The Last Samurai

Of Tom Cruise, it seems pointless to say anything other than he is testament to mans capacity for self-deception. That out of the way, The Last Samurai takes a one-sided simplistic view of a complicated period and manages to make it suitably vague and inspiring. Historical and cultural accuracy is eschewed in favour of a shiny costume drama which isn't exactly rife with contradiction, but has enough direct hits on important places to defeat its point. Early Meiji Japan is depicted beautifully, but the end product is cheesier than a fondue party for mice.