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The Last Samurai Details

2003 DVD Certificate 15.gif
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 71,861 members

Captain Nathan Algren served in the American Civil War where he risked his life for his country. He served out his career in the West where the battle was with Indians and it was here that he became disillusioned and lost... In a far-off land a celebrated Samurai warrior, Katsumoto, is learning about change. A life of service .. Read more

Starring Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Timothy Spall, Tony Goldwyn
Director Edward Zwick
Genres Action/Adventure

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The Last Samurai

Captain Nathan Algren served in the American Civil War where he risked his life for his country. He served out his career in the West where the battle was with Indians and it was here that he became disillusioned and lost... In a far-off land a celebrated Samurai warrior, Katsumoto, is learning about change. A life of service to the Emperor and the country is being replaced with survival in a time of modernisation... Fate has it that both men will face each other and make a stand against those that would threaten honour and values... Captain Nathan Algren is employed to train a group of Japanese conscripts who will replace the Samurai warrior. But he is captured by the Samurai, an enemy he comes to respect and for whom he is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Starring Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Timothy Spall, Tony Goldwyn, Billy Connolly
Director Edward Zwick
Studio WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 34 mins
Blu-ray: 2 hrs 34 mins
HD DVD: 2 hrs 27 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Action/Adventure
Language English
Released DVD: 06 May 2004
Blu-ray: 02 Jul 2007
HD DVD: 20 Nov 2006
Production year: 2003
Format DVD

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  • Critics' reviews (7) of The Last Samurai

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  • Drama about three Jewish brothers who escape from Nazi-occupied Poland into the Belarussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters and build a village in order to protect themselves. read more »

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    • Tom Charity, 
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  • Most helpful member's review of The Last Samurai

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  • 81 out of 93 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    A very impressive movie

    While treading some familiar ground here ('Lawrence of Arabia' springs to mind), this movie does itself the great favour of - while being a fictional tale - staying mostly true to the Japan of the time, only swaying slightly from true-life when the story really demands.

    Since the movie involves an American heading to Japan to teach them 'modern warfare', I was expecting it to take the chance to wave the old stars and stripes in everyone's faces again. I was pleasantly suprised to see that this is not the case, in fact attacking the actions and lifestyles of the U.S of A (and westerners in general) on more than one occasion.

    The story itself is solid (if not startlingly new), direction is well above par, the camerawork beautiful, costumes and sets immaculately designed, and the action sequences (particularly the battles bookending the main story arc) handled with impressive verve.

    Cruise performs admirably in his role of Nathan Algren, and is believable throughout all stages of his characters development, through suicidal ex-soldier drunkard, to redeemed warrior with a thirst for something more. 'Oscar' may have passed him over (again), but his performance is borderline flawless.

    Support is strong all around, especially Ken Watanabe as samurai/ronin Katsumoto, the man who gradually turns Algren's life around. Billy Connolly is also great, though his role is (sadly) a fairly minor one.

    A great movie overall, only very occasionally let down by some slightly iffy dialogue (the sort you've probably heard in a hundred movies before). This however does not stop 'The Last Samurai' from being an exceptionally impressive experience.

      • Sawdon from the North East
  • Most recent members' review of The Last Samurai

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  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    THE LAST SAMURAI : a 1X BUM SHUFFLE (in 147 minutes). I judge a movie by the number of times that I "BUM SHUFFLE". It's that point in a movie when the interest wanes and you then remember to shuffle in your seat or on the couch.

    At 147 minutes, you might be put off from renting this film....DON'T! This a thoroughly rewarding experience. A portrait of man destined to find his true identity through war and death. The environment is authentic and depth of passion humbling. TOM CRUISE is the ideal and only actor for this role (Tom is to Captain Nathan Algren as Russell Crowe is to Maximus the Gladiator), and you can judge that he enjoyed the role totally. Art Direction, Set Design, Costume Design and Music Score were epic in substance, as was the supporting cast. I watched the movie without Subtitles, and I suggest you do the same. Listen to the Japanese language and observe the face & body language; it speaks volumes. You will not need English subs. The fight scenes and war scenes are superb in execution (ouch!). They demonstarte the best in far eastern Martial Arts movies (and even better than the KILL BILL movies). The large scale battles seem NOT be Computer Generated images (ie. twenty actors supported by 'fake' computer fighters) which made the intensity even greater. Stunning, with a touch of HENRY V. THE LAST SAMURAI - in fact don't rent it, BUY IT.

      • A customer from LONDON
  • News and features

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    The Last Samurai

    Last Samurai to move to Gotham

    • 24 Feb 2004

    Ken Watanabe, star of the Tom Cruise epic "The Last Samurai" is to face the Caped Crusader in the New Batman film, it has emerged today. It was previously thought that Liam Neeson would play Batman bad-guy Ra's Al Ghul, but the Irishman is set to play Ducard, mentor to Bruce Wayne. The fifth Bat movie will see Christian Bale don the mask, with Michael Caine as his trusty butler Alfred. Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes, and Cillian Murphy all star in supporting roles. © DeHavilland... Read more

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Rating breakdown

71,861 Member ratings
  • 100
8,906
  • 90
8,659
  • 80
15,358
  • 70
13,172
  • 60
11,426
  • 50
6,438
  • 40
3,539
  • 30
2,156
  • 20
1,457
  • 10
750

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    • Last Samurai, The - HD DVD Version
      Captain Nathan Algren served in the American Civil War where he risked his life for his country. He served out his career in the West where the battle was with Indians and it was here that he became disillusioned and lost... In a far-off land a celebrated Samurai warrior, Katsumoto, is learning ...

    • Last Samurai, The - BLU-RAY Version
    • Blu-Ray: £11.93
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    • RRP £24.49 (you save: 51%)
    • 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 ...

    • The Last Samurai
      Captain Nathan Algren served in the American Civil War where he risked his life for his country. He served out his career in the West where the battle was with Indians and it was here that he became disillusioned and lost... In a far-off land a celebrated Samurai warrior, Katsumoto, is learning ...