Japanese Stereotypes In The Film The Last Samurai

culturally inaccurate. At the time, Asians were still very much underrepresented in film and many

The last Samurai was a movie directed by Tom Cruise and Edward Zwick, it was filmed in 2003, and was based on the Satsuma Rebellion. The Last Samurai does portray Japanese culture of the Meiji Era correctly in some ways as it was the men who would go off to war, and mainly women who would stay home and farm. But parts were incorrect. The Last Samurai does lack historical accuracy as it shows us Japan with more of an East-West culture. In real life, the man named Nathan Algren was actually a man called Jules Brunet, who was a French man who went to Japan to fight, but was captured. At the time of these events, Japan was still modernising; so these aspects of the film may vary to the truth.

Moreover, Asian roles being whitewashed in films, it remains relevant in today’s Hollywood film and television industry. For centuries, the entertainment industry has been whitewashing

Beauty, sleekness, and power are the landmark of a samurai sword. A group of people who were given the responsibility of protecting japan made the swords. These warriors are called samurais.

Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today

culturally inaccurate. At the time, Asians were still very much underrepresented in film and many

The Korematsu Vs. U.S. Court case was held and decided during World War 2 between the time after the attack on pearl harbor, the decision that take place at that time were exaggerated and wrong during this time the american people were lead to believe that people of japanese ancestry were a threat to the security of the west coast do to wartime hysteria and false accusations of Espionage.

In the classic film Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa, one of Japan’s most famous and influential directors, delves into the world of samurai during the Sengoku period. Kurosawa has inspired many filmmakers, and the themes and story of Seven Samurai can be seen mirrored in films. In the film, Kurosawa paid special detail to small details important to Japan’s history and culture, both past and present.

The cultural context of the film The Last Samurai affects the characters’ values, attitudes and beliefs, as the character Nathan Algren is shaped by the American cultural context of the film. His values and attitudes concerning beheading and his attitude towards his involvement in American Indian wars are explored in the film.

“The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life” (Zwick). These are the words of Katsumoto, an important samurai warrior. The movie The Last Samurai directed by Edward Zwick is about an American War Captain named Nathan Algren who is hired to train, lead and modernize a group of Japanese soldiers to defeat a rebellion of the country's remaining Samurai in 1876. Algren is captured by the Samurai and soon becomes part of the village he is being held hostage in. There, Algren learns from the Samurai and comes to respect them. He finds that his true warrior is becoming unleashed as he trains to become a Samurai with the very people we once called his

The view of POCs (People of Color) within mainstream media has always been strewed. From the roles of Flora Robson as a Haitian maid in Saratoga Trunk to Mickey Rooney as I. Y. Yunioshi, the view of POCs in American popular culture has always been warped to portray an often negative or demeaning stereotype that appeases the white audience of American pop culture. Although many races are negatively impacted by the conceptions of the white American public, the portrayal of Asian American stereotypes in television has especially given an illusion to the American public on what to assume when facing an Asian American. Even with the growth of the Asian American voice in television and the increase in representation through new shows such as “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Marco

Yuzan Daidoji, Oscar Ratti, and Thomas Cleary. The Code of the Samurai. Boston: Tuttle, 1999. 10-44.

In both The Last Samurai(2003), directed by Edward Zwick, and Kill Bill(2003), directed by Quentin Tarantino, the protagonist is a Caucasian American with a troubled past who resorts to Japanese martial arts in order to regain their honor. Nathan Algren, a retired officer of the U.S. Army, suffers from emotional trauma due to the the guilt of his violent actions against the Native Americans. Meanwhile, Beatrix Kiddo seeks revenge against the DIVAS, who attempted to kill her. Both characters use their mastery of samurai swords to defeat their enemies and heal their traumatizing past. This trope is common in Hollywood films, and Sean Tierney argues against the inherent racism behind it in his article Themes of Whiteness in Bulletproof Monk, Kill

All of this proves that Hollywood is not doing a good job in making up for the blatantly racist films of the twentieth century. Hollywood needs to do more to reverse the stereotypes of early film because such stereotypes are still seen today along with their respective repercussions.

Have you ever seen a TV show or a movie about Samurai? Have you ever seen someone dressed up as a Samurai, or read a book with one in it? Maybe you just have a vague idea in the back of your head. Well, guess what? That definition or example, you may think is a Samurai is probably only a small taste of what the calm yet strong warriors were like. Samurai were not only the fearless fighters that we may think of at first, in fact, they were educated, controlled, loyal, and well prepared people. To create a broader picture and to ensure that we don’t create stereotypes about samurai and the people of Japan in general, this PSA was created. The purpose of the different gradation of the various illustrations was to emphasize the middle illustration