Although the central character is American mercenary Tom Cruise, the story of The Last Samurai is about the little known to occidentals event of the Samurai revolt of 1877 led by Saigo Takamori who operates under a different character name and is played flawlessly by Ken Watanabe. Changing his name much like the way Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan were under different names in Inherit the Wind allowed for some dramatic and historic license.
Japan was undergoing a tremendous transformation at this point in time. The United States had with Commodore Matthew Perry's voyage in 1853 opened Japan and cracked her isolationist policy. Over 200 years before the Japanese government had instigated a policy of isolationism in regard to the countries of Europe. It seems as though they looked askance at the Christian missionaries and their activities. They put an almost total embargo on trade or contact of any kind with the west.
The Dutch who had very specifically not sent any missionaries to Japan were allowed some extremely limited trading rights in the city of Shiminoseki during this period. So in a limited sense the Japanese kept up with western technological developments. Firearms in fact unlike in the film were in some use in Japan even at the time of Perry's voyage. The Samurai did make some use of them.
Cruise is an American Civil War and Indian War hero who's making a living shilling for the Winchester Rifle company. He gets an offer to go to Japan to train a modern army for a whole lot of money and he accepts.
In between Perry's voyage and the events of this film, a new Emperor came on the throne. The Emperor Meiji was anxious indeed that his country catch up with the rest of the world and not become a colony of some modern technologically advanced western country. He also did not want to lose sight of old traditions. Duelling advisers competed for his heart and mind in the film and in real life.
Cruise's trained troops the first time they're in battle with the professional samurai turn and run. He's taken prisoner, but while in captivity grows to respect and admire Watanabe and what he represents. He also falls in love with a Japanese woman and I have to say his romance made a whole lot more sense than the one John Wayne had in The Barbarian and the Geisha.
The final battle scene is impressive, the samurai's own Alamo to put it in American terms. In defeat Saigo Takamori though a rebel became a folk hero in Japan.
The Last Samurai is a great story and Americans should see this story about a Japan they only know from World War II films, both good and bad. Tom Cruise should be given a lot of credit for using his star power to bring this story to American audiences.
