Tom Cruise stars in this action war adventure as an American war hero who has fought the American Indians in his home land. He is asked to serve in the civil war of Japan. He gets captured by the Samurai and is kept in their society. He can not escape due to the fierce winter. He begins to learn Japanese and embraces their culture. When he is released, both sides of the civil war have been revealed and he must decide which side to take. He chooses the Samurai.
Tom Cruise fits the perfect American captain, Nathan Algren. Billy Conolly is present at the beginning, he dies in the first action encounter which does the film good as he is incredibly annoying. Timothy Spall is casted too. Ken Watanabe is the Samurai leader, Katsumoto. He excels his role and makes the Samurai village atmospheric.
The story only really starts when he gets captured. There is obviously fighting and dueling, which was necessary. It was done originally and very you felt like you were watching it in the village. Slow motion effects and atmospheric brilliance from Tom Cruise.
Even though it is biased towards the samurai, you are engrossed and you feel for Ken Wantanabe. Needed the beginning chopped and the war at the end left out or made shorter, could have been an all time favourite. The ending is beautiful.
IMDB The Last Samurai
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