The Last Samurai is not a white saviour film.

It really annoys me when people deride the Last Samurai as a "white saviour" film. I don't deny that there are certain films that fall under the category of "white saviour" and the most blatant in my memory is "The Great Wall" starring Matt Damon, but in my eyes anyone who applies the same label to The Last Samurai is just looking for something to be racist or to offend them.

If you didn't understand the movie, Nathan Algren is not "The Last Samurai" he is just a vessel for the (likely western) audience to witness the story of the Last Samurai, that being Katsumoto. He is not a saviour. In fact the exact opposite is true, he is saved by the Samurai. He goes to Japan depressed, alcoholic and suicidal, and during his time amongst the Samurai they give him a reason to live. The film is a beautiful and respectful showcase of the difference between two different cultures, showing where they differ (e.g. the use of seppuku) and where they are hold common ground (e.g. a warrior spirit). It's a really beautiful and thought provoking film, and I hate when people give such a shallow and dismissive criticism of it just because the main protagonist is white.

Submitted January 19, 2021 at 11:34PM by Rhids_22 https://ift.tt/3ivEIZ8