Discipline

Yesterday I watched The Last Samurai, one of my favourite films. I know many of the people who read this will disagree with me, but it really is a great film. I guess many people think it gives off a white supremacist meaning because a white man is "the last samurai." But I don't believe those people have watched the film, since it is very clear that "the last samurai" is plural and refers to the entire Katsumoto's clan not just Nathan Algren.

But I don't really want to talk about the film itself as much as I want to talk about what the film has changed in me now that I watched it again. 

I haven't been very productive lately. I've been wallowing in self pity for probably the last year and my productivity suffered equally. Now, I have to write a 14000 word thesis in two months and find a job at the same time. Yet, I have no intention to do either until it is far too late and I won't be able to make either of the deadlines. However, yesterday while watching the film and having Tom Cruise's character observe the japanese customs and daily lives I was inspired to work hard as well. A quote I like to remember from the film is; 

"From the moment they wake, they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seen such discipline."

It doesn't matter how interesting the activity is, whether it is sword fighting or tea making, they strive for perfection. Something which I have had trouble with for a long time. 

I never believed that my film making was great, or my screenwriting could become anything, most of the time I believed that which I enjoyed to be frivolous.  But this film has inspired me to work hard and perfect that which I pursue, no matter what. Which means I will be working from the moment I wake on perfecting my writing, my thesis, getting a job and finally learning Japanese. 

Another subject of the film that really struck home was "honor." Since I was a little boy I always believed in honor. I don't know why – I wasn't a Japan fanboy back then or had any other connection to honor, but for some reason it has always been very important to me. Therefore, when I learned about Seppuku I found it understandable. Of course times have changed and I believe there are other ways to restore honor than killing yourself, but I respected the idea.

For those of you who haven't watched the film, it's about a civil war between the Japanese monarch and a rebel group lead by Katsumoto. Japan is in the middle of becoming more like the west and the rebel group believes they should stay traditional. The climax of the story is somewhat like the battle of thermopylae, where a few men stood up to an army of much greater numbers. Katsumoto and his clan defeated two waves of men before storming at the generals, finally being gunned down by the newly invented machine guns. Katsumoto, dishonored by defeat commits Seppuku with Algren helping him. 

And in what is my favourite scene in cinema, one of the captains goes over his generals head to stop the gunmen to allow Katsumoto to take his own life. Then, he takes off his hat, drops to his knees and bows in front of Katsumoto, with the entire army following his lead. I don't know what it is exactly, but I always get very emotional when watching this scene.

Discipline and honor. Two words, I find have been forgotten in this day and age. I like to believe I have always been very honorable of everyone I meet and now, thanks to The Last Samurai reminding me, I will work on my discipline. Yet, because I know myself, in a week or two I will have forgotten everything I have learned and will fall back into a depressed state and once again accomplish nothing. So I will be watching The Last Samurai every month from now on, so that maybe I can learn discipline and finally get my life on track.