Tom Cruise - The Last Samurai script

[CEWest]

Just got a July 20, 2001 version of the script for the movie "The Last Samurai" (and so an early draft). It is 120 page hard copy, so there is no way I can type it all here, guess I can attempt to answer any questions anyone has. I'm going to get a friend of mine who just got his master's degree in scriptwriting at Boston U. to take a look at the quality of the actual script, and hopefuly FW seal and I will be able to go thru the script and see what treasures or disapointments it holds. The first scene looks like it is going to be extremely cool.

The 'voice over' as the credits finish and the first scene starts:

"After a thousand years of feudalism, Japan was restored to Imperial rule by Emperor Meiji. In his efforts to modernize, bring equality to all, he conscripted a peasant army. And sought to abolish the warrior class, the Samurai. Meiji's decree required the samurai to shear their topknot, outlawed the wearing of the two swords of the bushi. Many samurai did. Others were less eager to give up the birthright of their ancestors..."

[Papewaio]

I read it and I was hearing the STW voice http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif at the start of the campaigns.

[Sjakihata]

When will the movie be released?

[Ii Naomasa]

The last time I heard a date, it was supposedly some time in 2003, but given that I don't believe they've even started filming yet, it will more likely be 2004, if not later. I do suppose that since there wouldn't be a tremendous amount of post production here, it could be squeezed out sooner.

I like the plot overall from everything I've read (including some script reviews), although I hope that Tom Cruise's character doesn't fully integrate into samurai culture and become 'one of them'. Not only would that be thoroughly cliched, but almost humorous considering how the Japanese in general prefer to keep outsiders at an arm's length.

West-dono, what are the indications of such in the early version in your hands?

[Wishazu]

one foreigner was accepted into japanese society. He was english man named Will Adams. if you`ve ever read "Shogun" by james clavell, or seen the tv series, this was based on will adams. He was the pilot of a dutch trader/warship that barely made it to japan. He served ieyasu as a translator and was given the rank of hattamoto, along with estates and a wife. he died in japan at the age of 52 i think. there`s even a street or square named after him(the Anjin) in tokyo

[Wishazu]

by the way that opening sequence does sound really cool and they should blatantly get that stw voice ove bloke to do it

[Wavesword]

I *think* I've heard the STW voice on some other programs about Japan, on C4 in England. Could be wrong though.

[Ii Naomasa]

SuicidalAibo: Aye, Will Adams is an example, but is definitely an exception to the rule. From what I have read of the historical Adams, he wasn't so quickly and thoroughly accepted into the culture as Shogun has Blackthorn (I've actually grown to dislike Shogun for its inaccuracies...cultural more so than historical...especially since so many people have made it their 'everything I need to learn about samurai' novel).

In an early letter from Adams, he even seems to not want to adopt and makes it known that he feels somewhat a captive, despite being treated with grand hospitality (whether he wrote this in all honesty or was quite happy where he was and just wanted to make his family and friends back home think different is up to a person's opinion).

I sometimes wonder if Adams was adopted into society just because people were told to adopt him (because of his political and economic usefulness). He was obviously respected above many of Japan's guests at the time, but I suspect that his ability to show Japan foreigners that didn't threaten the way of life (like the Catholic missionaries of Spain and Portugal did) was just as, if not more, important than his manners and personality.

Adams, despite marrying a local woman, adopting Japanese names, and living daily life in a more or less native fashion, didn't fully 'become Japanese'. My fear, from a description I heard of The Last Samurai, is that Cruise' character learns the 'ways of the samurai' and more or less becomes one, both completely adopting all the philosophies and learning kenjutsu. Think 'Dances with Wolves' to some extent.

The 19th century samurai of 'The Last Samurai' were a different breed than those Adams encountered almost three centuries earlier. 16th and (very early) 17th century samurai had a fascination with foreigners, especially because they had items, weapons, and methods that Japanese hadn't encountered before. Adopting one and learning from him is possible (much like the Chinese and Korean scholars were adopted back in the Heian period).

To a good number of late 19th century samurai, foreigners represented what was going wrong with their country, in particular their fall from power and standing (sort of surprising, since foreigners were also used to explain why the Tokugawa Shogunate had become too corrupt and weak to remain…and many of the same samurai were drawn into that belief as well...). Replacing them was the Meiji government...a government that restored the emperor to 'power', but was built around a bureaucracy based on Western styles. Many of the 19th century samurai who opposed the changes were fundamental traditionalists, or at least chose that philosophy to defend their stance. A Westerner...particularly one who promoted guns (guns and swords became major symbols of the differences between the Meiji government and the stubborn samurai, respectively) would probably have a hard time 'fitting in' with the rebellious samurai.

Of course, I’m generalizing to some degree, which sometimes opens one to very broad opinions that don’t hold up on an individual level. It's also just that, opinions.


I suppose I could’ve saved everyone’s time by simply saying that I don’t mind Cruise’ character being the main character (it’ll help Americans relate). I just don’t want his character being ‘the last samurai’, like I’m worried they may do.


[This message has been edited by Ii Naomasa (edited 08-20-2002).]

[Whitey]

yep, I'd rather him being like good 'ole Antonio in 13th Warrior, important, but really just a member of something bigger

[Wishazu]

Wavesword: im thinking perhaps that voice was on "BANSAI"- "Place your bets now!".....lol

[Wishazu]

naomasa have you read "Samurai William" by giles milton?

[Ii Naomasa]

Not yet. It's not readily available over here in the States yet. I'll probably just have to order it. It would be interesting, as I haven't read any extremely detailed history regarding him, just snippets here and there from works on other topics and a few letters of the period (I've become fascinated with first-hand accounts of things of late...don't know why. There's just something more lively about reading someone's first hand account, even in the cases where their biased or ignorant of the complete picture).

[Wishazu]

its a cracking read,not completely about will adams, most of the book is actualy about the difficulties the dutch and english traders had over there, but adams was deffinately the key to unlocking the country to the traders

[CEWest]

The opening scene is a group of samurai being disarmed, and thier topknots removed (cut off). One group decides that it isn't going to give up its samurai status so easily, and .....

If I get a chance, I'll post the first scene here.

[ToranagaSama]

Ii Naomasa,

Would you comment on some of the cultural misleadings in the book Shogun. I for one loved the book and really turned me on to Japanese culture (not to mention reading all of Clavell's books. For me, sad day when he died.)

Thanks.

[DarkSerpent96]

where did you get it

[CEWest]

I got the script from an 'anonymous' source working for the people / company doing the re-write. I haven't read the whole thing yet, but from flipping through it, my impression is that he (cruise) starts to respect the rebels and fights more or less on thier side (he is captured in battle against the rebels, and nursed back to health by them.) I'll make a note to myself to take a look at it tonight, and hopefully post detailed info here. I should have just brought the script to work..... I'll leave out the ending - no need to ruin it before the movie even starts production (assuming that it doesn't change in a re-write, anyway).

[CEWest]

"...not to mention reading all of Clavell's books. For me, sad day when he died."

Interesting side note to that (to me anyway) - he died the day I first left for Japan, and if it wasn't for his book, I never would have gone in the first place. A poignant moment when I saw it in the newspaper as I was waiting in line for the flight.

[Sjakihata]

Which one of his many book did you like the most?

I am not sure, but I really enjoyed the one called, "Shôgun"

EDIT:
added ?


[This message has been edited by Sjakihata Akechi (edited 09-03-2002).]

[CEWest]

Okay, I've got the script here in front of me. It appears to be the july 2001 version. This review: http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/364/364194p1.html
mentions different names. I have to assume that the character cruise will play is 'John James' in my version of the script. I haven't read it, but I've spent the last half hour flipping through it, and if they pull off what they plan on as far as battles go, there should be some pretty spectacular shots, particularly the castle siege at the end, and a battle between cannons and samurai on and around a frozen lake earlier. As far as I can tell, it luckily looks like cruise isn't going to try to learn how to fight with a katana - the one scene where he is forced to defend himself with his civil war sabre against a katana lasts just long enough for the katana to cleave it.
One thing I did notice was this, that I found pretty shaky:

JAMES:
You seem troubled, Hiroshi. You got some kind of issue.
(Eyes the lake)
With my tactics, maybe?
(Off Hiroshi's silence)
Good, for a minute there I thought you did.

-James starts to turn away. Hiroshi finally speaks

HIROSHI:
On the day of battle, a champion is chosen. He rides ahead of his army, meets the challenger of the enemy. The victor brings great acclaim to himself, to his clan. A dozen times I rode out as champion, a dozen men I killed. In only one contest did I know fear. Our combat seemed to last an eternity, by the grace of some god, I prevailed... I had never been more proud to be samurai, to take an enemy's head. I raised it high on my pike... Learned later the warrior's son, a six-year old boy, had watched it all from the castle walls. That boy was Daigo Masakado (the enemy general, of course)
(Takes a breath)
If wars were still fought in the way of the samurai, tomorrow dawn, Daigo and I would ride out, he would have his chance to avenge his father.

Anyway, it goes on a bit, and low and behold, Hiroshi rides out to challenge Daigo right before an ambush to be lead by James. Pretty cheezy, especially because I don't seem to think that anyone rode out to challenge like "Hiroshi" did 12 times in challenge before battle for about 600-700 years prior to that point.... Also, I don't see James changing sides to the ronin. it appears in this version, he stays with the emperor's conscript army. Hiroshi ends up saving him.

Also, everyone appears to be able to speak fluent English, including Hiroshi's eight year old nephew.

Otherwise you've got the typical Geisha house trip, and obligatory Ninja attack.

Looks like a movie I'd want to see, but I don't see much in the way of historical accuracy, but hey, if it has a big enough budget to make some cool battle scenes, who cares!