The Last Samurai: I Accept Your Apology

I was reintroduced to this movie by my World History class, where we were studying Japan.

The film stars Tom Cruise in the role of Civil War veteran Captain Nathan Algren, whose personal and emotional conflicts bring him into contact with samurai warriors in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in Japan from 1876 and 1877. In this scene, he makes peace with Taka, a Japanese woman whose husband he killed and the woman who cares for him.

The woman who plays Taka is a Japanese actress and model named Koyuki. Koyuki may not have started out as an actress, but she did an excellent job as Taka. Her potrayal was so touching. Taka has a heart of gold, even in her grief and difficulty accepting Algren. And she is very beautiful, I must say.

As Edward Zwick, the director, says in the commentary: "Here now you see in terms of John (Toll)'s work: his love of photographing women. There's a closeup of Koyuki's face here -- and not that she's not a beautiful woman, but indeed, there are certain aspects of her face that are difficult to photograph. There's a shot (2:26) where suddenly, as if for the first time, you look inside this character and see just how beautiful she is. It's at the same moment that Tom (Algren) reaches out to try and connect with her, as well. You see him see her there. We knew his falling in love with her as he is. Also, her sadness. Her look is beginning to soften and allow us in. It's less opaque than the look they've been giving her up to this point." I agree completely.

~ Kahme

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• The
• Last
• Samurai
• 2003
• Tom
• Cruise

[Usman0611]

dude could u upload the ending in similar quality.....

[EntustinMeYourLife]

The final scene with Algren and Emperor Meiji?

[djabnaim]

can a man change his destiny?

I think a man does what he can till his destiny is revealed.

[Usman0611]

such a beautiful scene....

[GothJoe]

@fynnfish I was about to post a comment about how she couldn't possibly have just said those lines, so thanks for detailing the actual translation.

[TheAvatar15]

@djabnaim ... Speaking words of widsom

[miguelvelarde10]

''he did his duty''

''you did your duty''

I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY'' great script..! i watch this last nigth and thats the line that i will never forget..!

[fynnfish]

Maybe my japanese is not good enough, but doesn't she actually say: 'He reached his long-cherished dreams as a samurai. You also did only what you had to do.' And i don't get the last sentence, its just something with 'feelings..' but not complete or is this a short version of a term that actually means something like 'I accept your apology'?

[cuckos95]

Taka is very beautiful & charming

[guitarhamster102]

Haha white people are so clueless about Asian cultures.

[wotmot223]

the movie is excellent, though the history is very different. The man the movie is based on was french, not American, and he sided with a Shogun who refused to relinquish military power to his emperor. It makes a wonderful movie this way though.

[americathemeltingpot]

Wow! very powerful scene..i accept your apology