Quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Horse
I will try without giving too much away. Ok. The problems are small but you can tell. However, people CAN argue the opposite.
1. The Japanese that they used seemed a little too modern.
2. The samurai would probably have killed him.
3. It seemed like his with the samurai for a little under a year. It seemed late summer/ early fall. They started teaching him before it got cold. I dont think they would teach him that fast. I am not saying they would never have taught him, because right after WWII, SOME of the martial art teacher taught US troops.
4. When the samurai cut the Japanese officer's head, he PROBABLY would not cut it completely off, because they were kinda friends earlier. It is a little shameful to let his head bounce away. This is a little iffy, but I feel that he wouldn't do that.
5. Algren would not be so welcomed into the village. He would always be an outsider. It was the countryside in 1877. I live in the countryside in Japan now and there is still a feeling of being a outsider for me.
6. This is what kinda bothered me the most was the relationship between Algren and Taka. It was not the fact she was nice to him. She was told to so she was nice. However, the loving feelings they had for each other is bull****. He killed her husband. She forgave him, but this type of JAPANESE forgiveness is not the same as the forgiveness in the movie. There is a type of forgiveness in Japanese culture that is kinda like to forgive and to put those feelings behind you (it is hard to explain), but not in the way of I forgive you, oh I am starting to like you.
The kiss when she was robing him would not happen. I don't think she would do it even if it was a Japanese guy. It is the countryside in Japan over 116 years ago. She would not have a relationship with a gaikokujin. Especially if was the guy who killed your husband. Let's say she really really liked him, she would not act upon it. I had some friends and coworkers who wanted to have a relationship or marry someone but didn't because of their parents wishes or social reasons. That part would have been a better without the kiss.
7. The way people spoke to Meiji seemed a little strange.
8. Algren wear the armor of the man he killed.
There are more but I can't remember. I am going to see again and edit this post. These 8 points can be argued both ways. I feel they are mostly not going to happen
I have a friend who looks at movies this same way. He was a Japanese studies major as well, so I'm sure I'll hear some of these same points from him.