| The Last Samurai (Two-Disc Special Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Edward Zwick
Actors: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton, Chad Lindberg
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $12.98
Buy Used: $1.46
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Avg. Customer Rating:  696 reviews
Sales Rank: 2068
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dts Surround Sound, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 154
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WARD28383D
ISBN: 0790782766
UPC: 085392838325
EAN: 9780790782768
ASIN: B0001JXOVC
Theatrical Release Date: December 5, 2003
Release Date: May 4, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
While Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernized society in 1876-77, The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is coerced by a mercenary officer (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Japanese Emperor's troops in the use of modern weaponry. Opposing this "progress" is a rebellion of samurai warriors, holding fast to their traditions of honor despite strategic disadvantage. As a captive of the samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), Algren learns, appreciates, and adopts the samurai code, switching sides for a climactic battle that will put everyone's honor to the ultimate test. All of which makes director Edward Zwick's noble epic eminently worthwhile, even if its Hollywood trappings (including an all-too-conventional ending) prevent it from being the masterpiece that Zwick and screenwriter John Logan clearly wanted it to be. Instead, The Last Samurai is an elegant mainstream adventure, impressive in all aspects of its production. It may not engage the emotions as effectively as Logan's script for Gladiator, but like Cruise's character, it finds its own quality of honor. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
An american military advisor embraces the samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 05/15/2007 Starring: Tom Cruise William Atherton Run time: 154 minutes Rating: R Director: Edward Zwick
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| Customer Reviews: Read 691 more reviews...
 Good Movie, Blu ray suspect January 9, 2009
I am not here to write about the movie... it's a good flick and worth owning. However, the blu ray version would not play on my BD30K machine with the latest updates.
Not sure if it's the anti-copy protection or the poor implementation of blu ray from Sony. Either way I can't watch it.
 Great Flick about the toll war takes on the people who fight it December 5, 2008
While this movie may be set in Japan during it's early industialization, at the end of the Samurai's reign (don't take that literally), that is not what this movie is about. For anyone who's interested in what went on historically at the time, and it's acuracy, go find something else. For anyone else, especially those with friends or family who may be returning from serving overseas in Iraq or Afganastan, this movie can help give you a small glimpse of the conflict those who fight face. At it's heart this movie is about a soldier, who was forced into a battle that was against everything he thought was right. How it took a toll on him, his hate for himself and others. And his personal road to reclaiming his personal honor, and mental health. It also shows how we can learn from other cultures if we just take the time to understand them. Even now in places we consider the "third world" there are aspects of various cultures we can still learn from. Technology and all it's benefits are great, but it's the human spirit that is mankinds greatest tool or weapon, depending on how it's used at any time.
Definitely not something to be missed
Say what you will about Tom Cruise, he is a credible actor & November 24, 2008
sometimes makes a good movie. The Last Samurai is. Historical? Hardly. Take a few grains: yes, Samurai existed in Japan as an ancient, militaristic culture, a law unto themselves, & Japan was opening itself up to the west at the time of the movie (1876). Aside from that... Cruise is an emotionally damaged hero of the civil & Indian wars. He is contracted to whip the Japanese army into a fighting force. Who is the enemy? The Samurai, who are much admired & feared through-out Japan. They refuse to surrender to modernity & give up their way of life. In battle he is captured by the Samurai. Their leader is played very well by Ken Watenabe. He is impressed by Cruise's fighting skills & spares him. Can you guess the rest? Of course. It's right out of Dances with Wolves but probably less accurate. While a prisoner he adopts the Samurai lifestyle. Oh the pain, the inner conflict, the over-acting. I said it was a GOOD movie (C+). That's it. The Samurai are doomed, destroyed by time more than anything else. Well done battle scenes. Lots of really good extras in this two disc set. Cruise is really charismatic & likeable in the extensive interviews he gave. He put a lot of time & effort into this movie. Lots of background & interviews with other principals. They even had The History Channel episode History or Hollywood? about the movie & the "history" behind it. In some ways the extras are better than the movie.
 Arrogant, presumptive, historically/culturally inaccurate November 21, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
This movie is TERRIBLE. Anyone who's actually sat down and STUDIED this time period cannot watch this film without criticizing it. Yeah, sure, rural peasants who are so poor they live in the mountains eat fluffy rich-people white rice. Uh huh. And Japanese is SUCH an easy language to learn. If you want to make a film about Saigo Takamori and the Satsuma Rebellion, please do. It's a fascinating moment in history. But this exoticized, orientalist, American-centric pastiche masquerading as a historical drama is just made of fail. Also, has no one ever heard of the Inequal Treaties? The Treaty of Amity and Commerce? Most Favored Nation status?
Also, the treatment of samurai as a class is embarrassingly ham-handed. Most samurai at this point were underemployed government bureaucrats. Maybe they were policemen. These samurai would have been farmers. They were in a position of privilege, at least theoretically. Also, people did not bow to samurai in the streets. Haha, no.
The many (many many many many) historical inaccuracies and snafus, as well as the utter arrogance of the premise that we need a white man to be the main character in order to enjoy a historical drama, have been detailed and remarked on other sites and in professional reviews.
Ugh. I cannot suspend my disbelief for this film. Too many logic/history problems. Occasionally it'll do something true to the time period, or at least "true enough," so I'll give it a two, but really, don't waste your time with this one. It's nothing but a stereotyped oversimplification of Japanese history and culture.
An enjoyable cinematic experience October 25, 2008
The year is 1876, Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) has been hired by the Japanese in order to help the Imperial Japanese Army become more 'modern' and less 'traditional' and ultimately prepare them to fight the legendary Samurai. Events occur that cause Tom Cruise to be a captive of the deadly but extremely polite Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) who is the leader of the Japanese Samurai. This is where the movie really starts to shine and and a beautiful forgotten world that we know little about comes alive thanks to the great director Edward Zwick and the ledgendary Hans Zimmer brings an unforgettable soundtrack.
Tom Cruise has been in the movie industry for a long time and to date in my opinion this is by far his best performance. He discovered after his capture that the samurai are peaceful and as bad as they are made out to be, Cruise's character becomes emotionally bound to them and he integrates himself into their society after working hard to earn their trust. Another special part of the film is that a relationship develops between Algren and a quiet widow by the name of Taka, however this isn't a main part of the film it shows that the film isn't all about power and a disappearing nation but an emotional and beautiful aspect of the film.
The Last Samurai is a deep emotional and violent film which has become a triumphant in the movie industry. Thanks for it's gripping storytelling, and excellent character design. By far Tom's Cruise's finest hour.
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