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ever always on tangents, i've been doing some research on Commodore Perry (more on that later). but last night on a semi-related note, i watched The Last Samurai. i had seen it (sorta offhand while doing other stuff at my brother's house) last Christmas during a "men in skirts" marathon (we watched Alexander, Troy, King Arthur and this one ~ it was epic overkill).
anyway, my first impression of the movie was that it was very silly, but pretty to look at (tom cruise not withstanding ~ he's tolerable here and at least you get to see him beat to a pulp ~ and often).
here are some secondary thoughts on the film:
1.) tom cruise has a huge ass. no, really. it's ginormous. makes him look like an idiot in period trousers. i'm not just picking on tom. that thing needs its own zip code. sorry ~ i just had to say this.
2.) that scene with the samurai in the forest is just amazing. cinema gold.
3.) the true plot-wise baloney factor kicks in when they go rescue special K from imprisonment. everything up to that point is sorta silly, but it's "the story" and i can be forgiving. but the whole "take down twelve guys like a samurai who's been training for 30 years" is just boffo deluxe ~ don't buy it, stop selling.
4.) even huger baloney alert: why on earth do they hire cavalry officers to train infantrymen and an artillery battery? they have no experience with such. didn't occur to me before, but the fact that algren and bagley fought with Custer is just idiotic and unnecessary (and totally illogical).
5.) that scene with the samurai in the forest is just really amazing. i'm officially bumping it up to cinema platinum.
i guess the movie is no dumber than Dances with Wolves (and it's sooooo Zwickian it's not even funny ~ having just rewatched Glory recently, the style is undeniable). that red armor algren puts on at the end is mondo boss patois. makes you think the guy he killed wearing it wasn't really worthy of it. but we got totally cheated that he and special K didn't wear the hats. boooooo.
overall a B+ for nice period details, beautiful cinematography, getting to see tom cruise get the stuffing knocked out of him (i laughed and laughed! ~ what a great pick-me-up), a decent Hanz Zimmer score, and a tasteful, realistic romance that doesn't make you want to gouge your own eyes out. loses points for: silly and illogical overall plot, somewhat facile ending, a muddied "message" about the nature of honor, and lame voiceovers.
i recommend this movie to people who enjoy sweeping epic historical epics, are interested in Japanese history, or actually like tom cruise.
okay, this is officially my random, almost non-whining entry for the day.
: D
random movie quote (paraphrased):
a man can spend his whole life
searching for the perfect cherry blossom
and never find it.
it would be a life
well-lived.
anyway, my first impression of the movie was that it was very silly, but pretty to look at (tom cruise not withstanding ~ he's tolerable here and at least you get to see him beat to a pulp ~ and often).
here are some secondary thoughts on the film:
1.) tom cruise has a huge ass. no, really. it's ginormous. makes him look like an idiot in period trousers. i'm not just picking on tom. that thing needs its own zip code. sorry ~ i just had to say this.
2.) that scene with the samurai in the forest is just amazing. cinema gold.
3.) the true plot-wise baloney factor kicks in when they go rescue special K from imprisonment. everything up to that point is sorta silly, but it's "the story" and i can be forgiving. but the whole "take down twelve guys like a samurai who's been training for 30 years" is just boffo deluxe ~ don't buy it, stop selling.
4.) even huger baloney alert: why on earth do they hire cavalry officers to train infantrymen and an artillery battery? they have no experience with such. didn't occur to me before, but the fact that algren and bagley fought with Custer is just idiotic and unnecessary (and totally illogical).
5.) that scene with the samurai in the forest is just really amazing. i'm officially bumping it up to cinema platinum.
i guess the movie is no dumber than Dances with Wolves (and it's sooooo Zwickian it's not even funny ~ having just rewatched Glory recently, the style is undeniable). that red armor algren puts on at the end is mondo boss patois. makes you think the guy he killed wearing it wasn't really worthy of it. but we got totally cheated that he and special K didn't wear the hats. boooooo.
overall a B+ for nice period details, beautiful cinematography, getting to see tom cruise get the stuffing knocked out of him (i laughed and laughed! ~ what a great pick-me-up), a decent Hanz Zimmer score, and a tasteful, realistic romance that doesn't make you want to gouge your own eyes out. loses points for: silly and illogical overall plot, somewhat facile ending, a muddied "message" about the nature of honor, and lame voiceovers.
i recommend this movie to people who enjoy sweeping epic historical epics, are interested in Japanese history, or actually like tom cruise.
okay, this is officially my random, almost non-whining entry for the day.
: D
random movie quote (paraphrased):
a man can spend his whole life
searching for the perfect cherry blossom
and never find it.
it would be a life
well-lived.
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And I was curious, but what do you think of the movie "Glory"? *^^*
And "Dances With Wolves" isn't good? I always was curious to watch it...hmm.
~ Laura.
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i have to contextualize my Dances with Wolves comment and it will require a lengthy explanation, so maybe i'll write a whole post about that and make it "movie review week" ~ if you've never seen it, watch the director's cut only ~ the release version is not really complete. i know it's long, but it's pretty to look at and has commendable attributes worth looking. (stay tuned for more).
as to Glory, i have to say it is favorite movie of the genre for a laundry list of reasons. it has its own small set of "historical authenticity" problems insofar as the story is concerned, but it is absolutely flawless as far as its depiction of the period (and so gets really high marks fom me). it's also just a hum-dinger of a dramatic film and has all the essential qualities a war movie (let alone Civil War movie) ought to have. i can say with confidence that no single other film (not even Star Wars) had so great an impact on me as Glory did. i could probably go into a long thing about that too (and maybe i will after i cover Dances with Wolves.
aren't you sorry you asked? now you;ll have a week-long blather about it.
hahahahahaha ~
: D