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Edward Zwick directs this sumptuously designed, action-packed period epic that stars Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren. Algren, a former Civil War hero, is adrift in 1870s San Francisco after the war, a lost soul struggling to stay afloat in a booze-soaked stupor. When he is recruited by the Japanese government to train the Emperor's army, he departs for the unknown shores of Japan and begins training the soldiers in American military tactics.

But these skills are useless against a band of samurai rebels led by the proud warrior Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), and Algren is easily defeated. He is taken to a remote samurai village where he learns samurai warrior codes and ways of life, developing a deep bond with Katsumoto and sharing philosophical conversations with him. Caught between the feudal culture of the ancient samurai warriors and the encroachment of modern society, Algren is forced to choose between his own culture or Katsumoto's.

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Cast: Tom Cruise, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Spall, Billy Connolly, Shin Koyamada
Director: Edward Zwick
Genre: Action, Adventure
Release Date: December 5, 2003
MPAA Rating: R
DVD Release Date: May 4, 2004
Runtime: 154 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video

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44 Ratings: +3.0

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More The Last Samurai (movie) reviews

review by DavidLeavitt. December 02, 2009

Last Samurai

Directed by Edward Zwick, The Last Samurai a fantastic film set in the 1870's about American Civil war Captain Nathan Algren who travels to Japan to help crush a rebellion of Samurai using firearms. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) becomes captured by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). He ends up learning the ways of a Samurai and their Bushido tradition and laws of honor. Last Samurai is a captivating drama that will keep you fixated on your television screen. … more

Comments (1) Compliments (8)

review by Lopez15. December 29, 2009

A powerful film and moving adventure in the tradition of Dances with wolves...

When I first saw this movie I didn't like the concept, I didn't like the idea of an American solider turning on his kind to fight with the enemy. Boy was I in mature! Now seeing it again now more mature and more knowledgeable of history this film has allot of meaning to me. It's epic, sprawling, beautiful, intelligent, brutal, honorable and most of all heart breaking. The Last Samurai chronicles the story of a beaten and battered Civil War hero … more

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review by MichaelN. April 29, 2009

posted in Everything Martial Arts

Epic!

In the tradition of the Shogun miniseries, this movie paints a wonderful picture of life under the Japanese Samurai. This time it is darning a time of modernization in Japan. Railroads and factories are being built. A Japanese army is being started, armed by some US entrepreneurs. They hire Tom Cruise, an often drunk army captain, to go to Japan and train the army in the use of the new rifles and to learn American war tactics. He starts training troops that can't hit a stationary target at … more

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review by swmirsky. February 01, 2005

posted in Movie Hype

Tightly Done Historical Action Piece

I was surprised that I actually liked this one, particularly since it seemed to promise just another run-of-the-mill action/adventure period piece. Of course I happen to be partial to these kinds of stories and I have a great fondness for the Japanese variants of same. Still I didn't expect to enjoy this hybrid eastern-western that reworked Japanese history in order to put a dissolute and despondent American war hero (who's tortured by what he did in the Indian wars that followed on the Civil War) … more

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review by liago4. December 04, 2004

Understanding The Last Of The Samurai

It's unfortunate that some people dont see the true beauty of this film, like me if you are a anime fan you should see it. The last samurai is great from beginning to end the fight scenes were great and the story and plot was so perfect it's almost unbelievable. Even though the story is fake the families involved and the events that make this story come to life are all historic facts.These men died in battle and even know they died they died to get their point across and to be heard when they needed … more

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review by MichaelN. September 10, 2004

Great story and great action

In the tradition of the Shogun miniseries, this movie paints a wonderful picture of life under the Japanese Samurai. This time it is during a time of modernization in Japan. Railroads and factories are being built. A Japanese army is being started, armed by some US entrepenuers. They hire Tom Cruise, an often drunk army captain, to go to Japan and train the army in the use of the new rifles and to learn American war tactics. He starts training troops that can't hit a stationary … more

Comment Compliment

review by gradyharp. May 07, 2004

posted in Movie Hype

Surprisingly Fine Movie!

THE LAST SAMURAI is for many of us a Sleeper of a movie. The media mania was so high at the release time in the theaters that it seemed by the trailers that this was another massively expensive Epic riding on the Big Name Star vehicle. Sadly, I avoided seeing this beautiful film on the big screen: now I wish I had not been so influenced by the hype. THE LAST SAMURAI is at its core a very tender movie, a story of men overcoming their personal demons, of the power of allegiance to ideals, of forgiveness … more

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