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The Last Samurai

  • 20032003
  • RR
  • 2h 34m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
446K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,064
79
Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai (2003)
Trailer
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionDrama
An American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle.An American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle.An American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
446K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,064
79
    • Edward Zwick
    • John Logan(story)
    • Edward Zwick(screenplay)
    • Marshall Herskovitz(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Tom Cruise
    • Ken Watanabe
    • Billy Connolly
    • Edward Zwick
    • John Logan(story)
    • Edward Zwick(screenplay)
    • Marshall Herskovitz(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Tom Cruise
    • Ken Watanabe
    • Billy Connolly
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1KUser reviews
    • 173Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 Oscars

    Videos1

    The Last Samurai
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch The Last Samurai

    Photos191

    Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Tom Cruise, Shun Sugata, and Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Tom Cruise and Edward Zwick in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Hiroyuki Sanada in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Ken Watanabe and Shichinosuke Nakamura in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Tom Cruise, Timothy Spall, and Billy Connolly in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Tom Cruise, Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Spall, Masato Harada, and Shichinosuke Nakamura in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Hiroyuki Sanada and Lee Murayama in The Last Samurai (2003)
    Koyuki and Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai (2003)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tom Cruise
    Tom Cruise
    • Nathan Algren
    Ken Watanabe
    Ken Watanabe
    • Katsumoto
    Billy Connolly
    Billy Connolly
    • Zebulon Gant
    William Atherton
    William Atherton
    • Winchester Rep
    Chad Lindberg
    Chad Lindberg
    • Winchester Rep Assistant
    Ray Godshall Sr.
    • Convention Hall Attendee
    Tony Goldwyn
    Tony Goldwyn
    • Colonel Bagley
    Masato Harada
    Masato Harada
    • Omura
    Masashi Odate
    Masashi Odate
    • Omura's Companion
    John Koyama
    John Koyama
    • Omura's Bodyguard
    Timothy Spall
    Timothy Spall
    • Simon Graham
    Shichinosuke Nakamura
    Shichinosuke Nakamura
    • Emperor Meiji
    Togo Igawa
    Togo Igawa
    • General Hasegawa
    Satoshi Nikaido
    • N.C.O.
    Shintaro Wada
    • Young Recruit
    Shin Koyamada
    Shin Koyamada
    • Nobutada
    Hiroyuki Sanada
    Hiroyuki Sanada
    • Ujio
    Shun Sugata
    Shun Sugata
    • Nakao
      • Edward Zwick
      • John Logan(story) (screenplay)
      • Edward Zwick(screenplay)
      • Marshall Herskovitz(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Tom Cruise spent almost two years in preparation for this movie, including swordplay instruction and Japanese-language lessons.
    • Goofs
      After Katsumoto and Algren meet with Colonel Bagley and Omura before the final battle, Algren rides back into the Samurai front lines. When he dismounts his horse, the horse kicks back and hits one of the Samurai who then stumbles backwards unsure of what just happened.
    • Quotes

      Katsumoto: The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening Warner Bros. logo is light blue on a solid black background.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: 21 Grams/The Singing Detective/Looney Tunes: Back in Action/Gothika/Tupac Resurrection (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Kagura-No-Netori
      Performed by Tokyo Gakuso

      Courtesy of Columbia Music Entertainment, Inc.

    User reviews1K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Epic Aspirations.
    With `The Last Samurai', director Ed Zwick appears to be aiming for an epic on the scale of a David Lean or Akira Kurosawa film. He couldn't possibly aim higher, and if he is not entirely successful he has nevertheless produced a film which will leave audiences grateful for the ways in which he is.

    Impressively, Zwick never forgets that a great epic is based in equal parts on quiet moments of personal growth as well as on spectacle, and the two are in proper balance throughout `The Last Samurai'. Furthermore, this film never falls into the trap of presenting its American hero as the savior of a group of savages. It's presentation of the Japanese culture as represented by both the government forces and the Samurai warriors is informative, entertaining and never less than three dimensional.

    The film's opening (and, later, closing) moments are its weakest. Simply stated, Tom Cruise is completely unconvincing as an embittered and alcoholic Civil War veteran. Watching him deal with stock characters (such as the photographer played by Timothy Spall), we are reminded of school-level productions in which a young cast can not possibly understand much less convey the life experience we are supposed to believe they have had.

    Fortunately, things pick up considerably when Cruise finds himself in the hands of the Samurai warriors he has come to Japan to train the soldiers against. Not only is the actor convincing in the physical daring-do we have come to expect of him, but he is able to project a subtle variation on a theme he has explored before. His characters always seem to exist for the purpose of getting some form of comeuppance. Here it comes not in the form of a big emotive scene, but gradually, over the course of time, as he gives himself over to a world based on ritual, respect and honor. These quiet moments, juxtaposed with his learning the ways of the warriors, are the heart and soul of this film. Cruise is greatly abetted by the excellent actors Ken Watanabe and Koyuki in these sequences, as well as by the boys who play Koyuki's sons. Indeed, the greatest example of Zwick's skill in piloting this film can be found in the ease with which the film alternates between two languages, with none of the clunky feel too often associated with joint international ventures.

    Not surprisingly, the film leads up to a spectacular battle sequence which, if anything, is even more impressive than any found in `Braveheart' or `Gladiator'. "The Last Samurai" can not help but recall "Dances With Wolves", with which it has a great deal in common, as well.

    There is, however, a hokey quality to the film's final half-hour which brings it back to the level of its opening, with an unrealistic coda that its title portends to. There are, in fact, too many endings, and none of them are on the level of the film's best moments.

    But if `The Last Samurai' sometimes falls short of its epic aspirations, it nevertheless is far more successful than many of its recent peers. It will be interesting to see how it holds up with time.
    helpful•63
    5
    • misterjones
    • Nov 24, 2003

    FAQ13

    • What is 'The Last Samurai' about?
    • Is 'The Last Samurai' based on a book?
    • In what year is the story set?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 5, 2003 (United States)
      • United States
      • New Zealand
      • Japan
      • Official site
      • Setfilmizle
      • English
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Nijo Castle, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • The Bedford Falls Company
      • Cruise/Wagner Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 34 minutes
      • Color
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

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