The Last Samurai

2003 "In the face of an enemy, in the heart of one man, lies the soul of a warrior."
7.8| 2h34m| R| en| More Info
Released: 05 December 2003 Released
Producted By: Cruise/Wagner Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.warnerbros.com/last-samurai
Synopsis

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.

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Reviews

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Nick Dron "The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life." - Katsumoto It is probably one of the saddest and most inevitable things in this world - war. And though war should not be tolerated at all, a civil war - when brother goes against brother, when those who share the same history, culture and language go one against another, this kind of war is the most horrible and painful. "The Last Samurai", an epic action movie directed by Edward Zwick, is enlightening the events that took place in The Land of the Rising Sun of the late 19th century. The main character, Captain Nathan Algren, a lonely tortured soldier who's been trying to redeem his life back from the atrocities and nightmares of war is being dragged into the whirlpool of a new one far away from his homeland. Times are changing fast, and dictated by the examples of other countries Japan is gradually but firmly going from the old native "samurai-like" way of life country to a modern technological western style of living. "Progress is a stepping stone of civilization" - some say, but it doesn't mean that civilization itself progresses. Samurais, as the eternal symbol of the Japanese culture and as its guardians protest against the changes that civilization brings. Railroads, western cloth and food, western buildings and technologies, firearms and war tactics - all this might seem to be building a strong country ready to enter the international arena, but these things also tend to consume everything that Japan represents of itself - dedication, discipline, spirituality, philosophy. Katsumoto - the last leader of the samurai clan is trying to convince the emperor in his wrong choice of blindly following all modern tendencies and letting the country be corrupted by capitalism that hides under the mask of industrialization. Allowing other nations to have influence over Japan can be a crucial decision that might lead it onto the road of full obedience and dependence from other "world players". But will his words ever reach the emperor's ears, will he ever be able to keep the legacy of his ancestors... is he alone in this fight? The movie focuses on the most important changes in the Japanese society in the late 19th century and tries to show it from the standpoint of the main hero, American captain, who happens to be very far from understanding everything Japan stands on at first, but ends as one who has found peace and comfort in a culture as distant as America and Japan are on the world map. The directors' work is great - displaying every bit of the eastern culture and lifestyle in a slow pace really makes us almost "taste" the spirit of the Samurai Epoch. Same can be said of the operators' work - paying much attention to details, whether it's a battle scene or a peaceful one, you will see the whole spectrum of events under different angles and from different points. Actors' work doesn't stop to surprise: Tom Cruise in the skin of Captain Algren - firm veteran of war, who has taken his part in suppressing the Indian rebellion during his war career and already has many sins haunting his mind making him be ashamed of who he has become; Ken Watanabe as Katsumoto - a true samurai by blood and by his heart, dedicated, strong and unbendable, the one who has the strength to follow his way of worldview and to lead others by his example; so different and yet so same, both are children of war, only, one saw it as a merciless, gruesome and unjustly slaughtering reaper, the other - as the way of ideals, morality, perfection, discipline, philosophy, virtue,.. and as the true way of the sword. Their distant roads have crossed to make them both understand what the destiny of a true warrior is. Secondary heroes like Billy Connolly (as Sergeant Zeb), Tony Goldwyn (as Colonel Bagley), Masato Harada (as Mr. Omura), Timothy Spall (as Simon Graham) and Hiroyuki Sanada (as Ujio) also deserve to be praised for building strong supporting characters and the background atmosphere of the movie. Writing is screaming of majestic delight, unique vision and philosophical beauty. You will probably never find another action movie which concentrates its plot around religion, culture and spirituality that much as this one, and not only concentrates, but depicts it in the most harmonic way possible. Costume design, sets and decorations, makeup, special effects, fighting choreography, staging, views and heavenly gorgeous landscapes of The Land of the Rising Sun - everything is on the impeccable level, interweaving with one another draws a picture of splendid beauty and strikes into your memory forever. Nothing less to expect from a "hundred-million-dollar" Hollywood movie with not only technical quality, but a lot of heart in it. The original score. Hans Zimmer. Not many words can describe this cosmic sublimity. It's like lying on a soft cloud with a cotton moon as a pillow, covered with blanket made of mild night with shining stars and angels are coming down from the sky singing lullaby and rocking you to sleep. It's a pure magic dream, where violin is a cloud, flute is a moon, trumpet is a blanket and the angel's voices are a mix of shakuhachi, taiko drums and other national Japanese instruments. Beautifully calm and violently stormy, starting with delicate koto melody, than letting the drums and percussions take over turning the mood from the softly-sweet to the battle-ready, the music emphasizes the spirit of every scene as it accompany the viewer through the film. Taking the breathtaking "Way of the Sword" track at the final battle scene - while bullets fly around, Algren holds dying Katsumoto in his arms and music becomes especially tender as though symbolizing his departure and a relief from all the hardships and duties he bared through his life. Fascinatingly crafted Asian-like music - "The Last Samurai's" original score will rightfully take its place among the Hans Zimmer's finest works. 4 Oskar nominees (Best Supporting Actor, Best Decorations, Best Costumes, Best Sound Mixing) and dozens of other awards and nominations... philosophical, touching, captive - "The Last Samurai" will forever be on the list of the most brilliant movie works of our time!
haventmadeupmymindyet I've been a fan of Tom Cruise basically since forever, so in my humble opinion I'd say this is probably his best movie. Great performances by both Cruise and Watanabe.
crzymnky In The Last Samurai, Tom Cruise and Ken Wantanabe star in an original historical fiction film that takes place during the Meiji restoration period of Japan. In 1868 under Emperor Meijia rule, Japan was involved with an unprecedented chain of events, which restored practical imperial governmental power to Emperor Meijia over Japan. Primarily, one side of Japan wanted to stay with traditional Samurai warrior practices. Katsumoto, played by Ken Wantanabe, stood by these beliefs and practices with the way of the samurai. On the other hand, Emperor Meiji wished to advance into a new and modern Japan. Emperor Meiji acquired the assistance of the Americans to fight the revolution against the samurai; this is where Tom Cruise's character comes into the story. Playing a decorated yet ragged Civil War veteran named Nathan Algren, drifting through life with no purpose and drinking away his war-torn suffering in hopes to forget the horrific actions he was forced to commit against the Native American people. Hired by the Americans to train the army of the Japanese emperor in an attempt to eliminate Katsumoto's fearless and drastically outnumbered Samurai squadron. In Algren's efforts, he was captured by Katsumoto, with no casualties from the samurai side. During Algren's captivity, he sees the beauty in their culture. Learning the way, the Bushido Spirit, of the Samurai and siding with Katsumoto and becoming "one with the samurai." Algren finds peace in this way of teaching because of its values of honor and internal morals it has against war and death. The institution of the samurai only bound Katsumoto and Algren together even closer, from enemies to brothers. In review of Edward Zwick's work in The Last Samurai, we have to acknowledge his previous films. Zwick is known for various historical pieces such as Glory, Defiance, Legends of the Fall, and one of his most successful works, The Last Samurai. This action and adventure/drama not only includes some of the most significant choreographed fighting scenes in the film industry but also with the fantastic official soundtrack orchestrated by the legendary German film score composer Hans Zimmer that ties the film into a perfected unison. The first time I saw this movie, I was deeply affected by it. An essential element that I took note of during my review of this film is while the battle scenes are gloriously epic, and indeed everything looks brutally realistic, the battle sequences were not the primary focus of the film. The center of The Last Samurai was a deep friendship that blossoms between Katsumoto and Algren. They both come from two very different cultures that would not have met if it wasn't for war in the mid 1800's. Despite their differences, two cultures who were clashing at the time learned from their differences and found similarities in one another, binding them in unison. The idea of coming together with the mind and soul into one is a crucial element of the samurai way of teachings in the Bushido Spirit, which is prevalent in the film as exponential teaching and growth. This element in The Last Samurai was very emotionally resonating because usually, movies with a war theme like this leave me at a rapid disillusionment with the slow segments within the film's plot, waiting for the battle sequences to come back. For The Last Samurai, this is not your usual war film. There is an extreme lack of CGI that still holds up 15 years later. So much of the film's epic battle sequences are adapted by just cinematography alone with traditional and effective camera tricks. With those impressive cinematography skills, the film is bound by fantastic editing, which is added by the magical touch of Hans Zimmer, beautiful scenery, and impeccable costume design. In the sense of unison, The Last Samurai shows direct traits of the Bushido Spirit. This sense is backed up by having everything inside the film universe having a purpose, everything in The Last Samurai happens for a reason. There are no costumes or extra deaths in the battle scenes for a "just because" effect. All the factors are implemented into the film to give a binding unison with The Last Samurai Universe. To this day, the audience would agree that this film is still today looks visually enthralling. Zwick's decision to focus on this beautiful friendship between Katsumoto and Algren, in The Last Samurai, is a central theme in the film. We as an audience see both Katsumoto and Algren grow together from enemies to brothers. This theme of the film leaves the audience excited for every scene that follows with the impeccable acting from Cruise and Wantanabe in their character development. One thing that should also be mentioned, at the time this film was initially released, there was a lot of controversy for having a white lead who wins the day in a foreign culture. These complaints, in my opinion, are from people who have never seen the film. The Last Samurai is about two cultures that were at war with one another, who learned to work together, respect one another, and became almost family with an bonding love for each other. Ken Wantanabe's character is one of my favorites in this film, playing the part of Katsumoto. The audience is presented with a jaw-dropping performance from a man, who at the time, was never really heard of. Wantanabe conveys such a passion and devotion. The character Katsumoto is seen to have such a love for his country, for his country, for his culture, for his emperor, but Katsumoto believes the Emperor is going in a cultural direction that is against traditional beliefs of Japan. Katsumoto is then forced to separate himself from worshiping the Emperor to preserve the way of the samurai and the Bushido Spirit. This makes Katsumoto such a compelling, conflicted, moving character that contrasts with Tom Cruise's character similarly. Nathan Algren, played by Tom Cruise, is feeling very similar conflict struggles that Katsumoto is enduring within the film. When Algren is captured by Katsumoto and his forces the relationship between the two leading characters is seen as a struggle to find similarities. Katsumoto views Algren as a drunken barbarian because of Algren's American background and the reputation for savagery towards the Native American people/. From Algren's perspective, he views Katsumoto and his people being uneducated, ancient, stubborn, barbarians for fighting in battle against lines of muskets with only swords and basic armor. As the film progresses, Algren sees that he is being trusted into an utterly different culture, that reminded him very much of the Native American people. Understanding that, even with an emphasis in war and combat the samurai people, Katsumoto believes in an emphasis of finding peace with oneself, a unity in the body and soul, something that Nathan Algren has looked for in almost all of his life. The samurai way of teaching works and loves one another in their community, dying for one another without a moments notice. The theme of compassion, friendship, and understanding is prevalent throughout the film. The Last Samurai resonates with Zwick's style of filmmaking, with it's beautiful and vast battle scenes, lengthy run times, and incredible soundtrack that ties it all together. This film has always been a favorite of mine for as long as I could remember and comes with a story that isn't like any other. What is pulled off in this film is hugely impactful with the audience. Having the ability to convey such a compelling story between two cultures, showing that no matter how different our views are, or what our beliefs are, we can find a common ground and unity with one another through compassion for another human being.
marvinschulte Last Samurai is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Tom Cruise as Nathan Algren is brilliant.The development of the relationship between Algren and Taka and her sons was beautiful to see. Also a fantastic part of the film was the music.In my opinion it is a wonderful film about humanity and identity in a globalized world, even if maybe there are some mistakes in the way it portrays Japanese culture in 19th century.