| 首頁 Home | 電影 Films | 評論 Opinions | 戲院 Cinemas | 資訊 Information | 網站地圖 Site Map

首頁 -> 評論 -> 新片評論 ->
Home -> Opinions -> Current Film Reviews ->

The film captures Captain Nathan Algren's (Tom Cruise) completing gradual role reversal in narrative. Algren is at first delegated the mission to annihilate Samurai Katsumoto's (Ken Watanabe) troop. Where the mission is in vain and Algren is captured by Katsumoto's troop, Algren's hostility towards the samurai prevails. The narrative then switches to describe Algren's gradual assimilation into the samurai's culture. The plot depicts the escalated substitution of Algren's hostility by his smiles, wearing of Japanese clothing, saving Katsumoto from the Ninja assassins sent by Omura (Masato Harada), admiration and learning of Japanese swordsmanship, amity with the samurai community, and eventually, defence for Katsumoto's troop in Samurai's armor. The narrative in its entirety renders itself to a strong role reversal of Algren under a theme that glorifies Bushido as well as making enquiries into loyalty.

Director Zwick uses 2 sequences of visual reversals to reinforce the role reversal in the diegesis: (1) Algren with a pistol in western uniform (before his capture by the samurai troop) vs. his arming with a Japanese sword in Samurai's armor (in the last battle sequence); and (2) Omura in Western uniform on the side of the modern vs. Algren in Samurai armor on the side of the primitive (ie. a Westerner in Samurai's armor vs. a Japanese in Western soldier's uniform). The repeated use of these reversals further accentuates the connotations of East meets West and the modern clashes with the old embraced in the theme.

The range of information in the plot is unrestricted in that the viewer knows as much as the protagonists know. Nevertheless, the director builds up some subjective information with the use of the voice over of Algren and Simon Graham (Tim Spall) in expressing their intrinsic mediation.

The film comes with grand mise-en-senes and detailed costume. The juxtaposed sounds of sword fighting, horse screaming and running, people's shouting and falling as well as music in the fighting scenes escalate the mood of the viewers to the climax and bring the viewers to the super-reality (admitting that sound elements in movies are as a norm composed and exaggerated). It is a good movie with deliberately constructed visual and acoustic elements indeed.

註：本評論純屬影評作者個人意見，並不代表本網立場。
Note: This views presented in this review is solely the views of the critic who wrote it and do not represent the stance of our website.

相關連結 Related Links

• 最近公影電影 Recent, Current, and Upcoming Films