(From:
http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/364/364194p1.html )
"The Last Samurai is the best script I've read in months. It's a
captivating work of historical fiction that allows Westerners a peek
inside a foreign world and provides an opportunity to learn about the
samurai, a group often portrayed onscreen but seldom understood. What
I enjoyed most was the story's (rather overt) parallels to
contemporary issues as it recounts America's first foray into
Southeast Asian affairs. Allusions to World War II, America's
involvement in Vietnam, and the influx of Japanese businesses into
the U.S. during the 1980s and 1990s are clearly evident in this draft.
I had worried that these harbingers of things to come might become
overbearing but they just lent further tragedy and poignancy to the
story. The spectator knows what the characters' actions will
ultimately lead to and the horrible toll it will have on both Japan
and the U.S.
The Last Samurai is a rousing adventure yarn, an intriguing
commentary on a key turning point in the history of Japan and its
relationship with the United States, as well as an enlightening
lesson on Japanese culture and the titular samurai. I simply can't
wait to see this film."
Check out the entire article at the link at the top of the email.