Of The Last Samurai and the Inconsiderate Bastards
Just got back from watching The Last Samurai.What can i say about this movie?To be honest i did not blow me away,however it was nothing short of an awesome film.Im not being biased here or anything,in fact i didnt even compare this movie with my all time favorite,LOTR.Instead i compared it with Edward Zwick's older movies like Legends of the Fall.(A film i enjoyed a lot...)Anyway,the film is basically about this Captain called Ethan Algren,who fought the Red Indians and made famous for his contributions.However he dislikes name he has been labelled with.He was ordered to kill innocent people and he became sick of life and many time,seeked for death by drowning himself with alcohol.On one occasion he was offered to train the Japanese's military to battle against the Royal Samurai army.And so he went to Japan and trained the army.Due to their inexperience in battle they lost the battle soon after it started and Ethan Algren was captured by the leader of the Samurai army,Katsumoto.Instead of killing him he spared his life,saying that he wanted to know his enemy.Initially Ethan didnt trust Katsumoto and doubted his intentions.However after much conversations with him and living with Katsumoto's sister,Taka,he began to realise the true spirit of the Samurai and what they are fighting for.All his life Ethan Algren had been living in irony,and this is nothing short of being the biggest irony as well.He ended up fighting for Katsumoto and his army and soon,he became a Samurai warrior as well.This film is basically about the spirit behind a Samurai warrior.And the most important part of that spirit is,honor.Due to the language gap between the actors the director minimised the amount of coversation between Ethan Algren and the japanese,which raised the importance of storytelling through images.You walk into the theatre and expect a action packed movie,sword slashing action and blood.However,this movie proved to be more than just a sword flying and bullet soaring movie.It has more emotions than most people will expect,especially for Ken Watanabe's protrayal as Katsumoto.As the movie progresses you feel for every single Samurai warrior in the movie and they gradually became the true star and hero of the movie.The chemistry between Ethan and Katsumoto's grandchildren was well played out all thanks to this talented young actors.However i thought the love story between Ethan and Taka was not well played out.The battles were all right,it reminded me of the street fight at the beginning of Gangs of New York,but a lot better and of a bigger scale.If you people are expecting cool sword fights throughout the movie dont watch this movie.I am more impressed by the fight between the Samurai warriors and the ninjas than the final battle on the grassy field.All and all i enjoyed this movie.I had high hopes for the movie due to my sister's eager recommendations.However i wasnt blown away by it,neither did it leave much impression on me.But like my mother said while on the way back home.She said in a movie's point of view this movie is enjoyable to a high level and very entertaining.Most of all it conveyed the message to the audience well.Honor in life and death.Anyway,so there i was trying to ignore the pain in my spine while sitting on the chair.(All thanks to the sit ups i did on Tuesday on the hard floor.)Those bloody Malay bastards who was sitting behind me kept talking and talking and talking and talking.I almost turned back slapped their faces but decided not to because i didnt want to miss any part of the film.That guy beside my mom couldnt stop talking because he was discribing the movie to his girlfriend.What your girlfriend cant read?Stop underestimating your girlfriend's intelligence when i highly doubt that your brain is anything near the size of a green pea.Those malay guys behind me laughed at every single thing throughout the movie and couldnt stop chit chatting about everything.I hate those people!They should be killed and they corpses burnt.I was queueing up for the tickets and thankfully the line was short.However when my turn came every counter was occupied,so i had to stand there to wait for someone to leave.The lady at the left side of the counter left but i didnt see her,until the lady from the counter in front of me directed me there.Just as i was about to step up to the last counter on the left this guy bumped into me from behind and jumped in front of me.I almost tore his bloody head off his neck.I looked at him with disgust and he didnt even look back to apologise.The lady at the counter looked at me,with that sorry eyes.But i was too frustrated at the man that jumped the queue.However i didnt say anything,and i regret that i never did!Bloody scumbag.Those bloody teenage girls who was queueing up outside j8 to watch that loser Zai Zai's performance left a truck load of litter and trash at the side of the road.Those idiotic screaming teenage girls should be banged down one by one by rubbish trucks.And if that doesnt kill them i will personally throw them into the back of the truck and hopefully that will crush them,then leave them at the side of the road to be baked by the setting sun,and THATS being kind!Inconsiderable people,idiotic bastards.Ive had it.The next time i see them watch out for your head.I will pluck them out one by one and mock at your dead corpse.

Correction!Its Nathan Algren instead of Ethan Algren.And The kids belong to Taka and not Katsumoto's grandchildren.

Quotes of the Day:
Katsumoto,'A perfect blossom. You could spend your whole life searching for one, and it would not be a wasted life.'

Katsumoto,'When I took this, you were my enemy.'

Algren,'What do you want from me?
Katsumoto,'What do you want for yourself?'

Algren,'I have been hired to suppress the rebellion of yet another tribal leader. Apparently, this is the only job for which I am suited. I am beset by the ironies of my life.'

Algren,'You want me to kill Jappos, I'll kill Jappos.'
Colonel Bagley,'I'm not asking you to kill anybody.'
Algren,'You want me to kill THE ENEMIES of Jappos, I'll kill THE ENEMIES of Jappos... Rebs, The Souix, The Cheyenne... For $500 a month I'll kill whoever you want. But keep one thing in mind, I'd gladly kill you for free.'

Katsumoto,'You believe a man can change his destiny?'
Algren,'I think a man can only do what he can, until his destiny is revealed.'

Katsumoto,'Who was your general? '
Algren,'Don't you have a rebellion to lead? '
Katsumoto,' People in your country do not like conversation? '
Algren,' He was a lieutenant colonel... his name was Custer. '
Katsumoto,' I know his name, he killed many warriors. '
Algren,' Ah yes, many warriors. '
Katsumoto,' So, he was a good general? '
Algren,' No. No, he wasn't a good general. He was arrogant and foolhardy, and he got massacred because he took a single battalion against two thousand angry Indians. '
Katsumoto,' Two thousand Indians? How many men for Custer? '
Algren,' Two hundred eleven. '
Katsumoto,' I like this General Custer. '
Algren,' He was a murderer who fell in love with his own legend and his troops died for it. '
Katsumoto,' I think this is a very good death. '
Algren,' Well, maybe you can have one just like it someday. '

Algren,'I will miss our conversations.'

Emperor Meiji,'Tell me how he died.'
Algren,'I will tell you how he lived.'
---'The Last Samurai'(2003)

Song of the Moment---Desperado by The Eagles