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UAS Literature

The document provides an analysis of the 2003 film "The Last Samurai". It summarizes the plot, which involves a rebellion by samurai clans against the Emperor of Japan's decision to modernize and adopt Western culture. A former American military captain is hired to help train the Emperor's conscript army to fight the samurai. However, after being captured, the captain comes to admire the samurai's traditions and culture and decides to join their fight. In the end, the samurai are defeated but their sacrifice helps the Emperor decide to preserve more of Japan's cultural traditions.

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31 views2 pages

UAS Literature

The document provides an analysis of the 2003 film "The Last Samurai". It summarizes the plot, which involves a rebellion by samurai clans against the Emperor of Japan's decision to modernize and adopt Western culture. A former American military captain is hired to help train the Emperor's conscript army to fight the samurai. However, after being captured, the captain comes to admire the samurai's traditions and culture and decides to join their fight. In the end, the samurai are defeated but their sacrifice helps the Emperor decide to preserve more of Japan's cultural traditions.

Uploaded by

donisparta5
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Doni Mulia Putra | 220402090019

The Last Samurai 2003

(Interpretation)
The Last Samurai described about a high tension of historical event during Meiji period
clashing with a rebellion of samurai clan. The samurai depicted as the keeper of traditional
culture and strongly disagree to western culture invasion through Japan, but Emperor Meiji
who was the leader of Japan at the time accepting and slowly removing his own culture. The
rebellions showed that they didn't want their proudly culture craved by their ancestors being
replaced with something new such as clothes, hairstyles, lifestyles, and society rules.
Eventually, all countries in the world at that time are also influenced by western cultures, all
traditional cultures are being ignored especially by youth generation because they learned
more from outside sources and did not want to be left behind in the advancing modern world.
This film clearly shows that those who were denying modern world changes will be slowly
replaced and destroyed. This film also emphasized that Japanese should bring back Japan's
ancestors culture in order to keep their identity and not too much accepting foreign cultures,
forgetting their own.

(Analyze)
The Last Samurai is a spectacular and beautiful film using plot twist story, it tells about
samurai's culture in 19th century Japan during period of Emperor Meiji, also a slash about
United States' military background portrayed by the main character. The protagonist main
character is Nathan Algren, a US captain who is not a military active because severe PTSD and a
drunker.
The story was about a rebellion in Japan, the introduction began from a decision that a
samurai clan which was led by a protagonist Katsumoto Moritsugu clashed towards Emperor
Meiji, the empror’s ministers wanted Japan to transform similarly into western world. The
conflict rised when Omura as one of Meiji's minister planned an idea by making a contract with
US non active soldier Captain Nathan Algren to help the emperor to fight back the samurai
warriors and trained Meiji's army for improved battle techniques and principles. Unfortunately,
the first battle won by samurai, Captain Algren captured and brought to samurai's village.
Through his captivity, he learned a lot of samurai’s tradition until he fell in love with
Katsumoto's sister causing him to join as samurai. From there, the plot twist showed when
Captain Algren decided to fight and die with the samurai against the Meiji's army, even though
at the climax, on the last battle, samurai was successfully defeated and all their warriors were
killed. Finally, the resolution was when Meiji’s heart as the emperor touched knowing
Katsumoto and his samurai sacrificed their lives defending Japan’s culture from western
invasion. Then, Meiji dropped his intention to westernised Japan and fired all his ministers who
was controlling him to make that intention.
Beside the great story, the quality of the setting of Japan is also great. This film gives a
view in the perfect times such as rain, cloudy day, sunset, and a deep night. The soundtracks
that relate to Japanese culture also give the audience a real sensation of samurai world and will
be taken into a deep social culture of Japan.

(Critics)
The Last Samurai has critics from Japanese people about the characterization because
the main character Captain Algren is too much controlling the story. Captain Algren who is just
a foreign soldier can easily become one of the leaders in the samurai army and every single
tactics are ordered by Captain Algren, creating a speculation that the samurai are not capable
in battle tactics and easily giving up themselves to a newcomer from US which make the
samurai looks embarrassing for Japanese people.
Another critic is that the film is overly long, some scenes can be edited for a more
precise storytelling experience. Most of the screen captures are focusing on the main
character, less showing important figures’ backgroundbackgrounds like Katsumoto Moritsugu
the leader of samurai and his samurai warriors. If they did that, the story would be completely
perfect and audience could feel those figures more deeply, especially the moment when they
were all killed protecting their beliefs.

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