The Last Samurai

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The Last Samurai

R

2003

2h 34m

Adventure

Drama

War

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

216 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to eradicate the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly affected by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds.

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Critics Consensus

With high production values and thrilling battle scenes, The Last Samurai is a satisfying epic.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/28/2010

3/5

Outstanding action and performance; lots of blood.

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

08/25/2008

It's easy to stand back and wax ironic about The Last Samurai. But it's not all that difficult to succumb to its full-spirited romanticism either.

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

06/24/2006

Competently mounted in its studiedly immersive, elongated way, Zwick's earnest costume epic dresses a knee-jerk, reactionary sensibility in exotic garb.

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Anderson Jones

E! Online

04/26/2022

Is a romance really necessary, no matter how ridiculous, just to prove the two male leads aren't in love with each other?

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Tony Black

Cultural Conversation

02/16/2021

4/5

The Last Samurai delivers one of the stronger historical adventure epics of recent years.

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

02/15/2021

Zwick's film idealizes the "noble savage" and denigrates modern society not from the point of view of a serious critique of capitalism, but in a misanthropic, right-wing populist manner.

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Renaldo D

@RT30888824 6d

It’s a film that always sticks in everyone’s mind when the end of the samurai era is discussed.

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Dean F

@DFtheTruth Aug 9

300 with bushido code yet different. This movie has a great plot and a heartfelt storyline that moves with the protagonist at his will. The action is intense and pretty solid for the time.

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Chris S

@Janomi Aug 3

The Last Samurai is good because Ken Watanabe gives the movie its emotional and philosophical center. Katsumoto is wise, disciplined, spiritual, dangerous, and deeply human, and Watanabe gives him dignity without making him feel distant. He makes it easy to understand why Nathan Algren would be drawn to him, his people, and his way of life. Tom Cruise is also very strong as Algren, playing him as a broken man haunted by guilt, violence, and alcoholism. His transformation works because Cruise commits to both the physical demands of the role and Algren’s slow rediscovery of discipline and purpose. The movie looks gorgeous, from the countryside and village scenes to the costumes, armor, training, and final battle. Its themes of honor, change, and cultural loss give it real sweep. The outsider-redemption structure is familiar, and some moments are overly sentimental, but The Last Samurai remains handsome, emotional, and effective.

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Mario R

@Marioversal5 Jul 25

For me Tom Cruise best performance ever in a film and the cinematography and the Beauty of japan is otherworldly

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Thomas G

@WriterThomasGill Jul 6

Easily my favorite Tom Cruise performance. The cinematography is beyond gorgeous and the momentum never slows. Topped off by a stunning soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, The Last Samurai is an underrated masterpiece.

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Daniel L

@Hotchopeppa Jun 28

Brilliant and powerful. Just watch it.

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Edward Zwick

Director

Tom Cruise

Capt. Nathan Algren

Ken Watanabe

Katsumoto

Timothy Spall

Simon Graham

Billy Connolly

Zebulon Gant

Tony Goldwyn

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Synopsis

Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to eradicate the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly affected by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds.

Director: Edward Zwick
Producer: Tom Cruise, Tom Engelman, Marshall Herskovitz, Scott Kroopf, Paula Wagner, Edward Zwick
Screenwriter: John Logan, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Cruise-Wagner Productions, Radar Pictures, Bedford Falls Productions, Warner Brothers
Rating: R (Strong Violence|Battle Sequences)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, War, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 5, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $111.1M
Runtime: 2h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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