Modern History Assessment Term 2: Jack North
Source A gives a useful insight into the roles and influences of western nations with respect to Japan, elucidating the instrumental nature of the foreign: ubiquitous in the Meiji Restoration. Spanning the wake of this epoch, defined by the probing bows of the “black ships”, through to fin de siecle occurrences, foreign power attested as vital in the shaping of a contemporary nation.
When regarding context, this source poses as exemplary of the transformations garnered by Japan, visually indicative of Japan’s acquired martial potency. Only mere decades previously, Japan resided as a state enfettered to tradition, feudal hierarchy and an agrarian …show more content…
Loosely based on the Satsuma rebellion, the revolt of a traditionalist band of disaffected samurai, “The Last Samurai” does provide historical groundings. Led by the pivotal Saigo Takamori, this rebellion was the culmination of dissent towards a changing Japan, emblematic of conventional mannerisms, and their dying place in contemporary society. Edward Zwick, director, was bent on affirming the Samurai’s position as idolized heroes, wanting to further bolster their position in the ranks of legend within Japanese history. Testament to Japan in its feudal state he states "It's easy to appreciate the technological marvel… that Japan has become, but the absolute disappearance of anything of the natural world, the aesthetic… feels also tragic." He also champions the film’s inaccuracies as a historical source, attesting “this is not a historical document”, thus elucidating his deliberate altering of key character’s names. Due to its incompatibilities with the factual, and its status as a secondary source, a subsequent decline in reliability is inexorable. However, “The Last Samurai” provides an incredibly useful insight when concerning the role of the west, in the period after 1854. It highlights the superior nature of European weapons, the mediums through which the Samurai’s once invincible status is rendered obsolete. It actively catalogues events, equilibrium between the fictitious and factual token to its filmic status. Most notably, its substitution of the westerner Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), into the elitist ranks of the samurai, documents a coexistence that mirrors relations between the East and the West at the time. The brainchild of the Hollywood industry, the source does retain the required capacity for entertainment, however this renders it further accessible and augments the already eclectic
Source A gives a useful insight into the roles and influences of western nations with respect to Japan, elucidating the instrumental nature of the foreign: ubiquitous in the Meiji Restoration. Spanning the wake of this epoch, defined by the probing bows of the “black ships”, through to fin de siecle occurrences, foreign power attested as vital in the shaping of a contemporary nation.
When regarding context, this source poses as exemplary of the transformations garnered by Japan, visually indicative of Japan’s acquired martial potency. Only mere decades previously, Japan resided as a state enfettered to tradition, feudal hierarchy and an agrarian …show more content…
Loosely based on the Satsuma rebellion, the revolt of a traditionalist band of disaffected samurai, “The Last Samurai” does provide historical groundings. Led by the pivotal Saigo Takamori, this rebellion was the culmination of dissent towards a changing Japan, emblematic of conventional mannerisms, and their dying place in contemporary society. Edward Zwick, director, was bent on affirming the Samurai’s position as idolized heroes, wanting to further bolster their position in the ranks of legend within Japanese history. Testament to Japan in its feudal state he states "It's easy to appreciate the technological marvel… that Japan has become, but the absolute disappearance of anything of the natural world, the aesthetic… feels also tragic." He also champions the film’s inaccuracies as a historical source, attesting “this is not a historical document”, thus elucidating his deliberate altering of key character’s names. Due to its incompatibilities with the factual, and its status as a secondary source, a subsequent decline in reliability is inexorable. However, “The Last Samurai” provides an incredibly useful insight when concerning the role of the west, in the period after 1854. It highlights the superior nature of European weapons, the mediums through which the Samurai’s once invincible status is rendered obsolete. It actively catalogues events, equilibrium between the fictitious and factual token to its filmic status. Most notably, its substitution of the westerner Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), into the elitist ranks of the samurai, documents a coexistence that mirrors relations between the East and the West at the time. The brainchild of the Hollywood industry, the source does retain the required capacity for entertainment, however this renders it further accessible and augments the already eclectic