MOVIES ABOUT JAPAN: REFLECTIONS OF A HISTORIAN ON THE MARGIN OF THE «LAST SAMURAI»

Abstract

In this article, the author analyses selected scenes from The Last Samurai by Edward Zwick. The main focus of the study is not so much on the cultural as on the historical context of the film. This is quite justified, since feature films often relay historical information, but more importantly, they influence public opinion, forming a positive or negative assessment of certain events or characters. The author points out that in the case of The Last Samurai, the film raises the question of the fate of civilisations and traditional societies. «The Last Samurai is dedicated to the unique process of replacing old models with new ones in Japan at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, which took place over a period of some twelve years and which was finally understood after 1945. The film shows the process of westernisation of Meiji Japan to become a modern nation and state. The author points out the elements that formed the basis for the formation of a modern nation and are reflected in the film, such as the traditions of samurai and the cult of the emperor. At the same time, the analysis of the film's plot shows that the director demonstrates how Western influences did not lead to the destruction of traditional Japanese stereotypes of social consciousness. One of the important points worth highlighting is the portrayal of the contrast between Western and Japanese cultures, which reflects two visions of the people: the elite Japan of the Edo period and the modern state of the Meiji period. In conclusion, the author argues that the mysterious and fascinating world of the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun is still deeply hidden – just as the emotions of the Japanese themselves, who hide them under a superficially polite smile, are so difficult for a gaijin (foreigner) to understand. And The Last Samurai only reveals it to us. Perhaps this is because the characters have very little in common with their prototypes (with the exception of Katsumoto, who is based on one of the most famous samurai in Japanese history, Saigo Takamori).