The Last Samurai
2003 · Movie · R · 154 min · ★ 7.6 · 60% critics
An American war veteran is hired to train Japan’s modern army, but his mission brings him into close contact with a samurai community resisting rapid change. As he learns their values and way of life, he is pulled into a conflict between tradition, loyalty, and modernization.
Also known as Samurai · The Last Samurai: Bushidou
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Details
- Years
- 2003
- Release date
- 2003-12-05
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 154 min
- Critic score
- 60/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.6/10 (7,545 votes)
- Box office
- $456,758,981
About
You may like this if you enjoy emotional historical epics like Braveheart or Gladiator, with grand battles and cultural conflict; Not for you if you dislike long, earnest war dramas.
Pros: stirring battle scenes; emotional character journey; rich historical atmosphere | Cons: lengthy runtime; familiar story beats; debated authenticity
Themes
- japan
- samurai
- swordplay
- general
- sense of guilt
- war veteran
- sword
- war crimes
- loss of loved one
- self-discovery
- arms deal
- homeland
- +26 more
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 2004 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 2004 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 2004 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Production Design · 2004 · nominated
Cast & crew
Tom Cruise
as Nathan Algren
Ken Watanabe
as Moritsugu Katsumoto
Timothy Spall
as Simon Graham
Tony Goldwyn
as Col. Benjamin Bagley
Hiroyuki Sanada
as Ujio
Koyuki
as Taka
Shin Koyamada
as Nobutada
Billy Connolly
as Zebulon Gant
Togo Igawa
as General Hasegawa
Shichinosuke Nakamura
as Emperor Meiji
Directed by Edward Zwick