New Zealand, United States of America

DramaActionWarDual Audio

JapanSamuraiSwordplayGeneralSense of guiltWar veteranSwordWar crimesLoss of loved oneSelf-discoveryArms dealHomelandKatanaEmperorLanguage barrierMountain villageForeign legionInsurgenceMercenaryCampaignLeaderWar strategyGettysburgSlaughterSoldierPeriod dramaAlcoholicU.s. soldierJapanese armyWarrior19th centuryWar trauma

Edward Zwick

Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Timothy Spall, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Koyuki

John Logan, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, John Logan

Warner Bros. Pictures, Radar Pictures, Bedford Falls Productions, Cruise/Wagner Productions

Taglines: In the face of an enemy, in the heart of one man, lies the soul of a warrior.

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

Reviews:

Author: r96sk
Recommended. 'The Last Samurai' features some very cool and entertaining battle sequences, which are shot excellently. The premise itself is attracting, it's acted out astutely by the noteworthy cast list. It probably lasts too long, but I never truly got a feeling of it dragging out though. Tom Cruise is fantastic as Capt. Nathan Algren. It's no secret or surprise as we all know that guy can act, he adds a great deal to his character here; especially on the emotional side of things. As for what happens with Algren, it's all good even if the love interest parts are undercooked. Ken Watanabe is splendid in the role of Katsumoto, while Masato Harada (Omura) and Timothy Spall (Graham) give positive performances. It's also nice to see Billy Connolly (Gant) and Scott Wilson (Swanbeck) appear. Hans Zimmer's score is, as presumed, grand. That would be one of a number of reasons why I'd say you should watch this.