Set in the late 1870s, this epic film depicts the beginnings of the
modernization of Japan, as the island nation evolved past a feudal society, as symbolized by the eradication of the
samurai way of life. We see all this happen from the point of view of an alcoholic Civil War veteran turned Winchester
guns spokesman, Captain Woodrow Algren (Cruise), who arrives in Japan to train the troops of the emperor, Meiji, as part
of a break away from the long-held tradition of relying on employed samurai warriors to protect territories, as the
emperor's new army prepares to wipe out the remaining samurai warriors. When Algren is injured in combat and captured
by the samurai, he learns about their warrior honor code from their leader, Katsumoto, which forces him to decide which
side of the conflict he actually wants to be on. |
