The Last Samurai (DVD)

The Last Samurai is the 2003 film telling a tale of Civil War in Japan in the late 19th Century. It is loosely based on true stories and accounts of civil war battles and politics around that era, and deals with issues such as westernisation and heritage, but ultimately it is an action film with some very good sequencing and acting. The Plot In the late 19th Century, the Japanese government is embroiled in a civil war with its sanurai, the age-old personal guard to the king. The government believes the samurai to be of the past and rebellious. They draft in the American Captain Nathan Algren to train their troops in the modern Western ways of ...  Read the complete review

Introduction --------------- Civil War veteran Nathan Algren is hired to train the new Japanese army in their battle against the Samurai, who are fighting against the westernisation of Japan. Captured by the Samurai, he learns to respect their ways. The Cast ----------- OK, let me be upfront about one thing: I can’t stand Tom Cruise. It’s nothing to do with the whole Katie Holmes/sofa thing , I’ve never liked him, or bought into the whole “he’s a good actor” idea. This is not a film that’s going to change my mind about him. Cruise completely fails to convince as the alcoholic, washed up Civil War Vet he’s meant to be playing. Similarly his ...  Read the complete review

The epic film is very much back in fashion, so its no surprise that possibly the biggest film star of them all, Tom Cruise, is now starring in one. Set in the 1870s, The Last Samurai covers the period of Japanese history shortly after contact had first been made with America, tackling the issue of traditional values and the Japanese way of life versus the desire for progress and westernisation. At the same time it's very much a Hollywood blockbuster filled with action sequences and battles, and it's perhaps no surprise that in the end it's the blockbuster sensibilities which win out. As the film starts we are introduced to Nathan Algren (Tom ...  Read the complete review

Set in Japan in the 1870's, The Last Samurai stars Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren, a (not so sober) man who has been given the job of training Japanese Emperor's troops to use more modern weapons as society is being Westernised. The Samurai warriors oppose this and don't want to be Westernised. Algren and his men set out into battle, but the Samurai slaughter them. A courageous but badly injured Algren has his life spared by Samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) and is taken captive high in the mountains. Katsumoto wants to learn from Algren, but Algren finds himself learning much more from the Samurai. The Last Samurai is rated "15" in the UK ...  Read the complete review

Written by John Logan, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, and directed by Edward Zwick, the Last Samurai is a story of the bringing together of two cultures that was released back in January 2004. ****Story line**** There is a new Emperor of Japan, Emperor Meiji (Shichinosuke Nakamura), and some of the traditional Japanese residents are concerned over his appetite of western world culture. The traditionalists (led by the Samurais) rebel against the destruction of the Japanese culture and the Emperor has to put a stop to it any way he can. The Emperor decides to appoint Captain Nathen Algren (Tom Cruise), an American Civil War veteran, to train ...  Read the complete review