chew on though, if he WERE samurai he would have come to the emperor in either armor or in hakama and gi, with his two swords. If you recall the counselors meeting where Kastumoto refused to part with his sword you will understand the meaning of this scene. Katsumoto would rather face the dishonor of being placed under arrest, than relinquish his samurai swords(honor) even in the presence of the emperor. Considering the emperor just outlawed samrai, this is treason. There is one fundamental rule of the physical world when it comes to being samurai, never relinquish your sword.
-At the end of the movie the entire japanese army gets down and bows to the ground when Kastumoto dies....yeah you know why? Because they realize that with his death an era of japanese history and honor are gone because...oh wait this is a suprise, he was the LAST SAMURAI. They sure as hell don't bow because it's Tom Cruise. People know Kastumoto, the entire city got down and bowed infront of him when he rode into town.
-Cruise didn't kill himself on the battlefield. "Oh well that' wasn't his way" yeah but it's the way of the samurai, you cannot say "well he's sort of the last samurai", it's either he is or he isn't. You don't pick and choose qualities to classify something, otherwise there is no point. "I'm mostly catholic"...yeah ok.
We talked about this last night, it should have been called The Last Daimyo, no question then.
Katsumoto might not have been THE LAST samurai, since there were probalby survivors around japan in the story that didn't join his cause. However he was the last real samurai figurehead of the movie. Hence my conclusion that he is the Last Samurai. I would sooner consider the emperor or Taka's children to be the last samurai than Cruise's character, they have an implicit knowledge of things that Cruise's character only gets a taste of.
It was a good movie, I suggest people read some James Clavell's Shogun for more insite. And Gaijin if you want to read about the Satsuma revolt.