The Last Samurai

There was nothing in our lessons asking for a discussion of the movie, "The Last Samurai" so I decided to make a brief comment.

First, it disturbs me that the films we've watched so far to illustrate cultural differences have both included massive amounts of death, blood and general violence.

In the movie, Western culture is depicted as one of greed and progress at any cost while traditional Japanese culture (and Native American culture, by reference) is poetic and contemplative. The Samurai are honorable soldiers while the American-trained troops are generally portrayed as much more callous. Western culture is very one-dimensional in the movie, whether as shown in the quest to conquer on American soil or on Japanese soil. While I would never defend our actions against the Native Americans, the movie leaves you with the impression that Nathan Algren is the only American with a conscience.

To my original comments about Japan, I found the scenery and the architecture stunning in its simplicity. I was especially taken by the scenes where Nathan was practicing in front of the sunset.

Simplicity

·What are your first impressions when you think of Japan or Japanese culture?
·What makes you laugh?

My first thoughts of Japan are paintings of Mt. Fuji, sushi, discipline and Buddhism.
I find the two-dimensional style of much of Japanese art calming. There’s a simplicity of style that excludes too much detail – leaving only the important parts to make a complete image. I also mentioned discipline. This characteristic comes mainly from my business background. The ability to think truly long-term (generations into the future) is amazing and something sorely lacking in American culture.


I think of Zen – meditation and mindfulness – a turning inward. I am not very good at meditation. I am easily distracted by thoughts and external sounds. I prefer a quiet environment or one in which natural sounds are the only intrusion – the ocean, thunder, bird song, rain.
I've never been to Japan so I only have pictures to go on, but the architecture in less populated areas seems to me to be very much in tune with nature.


The simplicity of style and lack of overly grandiose ornamentation I find very appealing. I believe I like this style because I wish to achieve a greater simplicity in my own life.
I feel like I've only touched lightly and bounced several key areas. As I reread the beginning of the this blog, I realize, my overwhelming impression of Japan is simplicity. I realize that isn't really the case, but in the Art and in the architecture and in a representative spiritual path, that is a common theme.
One more comment that is somewhat off the topic of Art. I love to cook and I appreciate beautiful food. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto creates some of the most beautiful sushi I've seen.

Laughter is an interesting concept. I once heard a stand-up comedian say that working a club has become more difficult because so many people now get their comedy from the TV that they have forgotten how to laugh out loud. I started noticing that when I found things funny on TV I was more apt to laugh in my head rather than out loud. I’m not a very noisy person by nature so this didn’t come as a big surprise to me – just something I had never really thought about.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I really enjoy laughing with my Mom. Silly things can get us started and we’ll laugh until it hurts. I remember going to a comedy club years ago with friends and laughing/crying the whole time the opening comedian was on. The headliner, in contrast, was not funny to me at all. I don’t remember why I found him so funny, but he probably told jokes about things I easily related to in my everyday life. I find Dilbert very funny because there is so much truth to the comic strip. (That makes me a little sad, too.) It’s difficult to discuss laughter when I’m not laughing – if that makes any sense. The next time I find myself in hysterics, I’ll think more about what’s making me laugh and add another blog entry.

Human Culture?

Describe your response to Hotel Rwanda. How has this film affected your view of Africa and its people?

When Hotel Rwanda first came out, I decided not to see it. It isn't that I don't believe such history lessons are important. I do think it is critical that we understand history and work toward eliminating injustice in our world. However, I have a very difficult time watching fellow human beings act in such an evil way on such a massive scale. It is far beyond my understanding to grasp that type of hate. Mob mentality has always bothered me - how a person in power can use it to gain even greater power among other things. I'm also bothered by how easily people can be manipulated as a group when, individually, they would be much
less likely to be controlled. I suppose this is part of the reason I find politics distasteful. (As I'm re-reading this entry, I realize "mob" is not necessarily the correct word. While mobs can be led to act in disturbing ways, mob implies something a little more spontaneous. Genocide and other large-scale acts of aggression against a particular group of people is more organized and controlled than a mob implies. This, I find, disturbs me even more.)
My response to the movie was much as I expected. I cried through most of it. The scene with all the bodies in the road was so disturbing - especially knowing that Paul had been sent there deliberately to teach him a lesson. Equally disturbing is the fact that we (human beings, not just Americans) have allowed genocide to happen time and again while debates go on in general assemblies and council meetings and in offices of power. DEBATES! I cannot fathom how we can sit by and do nothing. We have people in power - people who want to lead and yet, all they can do is talk about how horrible this all is.
Our human need to belong to a group, to create an "us vs. them" situation is understandable from an ethological view. We would never have lasted as a species if we were not able to form these bonds. However, that tendency is no longer working in man's favor. Not only does it lead (not necessarily, of course) to genocide, but it also causes "us" to devalue anyone who is not "us" such that helping becomes less important. How is it possible that I am any more or less valuable than someone who belongs to "them"? Yet, our nature is to count the number of Americans dead or wounded in the Iraqi war but to almost completely ignore the number of Iraqi's dead or wounded. (close to 100,000 dead, by the way - http://www.iraqbodycount.org/) I cannot vouch for that website or that number. However, to me, any number is unacceptable. We are all human beings. My life is not more valuable because I was born in America or because I had more opportunities in life. This makes me want to scream. So, the movie certainly did nothing to help my rather negative view of how we treat each other.
One thing, that has not changed, however, is my view of Africans. I do not believe that Rwandans, Hutus, Tutsis, Africans or any other race of people are predisposed to this level of violence. I believe mobs and groups can be led to this level of violence when conditions are right and leaders are unscrupulous.