Cruise shines in film from same cut as 'Gladiator'

At the core of The Last Samurai is a battle between discipline and honor versus power -- a battle between the past and the future. Samurai is an epic story cut from the same mold as Braveheart, Gladiator and Dances with Wolves. And yes, it does deserve to be mentioned in the same category. \nOn the outside it is a battle that can't be won. Eventually the future will come, and old ways will die. What needs to be remembered is that nothing will come without what has already been. \nThe struggle is for both sides to come to terms with this. Tom Cruise plays Captain Nathan Algren, a "hero" from the Civil War and the fight against Native Americans. Algren had left the service disgusted at the slaughter of Native women and children, but lives with the guilt of his own skill that led to it. Because of his abilities in dealing with "savages," he is recruited to train the new Japanese army against the Samurai warriors, led by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), resisting the insurgence of Western culture. \nAlgren's training is not yet complete when ranking Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) orders them to meet the Samurai head on. His army barely puts up a fight against the superior fighting skill of the Samurai, and Katsumoto captures Algren so he can learn more about his enemy. \nThe discipline the warriors have and the culture they live in impress Algren. When the time comes to go back to the life he once had, he questions what is truly savage and goes back to fight alongside the Samurai warriors against a now much stronger opposition. \nWhat is great about Samurai is that the change in Algren happens without being spelled out. The only thing really hammered is the overlying point in the scenes following the final battle, which will not be disclosed here. It could have just stopped there, but perhaps they thought there needed to be more closure. \nCruise gives an excellent performance (although not topping Bill Murray's excursion to Japan in Lost in Translation) and definitely deserves Academy Award consideration. What is even better though is the supporting cast, especially Watanabe and Koyuki (just Koyuki, like Madonna) who plays the love interest Taka. In a season of epic pictures, The Last Samurai reminds that without knowing where we are from, we can never realize where we are going to be.