Essay Questions

Why does Algren despise Begley?

The two men have a long history together; Begley was Algren's commanding officer during the Indian wars, and Algren witnesses him participating in and directing the massacre of Native American civilians at Washita River. Algren participated by being present and doing nothing to stop the slaughter, and for this he feels extremely guilty. He is unable to deal with his guilt and redirects some of it towards Begley, although some is also directed at himself, which is why he is bitter and angry. He also despises Begley for his inability to judge the rights or wrongs of a campaign or war, choosing instead to obey the orders of his superiors without question, and in the case of Omura and the Emperor, choosing to fight on the side of the highest bidder.

Although it was widely agreed that the movie's director and producers clearly admired and liked the traditional Japanese culture and practices, there was also criticism of the way in which the Meiji Restoration was presented. What were some of these criticisms?

Some scholars believed that Zwick romanticized the Samurai; many were not actually in favor of defending their traditions and privileges come what may, but had actually given up both because they believed it was genuinely better for the nation for them to do so. They worked side by side advising the Emperor as the old and the new worked towards a common goal.

Others point out that although the movie suggests that the Samurai were opposed to Westernization because of their history and tradition many were more concerned with maintaining their own nobility and privilege that gave them the highest rank in society, rather than concerning themselves with the way in which their tradition and history was actually dealt with by the Emperor and the government.

Another criticism of the film was that it demonized the west and its allies, positioning all things western to be bad and all things old and traditional to be good. Critics felt that there was not room given to the middle ground, or to praising the Meiji Restoration for the advancement that it brought to the nation of Japan on a global scale.