L'Ultimo Samurai - The Last Samurai (Edward Zwick -Tom Cruise - Ken Watanabe )
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leonid reznov
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Titolo: L'Ultimo Samurai - The Last Samurai (Edward Zwick -Tom Cruise - Ken Watanabe ) 2014-12-09, 10:21
L'Ultimo Samurai - The Last Samurai
L'ultimo samurai (The Last Samurai) è un film del 2003 diretto da Edward Zwick, ambientato in Giappone durante la Ribellione di Satsuma. Nel 1876, un capitano americano, Nathan Algren, viene incaricato per conto dell'Impero Giapponesedi addestrare l'esercito dell'imperatoreMeijiallo scopo di eliminare isamurairibelli presenti nel territorio.Algren, veterano del7º Reggimento di cavalleriaèalcolizzatoe lavora pubblicizzando i fucili dellaWinchester. La missione affidatagli è per lui solo un modo per far soldi e fuggire da unricordo terribile e opprimente. Arrivato in Giappone scopre un mondo in piena conflittualità tra la frenetica corsa alla modernità tecnologica e commerciale voluta dal nuovo e giovane imperatore e la cultura millenaria di un popolo dedito alla filosofia e alla guerra ideologica dei samurai.I generali giapponesi vogliono affrettare la fine della guerra e inviano subito le truppe per intercettare i samurai, anche se Algren cerca invano di convincerli che le truppe non sono pronte. Questa decisione si rivela troppo affrettata, e l'esercito, composto soprattutto da contadini, viene sconfitto dai ribelli (i quali invece vivono immersi in una filosofia che fa della guerra una vera e propria arte e ragion d'essere). Con la fuga disordinata dei suoi sottoposti, Algren rimane da solo; ferito e circondato, non si arrende neanche ai samurai che, scesi da cavallo per finirlo, rilassano la propria attenzione. Agli occhi del comandante avversario, Katsumoto, la testardaggine del proprio nemico vale a redimerlo dalla "colpa" di aver perso ed è simbolo di personalità e senso dell'onore, il tutto unito alla lancia utilizzata avente lo stendardo della tigre bianca, del quale Katsumoto coglie il messaggio; per questo motivo dà ordine di risparmiarlo e portarlo al proprio villaggio.Qui Algren impara a conoscere la cultura giapponese tradizionale (che non aveva avuto modo né voglia di approfondire aYokohama, dove aveva addestrato il nuovo esercito), scoprendo che, ad esempio, i ribelli combattono per l'Imperatore, senza alcuna velleità secessionista; suo mentore è lo stesso Katsumoto che, seppur contrario all'occidentalizzazione non disprezza affatto la cultura esterna, ma ne è, al contrario, molto incuriosito. Il capitano decide di schierarsi al fianco dei ribelli e, col tempo, incomincia a essere trattato da pari dai samurai che aveva in precedenza combattuto. Uno dei primissimi abitanti del villaggio con cui instaura un rapporto personale è Taka, sorella di Katsumoto e vedova di Hirotaro (il quale era stato ucciso dallo stesso Algren in battaglia), di cui finisce per innamorarsi.I samurai combattono per le tradizioni e per l'Imperatore a cui sono fedeli fino alla morte e contro gli ideali occidentali del commercio e della tecnologia, voluta da politici e generali opportunisti. Il capo dei ribelli samurai, Katsumoto, si incontra con l'Imperatore Meiji ma questi è troppo debole per opporsi al volere del Primo Ministro Omura e ai politici. Katsumoto viene arrestato e come da tradizione gli spetta il suicidio rituale. Ma Algren e i samurai lo liberano e lo convincono a morire, non per suicidio, ma riguadagnando l'onore combattendo. Tutti sono consapevoli che le spade dei samurai non possono reggere al confronto con le armi da fuoco dell'esercito e nella battaglia finale, nonostante i ripetuti colpi di fucile e di mitragliatrice, i Samurai resistono con onore vendendo cara la pelle, non dichiarandosi sconfitti nemmeno dopo pallottole su pallottole piantate nei loro corpi; alla fine Katsumoto supplica Algren di dargli il colpo di grazia, e Algren esegue. L'ultima parola che il ribelle Samurai rivolge all'eroe americano è: "perfetti, sono tutti perfetti", alludendo ai fiori di ciliegio oggetto di una precedente conversazione, e muore tra le braccia del capitano americano. I soldati dell'esercito regolare giapponese, assistito al supremo sacrificio del leader ribelle, riscoprono le loro tradizioni e i loro valori e si inchinano commossi davanti al cadavere di Katsumoto.Algren, miracolosamente sopravvissuto alla sanguinosa battaglia, dopo qualche tempo ottiene udienza di fronte all'imperatore Meiji a cui consegna la spada del defunto Katsumoto. L'imperatore commosso dal sacrificio del samurai decide, con disappunto dei generali e dei consiglieri, di annullare gli accordi con il governo americano per l'acquisto di armi occidentali e di confiscare i beni della famiglia di Omura, colpevole di non aver agito nell'interesse dell'Impero.Nell'ultima scena del film Algren fa ritorno al villaggio di Katsumoto per riunirsi con Taka e la sua famiglia.
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The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic war film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan. The film stars Tom Cruise, who also co-produced, as well as Ken Watanabe, Shin Koyamada, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Timothy Spall, and Billy Connolly. Inspired by a project by Vincent Ward, it interested Zwick, with Ward later serving as executive producer. The film production went ahead with Zwick and was shot in Ward’s native New Zealand.Cruise portrays an American officer, whose personal and emotional conflicts bring him into contact with samurai warriors in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in 19th Century Japan. The film's plot was inspired by the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigō Takamori, and on the westernization of Japan by foreign powers, though in the film the United States is portrayed as the primary force behind the push for westernization. To a lesser extent it is also influenced by the stories of Jules Brunet, a French army captain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War and Frederick Townsend Ward, an American mercenary who helped Westernize the Chinese army by forming the Ever Victorious Army.The Last Samurai was well received upon its release, with a worldwide box office total of $456 million.[1] It was nominated for several awards, including four Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and twoNational Board of Review Awards.In 1876, Civil War veteran of Gettysburg U.S. Army captain Nathan Algren is traumatized by his participation in the Indian Wars, and has become a bitter alcoholic. Algren is approached by his former commanding officer, Colonel Bagley, on behalf of Japanese businessman Omura, who wishes to hire US soldiers to train the Imperial Japanese Army to suppress a samurai rebellion. In exchange, Japan would ratify a lucrative trade agreement that would grant the U.S. exclusive rights to supply arms to the Japanese government. Although Algren despises Bagley for having ordered atrocities during the Indian wars, he accepts the job for the money and sails to Japan. Most of the soldiers being trained are nothing more than peasants and farmers and are slow learners. The training is interrupted when the samurai attack a railroad owned by Omura; Bagley orders the regiment to mobilize, overruling Algren's objection that the soldiers are not yet ready. Algren is proved correct, during a battle in a foggy forest in Yoshino Province, the undisciplined and intimidated soldiers panic and are quickly routed by the samurai. Algren kills several samurai with his revolver and saber but is eventually knocked from his horse. Algren continues to fight the Samurai using a spear tipped flag until driven to exhaustion. When he is about to be executed, he kills his would-be executioner with the spear tip part of the flag, but is nevertheless captured and taken to the samurai's village in the mountains.Although he is kept as a captive, Algren is relatively free to explore the village and interact with its inhabitants. He meets with the leader of the samurai rebellion, Katsumoto Moritsugu, who wishes to have civilized conversations with him for the purpose of mutual understanding. Algren grows to respect the simple and disciplined lifestyle of the samurai and their families. As time passes, he integrates more fully with their society, learning samurai martial techniques as well as the Japanese language. From Katsumoto, he learns that the rebellion opposes Japanese westernization, and that he believes the samurai are acting in the best interest of Japan. Algren stays with Katsumoto's sister Taka and her family; she initially dislikes him, but after Algren learns that he had killed her husband (the samurai that was going to execute him) in combat, he apologizes to her, and the two grow closer. His stay in the village allows him to overcome his alcoholism and come to terms with the horrors of his past. Algren also earns the samurai's respect by helping them defeat a band of ninjassent to assassinate Katsumoto by Omura.Katsumoto travels to Tokyo to meet with his former student, the Emperor, and Algren accompanies him. Algren learns that the Imperial Japanese Army has become much better trained and armed over the wintertime. Katsumoto realizes that the Emperor's influence in the government has been overshadowed by that of his advisers, including Omura, who support westernization and intend to use the strengthened army to crush the samurai. In a council meeting, Katsumoto is arrested for carrying a sword. Rather than fulfill Omura's request to lead the Imperial Army against the rebellion, Algren organizes the samurai to free Katsumoto. The raid is successful and many soldiers are killed. Already mortally wounded Katsumoto's son Nobutada sacrifices himself to allow everyone else to escape.Algren and the samurai return to the village to prepare for the army's coming assault. Before the warriors depart for battle, Taka dresses Algren in the armor worn by her husband, and the two share a kiss. On the battlefield, the samurai lure the first regiment of the Imperial Army into favorable terrain and engage the soldiers at close range. Using flammable liquid covered hay balls, they cause an inferno that terrorizes the soldiers which is then followed by an arrow storm that kills many soldiers. Algren and Katsumoto lead the charge against the soldiers resulting in a bloody melee that leaves many dead on both sides before the remaining soldiers retreat. Knowing that they cannot withstand another assault, Katsumoto orders a horseback charge that breaks through the Army's defensive lines (scaring Omura) and is only stopped by last-minute Gatling gun fire. During the charge, Algren spots Bagley firing on Katsumoto, and kills him by throwing his samurai sword at him. In a very short space of time, the Gatling fire kills all the remaining samurai and grievously injures Algren, who nevertheless helps Katsumoto achieve an honorable death by performing seppuku. The Imperial Army collectively kneels and bows in a show of respect for the fallen samurai.Days later, as negotiations over the trade agreement conclude, an injured Algren interrupts the proceedings and presents Katsumoto's sword to the Emperor, stating that Katsumoto would have wanted him to have it and to remember the cause for which he and his ancestors had died. The Emperor realizes that while Japan must modernize, it must also grow strong on its own terms and in line with its history and culture. He rejects the trade agreement and confiscates the Omura family's assets to give back to the people. As the film closes, questions are raised to what happened to the American Officer. Whether he died from his wounds, or went back to America. The film shows Algren returning to the isolated mountain village to live with Taka, the other widows, and their children, effectively donning the mantle of the last samurai.
"I do not presume to understand the course of my life."
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Titolo: L'Ultimo Samurai - The Last Samurai (Edward Zwick -Tom Cruise - Ken Watanabe ) 
