Pride, Honor and Survival in The Last Samurai and Hidalgo :: Movie Film Movies Films Essays

Pride, Honor and Survival in The Last Samurai and HidalgoIn the 2004 movie, Hidalgo, the story of how a cowboy and cavalry fill out passenger, charge as the worlds greatest endurance rider, is challenged to compete for pride, honor, and his own survival in a 3,000 mile long race know as the Ocean of Fire. Likewise, the story of The Last Samurai depicts how a civil war era captain is charged with the responsibility of training a modern Japanese military force, and is captured by Samurai warriors in a battle to quell the Samurai rebellion. While he is being held by his captors, he learns the ways of the Samurai and must use his impertinent skills to fight for his, as well as Japans pride, honor, and cultural survival. This essay will attempt to draw similarities between Hidalgo and The Last Samurai by examining the private feats accomplished by the movies main characters as well as explain how these seemingly dissimilar movie plots are actually quite similar.The movie Hidalgo te lls the story of bold T. Hopkins, cowboy and cavalry drop off rider. During his career, Hopkins and his horse Hidalgo have competed in many American endurance races, and Hopkins has become honorably billed as the worlds greatest endurance rider. Riding as a dispatch rider for the cavalry, one of the main character conflicts of the movie unfolds. Frank T. Hopkins, born to a Lakota Indian woman is half Lakota Indian, but has a hard time dealing with this aspect of his heritage. The conflict comes when he rides a dispatch for the U.S. Calvary unknowingly delivering the order to disarm the Lakota Indians, and inadvertently causes the Battle of Wounded Knee, where the Lakota are massacred by the cavalry.Knowing that he delivered the order sealing the fate of his people, Hopkins fall into horrible depression, taking to heavy drinking. Because of his reputation as the worlds greatest endurance rider, Hopkins joins Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, and is haunted by the nightmare of the massacre.In an example pride, honor and survival, Hopkins is challenged to overcome his depression and self-pity and enter a race, a 3,000 mile survival race across the Arabian Desert, known as the Ocean of Fire. The Ocean of Fire, held annually for more than a 1,000 years, is an endurance race like no other. Beyond being a race for pride and honor, riders survival skills are tested in the 3,000 mile Ocean of Fire.