THE LAST SAMURAI

This 2003 Edward Zwick directed, Tom Cruise / Ken Watanabe acting vehicle, THE LAST SAMURAI, was nice to watch on a quiet Friday night with the dog, when my wife is out seeing MOMIX: BOTANICA at the Knight Theatre in uptown Charlotte.  Though a bit heavy on plunging bloody battle scenes, it was beautifully shot by John Toll, who has quite a pedigree.  I believe they were trying to make a point...a point of honor...that is continuing and keeping their ancestors memories alive, at any cost.  I got that...I enjoyed the acting and they conveyed that point well enough to me in that regard.  I felt...the point of honor.  The cultural difference spoken and shown, in the long but not forgotten past of the 1870's, makes for a good flowerbed of tension, always building towards the "honorable" ending.  Also noted was the Hans Zimmer score, his 100th movie score to date in 2003.