months ago when i first saw ads for "the last samurai", i told people that i wanted to see this just so that i could see old japan on the big screen. the people i talked to could not understand why i wanted to see this film because it had tom cruise in it or it looked stupid, etc. cut to today: everyone i know has seen this film and loves it. they are surprised that i have not seen it yet. well, last night i went to go see it. it was *arh*. i got exactly what i wanted though.. old japan on the big screen. i didn't ask for anything more. i absolutely did not want to see a love scene between tom cruise and a japanese woman. the trailers made it seem like there would be one. there was not. there was a very tiny kiss. that small kiss kind of ruined the scene but that's hollywood for you. i heard that some of the period costuming was incorrect but i don't care much about that because i don't know the fine details of japanese history. i thought that one portrayal of hara kiri (cutting the stomach style of samurai suicide) was incorrect (don't cut the head all the way so that it rolls around!) but maybe my memory is foggy--i have a book on seppuku. i thought that for this era of japan, the most important aspects to cover is the unification of feudal japan and attempts at modernization. that the shift to be western was not so easy for some. those who had been very japanese suddenly found themselves to be outlaws. these topics were covered to varying degrees.

what is interesting about the west reflecting on japan is that westerners seem to focus in on: honor and seppuku. you shouldn't have to focus on honor because it should be a value of everything. taking pride in yourself for being honest and not hurting others and so forth, but not being cocky about it either. the suicide thing, well i don't think westerns understand it even though shakespeare got it in his play about teenagers. or maybe it's just an american thing. like our obsession with in which direction toilet water cycles as it flushes. today, though, seppuku is strictly forbidden. it's like a cultural horror. no one would dare! if you do, you're a freak. (think yukio mishima. or maybe they just couldn't handle the gay thing.) those who truly value old japanese ways to the nth degree are also seen as odd. (think again of the way japanese regard mishima.) i've seen many jokes on tv about men walking around with the old dress and hairstyles in the middle of contemporary tokyo because they don't realize that times have changed.