It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

FLYING YANGBAN DOESN'T CARE FOR THE "ORIENTAL ROMANTICISM" IN THE LAST SAMURAI

The simple fact is that Katsumoto (the Samurai rebel) was wrong. Japan needed to modernize and the samurai who fought against that were xenophobic reactionaries. To make matters worse, Saigo Takamori (who Katsumoto was based on) advocated attacking Korea in 1873 and left the Meiji government after other leaders refused to back his plan.

So we have this war-mongering, feudalistic reactionary who finally goes into open rebellion after his rice stipend is cut off by the government and I'm supposed to have sympathy for the guy? I think not.

"Yes, but what of the beautiful traditional Japanese culture that was corrupted by Western culture and Western imperialism? Wasn't that lost cause worth fighting for?"

As a southerner, I know all about lost causes. My ancestors fought bravely for their own set of archaic values and got the tar smacked out of them just like Saigo's Samurai. And you know what? Both had it coming.

Strong words! I haven't seen the movie yet but tend to agree with the idea that Hollywood hopelessly romanticizes any place but here, any time but now."