Word: bushido
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...kamikazes—much like Islamist suicide bombers—were fed a false account of their own cultural heritage. They were told that the samurai code, “bushido,” required self-sacrifice rather than surrender. But the Japanese military’s mantra repeated a fabricated history—according to Thomas, “many ancient Japanese warriors had been prisoners of war.” The scholarly Admiral Kurita penetrated through the “bushido” ruse. Too many of his countrymen...
Taken together, the two screenplays show that the battle of Iwo Jima--and by implication, the whole war in the Pacific--was not just a clash of arms but a clash of cultures. The Japanese officer class, imbued with the quasi-religious fervor of their Bushido code, believed that surrender was dishonor, that they were all obliged to die in defense of their small island. That, of course, was not true of the attacking Americans. As Eastwood puts it, "They knew they were going into harm's way, but you can't tell an American he's absolutely fated...
...along the West Coast, Algren reluctanctly accepts an offer to train a modernizing Japanese army during the sweeping changes of the Meiji Renaissance. Soon after arriving in Tokyo, Algren is captured in battle by the rebel Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), a fierce but predictably wise warrior committed to preserving the bushido, or samurai code of honor...
...Given that it’s impossible to have any kind of life that’s lived according to consistent precepts,” Zwick says of the bushido, “I think the idea of trying to codify an idealized way of life is a very beautiful thing to contemplate. Even if that only stands as an exemplar in the abstract, it’s still beautiful...
...bushido is just one of many aspects of the samurai that attracted Zwick to the film. His enthusiasm for Japanese history and culture blossomed from an academic interest to an personal one that included trips to museums—the feel of fabrics and swords and a slew of conversations with historians brought to life what had, until then, existed for him only in the abstract. Eventually, he says, his interest brought him to Japan...