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David McK (3562 KP) rated The Last Samurai (2003) in Movies

Feb 6, 2021

The Last Samurai (2003)

2003 | Action, Drama, War

7.2

(33 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Who is The Last Samurai?

In the early noughties, following the success of Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator', there was a rash of historical epic films - 'Alexander', 'Troy', 'Kingdom of Heaven'.

And this.

Which is a strong contender for one of the best of those films.

The film stars Tom Cruise (who, for once, is not playing Tom Cruise) and Ken Wattanabe, with the former a world weary US Civil War veteran (suffering from PTSD?) who is hired to train the modernising Japanese army, and the latter a Samurai leader who thinks Japan is losing its identity; moving too fast into the future.

Captured by that Samurai leader following an early battle, Algren (Cruise's character) soon finds himself beginning to wonder is he fighting in the right side...

Yes, the plot is somewhat akin to 'Dances with Wolves' (or even 'Avatar'), and I've heard the charge of the film being a White Saviour story - a charge, I have to say, that I do NOT find any merit in: indeed, I would argue the opposite (that Cruise's character is saved rather than the one doing the saving) is more true.

Kudos

Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Hostiles (2017) in Movies

Sep 25, 2019

Hostiles (2017)

2017 | Western

7.8

(10 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

In 1892, legendary Army Capt. Joseph Blocker reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their tribal land. Embarking on a harrowing and perilous journey from Fort Berringer, N.M., to the grasslands of Montana, they soon encounter a young widow whose family was killed on the plains. The travellers must now band together to survive a punishing landscape that's crawling with hostile Comanches and vicious outliers.

I nearly gave this one a miss, but with my back being a little buggered this week, and cinema seats being surprisingly comfy, I decided to give it a go. Thanks to Cineworld on Twitter for endeavouring to cheer me up with some vouchers too... tonight's movie was accompanied by a free drink and hot dog.

But anyway, to the film!

That had to be the most harrowing beginning to a film I have seen in a very long time. Hostiles has wonderfully crafted pieces, and Rosamund Pike gives such a powerful performance of a mother's loss. Another films that I probably wouldn't have watched before getting my Unlimited Card, but a very surprising, and shocking watch.