I recently saw that Youtube had this movie to watch for free and I decided to play it as I was doing some cooking and cleaning around my place. I remember having watched it years ago and enjoying it so I figured why not.
However, watching it once again I noticed a few more things about the movie that made it better in my opinion, I am not sure how many of you have watched it, so I will be discussing some of my observations on a spoiler section.
I would overall recommend the movie, it's a good story and beautifully shot with a lovely soundtrack.
However, watching it once again I noticed a few more things about the movie that made it better in my opinion, I am not sure how many of you have watched it, so I will be discussing some of my observations on a spoiler section.
The story follows Nathan Algran, a US Army captain who is experiencing PTSD from the atrocities perpetrated by him and his superiors agains a noncombatant native population. The only way he knows to deal with it is by drinking his life away.
A job position is offered to him and his superior to train the Japanese army, who is in the process of being modernized, reluctantly he agrees to it and the story takes off.
Due to the fears of the Japanese ambassador to the US, a military operation against the samurai, lead by Katsumoto, is launched prematurely, and Algran is captured, he is brought to a village where he is kept and in it he undergoes a transformation that leads him to fight on the side of the samurai against his former superior and the Japanese enterprise that brought him over to the country. The story ends with the Japanese emperor learning of the defeat of Katsumoto, Algran being the sole survivor of their confrontation, and kicking the americans out.
So there were a few themes that caught my attention:
Nathan was a warrior, and remains a warrior, but it is not until he submits to the discipline and tenets of the samurai that he doesn't discover a purpose for the violence that he's capable of. Being unconsciously violent initially is what caused him the pain that haunted him, but once he integrates it, his violence becomes conscious and it no longer hurts him. I found this to be particularly interesting, he became probably more dangerous and lethal, but less violent by finding an honorable purpose to fight for.
Another very interesting idea was that, prior to arriving in the village, Algran was drowning his sorrow in alcohol, and even upon arrival there he attempts to continue to do so, and at first this is given to him, but then alcohol is refused by the woman who would become his romantic interest, the pain that this refusal caused is beautifully represented as a dark night of the soul, but it's the catalyst for his transformation.
That was a lovely idea I felt, it could be interpreted as, the right partner for you in life is not the one that says yes to your whims, but the one that has the strength to bring you what you need, really need. It's also interesting to see it from another point of view, which is, it's not until one faces up to onself and one's actions that one can't begin to choose a different life. Merely putting distance between you and it isn't enough, truth has to seep into your life for this to happen.
A job position is offered to him and his superior to train the Japanese army, who is in the process of being modernized, reluctantly he agrees to it and the story takes off.
Due to the fears of the Japanese ambassador to the US, a military operation against the samurai, lead by Katsumoto, is launched prematurely, and Algran is captured, he is brought to a village where he is kept and in it he undergoes a transformation that leads him to fight on the side of the samurai against his former superior and the Japanese enterprise that brought him over to the country. The story ends with the Japanese emperor learning of the defeat of Katsumoto, Algran being the sole survivor of their confrontation, and kicking the americans out.
So there were a few themes that caught my attention:
Nathan was a warrior, and remains a warrior, but it is not until he submits to the discipline and tenets of the samurai that he doesn't discover a purpose for the violence that he's capable of. Being unconsciously violent initially is what caused him the pain that haunted him, but once he integrates it, his violence becomes conscious and it no longer hurts him. I found this to be particularly interesting, he became probably more dangerous and lethal, but less violent by finding an honorable purpose to fight for.
Another very interesting idea was that, prior to arriving in the village, Algran was drowning his sorrow in alcohol, and even upon arrival there he attempts to continue to do so, and at first this is given to him, but then alcohol is refused by the woman who would become his romantic interest, the pain that this refusal caused is beautifully represented as a dark night of the soul, but it's the catalyst for his transformation.
That was a lovely idea I felt, it could be interpreted as, the right partner for you in life is not the one that says yes to your whims, but the one that has the strength to bring you what you need, really need. It's also interesting to see it from another point of view, which is, it's not until one faces up to onself and one's actions that one can't begin to choose a different life. Merely putting distance between you and it isn't enough, truth has to seep into your life for this to happen.
I would overall recommend the movie, it's a good story and beautifully shot with a lovely soundtrack.