This article contains mild spoilers forShogunand major ones forThe Last Samurai.
Yet Im actually describing a popularTom Cruisevehicle loosely set in the same aesthetic:The Last Samurai.
That canny transition of perspectives hints atShoguns larger grandeur.
What is the name of John Blackthorne’s beloved ship?
Who of the following is NOT on the Council or Regents?
What title does John Blackthorne receive from Lord Toranaga?
What’s the code name of Lord Toranaga’s final plan?
What is Lady Ochiba-no-kata’s real name?
Which of the following languages is spoken on Shogun?
What real life figure is Lord Toranaga based on?
Who is the Lord of Izu?
What does “Anjin” mean?
Its a minute distinction, but one with profound effects on both projects.
Conversely,The Last Samuraieschews nuance in favor of broad Hollywood sentimentality and movie star necessities.
Warriors willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor.
Its a classic, if better intentioned and articulated, replay of the noble savage trope inDances with Wolves.
Screenwriter John Logan provides enough nuance to that relationship that Watanabe can flesh it out to haunting effect.
Instead its Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) who walks away with the series.
As a consequence, Mariko yearns to redeem her honor by committingseppuku(ritualized suicide).
Furthermore, he doesnt actually lead them to victory.
Comparatively, Blackthorne makes himself useful to the budding shogunate in the new TV seriesbut only to a point.
He does not directly rely on him to win his chess match against his enemies.
None of this is a damning criticism ofThe Last Samurai.
There may never be a better cinematic rendering of samurai versus ninjas than that one scene!
The contrast has become its own kind of culture shock.
