"Great to look at and respectful of its subject matter, this is an epic with excitement, brains and heart." Brian Webster APOLLO GUIDE "Epic filmmaking at its absolute finest." Joshua Tyler CINEMABLEND.COM "Magnificent combat sequences, photographed with spectacular verve and emotional intelligence by Braveheart and The Thin Red Line's John Toll." Bob Strauss LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS "Tom Cruise has never made an epic film that's in the same class of "Lawrence of Arabia" -- that is, until now." Michael Szymanski ZAP2IT.COM "Even though The Last Samurai is brutal, exhausting and so not my kind of movie, it is extremely well-made and undeniably engrossing." Rex Reed NEW YORK OBSERVER

"An action movie that's smarter than it has any right to be, and often glorious to behold." Katrina Onstad NATIONAL POST "The most staggeringly beautiful cinematography of the year makes The Last Samurai a visual feast." Audrey Rock-Richardson TOOELE TRANSCRIPT-BULLETIN "This is Dances With Wolves meets The Seven Samurai. Razor sharp." Nev Pierce BBCI FILMS "Based loosely on the real story of Saigo Takamori, Katsumoto is a fictional character, but Watanabe, a Japanese film and television star, makes us believe in him." Mary F Pols CONTRA COSTA TIMES "Delivers thrilling action, gorgeous cinematography, beautiful locations and Oscar-worthy performances." Bill Pearis CITYSEARCH

At A Glance

"The battle scenes, especially, are a visual feast in the tradition of Spartacus and Braveheart." Sean Means SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

Director Edward Zwick attributes choosing a career as a film-maker to Akira Kurosawa’s "The Seven Samurai". After seeing "The Last Samurai" there will be many theatre-goers thanking Kurosawa for inspiring Zwick to set a career path in the film industry because this is one magificent effort by Zwick, his fellow script writers, the crew and a very good cast. It's been written that he [Zwick] has "been imagining "The Last Samurai" since he was a teenager." So is that fiction or fact? "I first saw Akira Kurosawa’s "The Seven Samurai" when I was 17 and since then I’ve seen it more times than I can remember," he admitted. "In that single film there is everything a director needs to learn about storytelling, about the development of character, about shooting action, about dramatizing a theme. After seeing it, I set out to study every one of his films. Although I couldn’t know it at the time, it set me on the course of becoming a filmmaker." It must have also created , in a way, a fetish for films set in the nineteenth century for this is Zwick's third film set in that period. So is there are fascination with this period for the director whose film "Shakespeare in Love" earned a Best Picture Oscar and whose last two pictures "Glory" and "Legends of the Fall" were set at the end of the 19th century? "I am drawn back, again and again, to this historical moment," Zwick says. "There’s something moving, even hypnotic about observing a character going through a personal transformation at a time when the whole culture around him is likewise in turmoil." That character in "The Last Samurai" is Captain Nathan Algren played remarkably well by Tom Cruise.
Funnily enough, Cruise admits he has an "interest in and admiration for the Japanese ethos, specifically that of the Samurai." And when it comes to going Japanese and doing "The Last Samuari" Cruise who says he discovered Kurosawa and the Japanese oeuvre as a teenager, and openly acknowledges to always having had "a deep respect and strong feeling for the Japanese culture and people, the elegance and beauty of the Samurai, their spirit of Bushido that teaches strength, compassion, fierce loyalty, their commitment to honoring their word and a willingness to give their lives for what they know is right. It’s essentially about taking responsibility for what you do and say, whatever the repercussions," Cruise said. "More than a code for Samurai warriors, it’s a strong way to live a life, any life." So did he have any qualms about doing the film? "It was something I could not resist. When Ed first sat down with me to discuss it, I just knew I had to make this picture. I have a very strong connection to its theme, as well as to the characters in the story." And there's no doubting the fact that it is the strong characters in "The Last Samurai" who really drive the story along on so many levels. "This film works on many levels," says producer Paula Wagner. "The Last Samurai offers rich and layered characters, great action and adventure and, specifically in Captain Algren, a person who travels a great distance, literally and figuratively, to find himself and his values." Screenwriter Marshall Herskovitz believes that the themes running through "The Last Samurai" are not only genuine but they are timeless. "The story about an individual who must come to terms with his loss of honor and self, and his subsequent journey to reclaim that honor, to trust himself again to make the right decisions, applies to any time in history but certainly now, when we are surrounded by the compromises of modern life," he said. For acclaimed Japanese actor Ken Watanabe taking on a role in the film meant he had to spend some time soul searching, revealing that "working on The Last Samurai encouraged him to examine more closely his own feelings about his country’s renowned warrior class and that it was partly Zwick’s passion for the subject that ultimately helped him understand Katsumoto and help bring the Samurai warrior to life." So what were some of the problems he faced in understanding his character Katsumoto?
"In the beginning, it was difficult for me to grasp the character," he admits. "What does he want, what is he thinking? Certainly there is beauty in death, traditionally, but dying, to me, is not necessarily a virtue, so it was hard for me to reconcile at first. As a Samurai and as the leader of his people, Katsumoto has a very specific way of living and dying, but I couldn’t help wondering, what right does he have to lead his people, the villagers and the people surrounding him, towards certain death with him, how could this be justified and allowed?" But eventually he came to a realization of what drove this wise Samurai warrior. "It was a dilemma for me at first, until I realized that for Katsumoto it was not a question of life or death that was important, but a question of honor." Even with its breathtaking battle scenes, beautiful scenery, its wonderful costumes and an enthralling storyline, the focus always swings back to Algren and Katsumoto. So how imprtant was it that these two actors really clicked and made their characters come to life?
Director Edward Zwick remarks on how important it was to the story for Katsumoto to prove a formidable match for Algren, "to be his rival and equal in every aspect. Without that balance, the movie would have faltered and tripped." Marshall Herskovitz agreed. "If you don’t have a great Katsumoto, you don’t have a movie," he admitted. "As powerful as Tom is as Captain Algren, he must have someone to play against. We felt some trepidation over casting the role initially and did a fair amount of searching before we came upon Ken Watanabe. When we met him we knew instantly that he was the one. It wasn’t just his look, but his manner, his bearing and charisma." Cinema fans will quickly discover that Cruise and Watanabe work wonderfully together and that there is a richness in their characters that is facinating. In fact that is what makes "The Last Samurai" so entertaining. It really is a fascinating, robust and splendid film. No, make that an 'epic' film. Casting About "The Last Samurai" was directed by Edward Zwick ["About Last Night", "Glory", "Legends Of The Fall" and Courage Under Fire"], produced by Tom Cruise, Tom Engelman, Scott Kroopf and Marshall Herskovitz ["Legends Of The Fall", "Traffic", "I Am Sam" and "Dangerous Beauty"] from the story by John Logan ["Gladiator", "Any Given Sunday", "Star Trek:Nemisis]. The Last Samurai marks the 100th feature film score for the legendary Academy Award winning composer Hans Zimmer ["The Lion King", "Gladiator", "Crimson Tide" and "Matchstick Men"].
"The Last Samurai" stars Tom Cruise ["Endless Love", "TAPS", "Legend", "The Firm" and "Eyes Wide Shut"], Ken Watanabe ["Space Travellers", "Drowning Fish" and "The Sun Rises Again"], Billy Connelly ["Mrs Brown", "Who Is Cletis Tout?", "The Man Who Sued God" and "White Oleander"], Timothy Spall ["Quadrophenia", "White Hunter, Black Heart", "Vanilla Sky" and "Nicholas Nickleby"], Tony Goldwyn ["Bounce", "The 6th Day" and "Kiss The Girls"] and Koyuki ["Circuit", "Keizoku" and "Laundry"] as Taka. The Story

"A handsome, well-crafted production with strong work by the magnetic Watanabe and by Cruise, who continues to make riskier choices than he needs to." Eleanor Ringel Gillespie ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

Captain Nathan Algren is a lost soul. Shattered, disillusioned and battle weary he has little interest in life. The bottle is his constant companion and liquor his only sustenance. Algren, now representing the Winchester Rifle Company, bares little resemblance to what was once a proud soldier, a warrior who once fought the redskins. Across the ocean in Japan, another warrior, Katsumoto, leader of the Samurai sees his world falling apart as his country pursues a modern, western lifestyle. It is their destiny that these two men will meet. Two men, who are worlds apart, from different civilizations, will be thrust together in a battle for their honour and survival. A battle that will change the face of a this mysterious land which once relied on its proud traditions. Traditions it appears willing to discard as it rushes to modernize itself. The Verdict "A sure fire winner! With it's huge battle scenes, beautiful photography, believable storyline and two strong lead characters, this is one film that will truly delight theatre-goers. Action, adventure, a hint of romance, visually exciting settings, the skillful direction of Edward Zwick, it feels as though we are actually witnessing history in the making. Ken Watanabe is superb as 'Katsumoto', but there's no doubt that this is a revitalized Tom Cruise's in his best work since "Mission Impossible". Cruise, in his role of Cpt Nathan Algren, Cruise recaptures the quality we witnessed when he starred as the Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in "Born On The Fourth Of July". Highly Recommended." The Cast

Tom Cruise Ken Watanabe Koyuki Billy Connolly William Atherton Ray Godshall Sr Tony Goldwyn Masato Harada Masashi Odate John Koyama Timothy Spall Shichinosuke Nakamura Togo Igawa Satoshi Nikaido Shintaro Wada Shin Koyamada Hiroyuki Sanada Shun Sugata Sosuke Ikematsu Aoi Minato Seizo Fukumoto Shoji Yoshihara

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Cpt Nathan Algren Katsumoto Taka Zebulon Gant Winchester Rep Convention Hall Attendee Colonel Bagley Omura Omura's Companion Omura's Bodyguard Simon Graham Emperor Meiji General Hasegawa N C O Young Recruit Nobutada Ujio Nakao Higen Magojiro Silent Samurai Sword Master

The Crew Directed by Edward Zwick Story by John Logan Screenplay by John Logan/Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz Original Music by Hans Zimmer Cinematography by John Toll Film Editing by Victor Du Bois & Steven Rosenblum Casting by Yôko Narahashi & Vicki Thomas Production Design by Lilly Kilvert Art Direction by Chris Burian-Mohr/Jess Gonchor & Kim Sinclair Set Decoration by Gretchen Rau Costume Design by Ngila Dickson Run Time 154 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Warner Brothers - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved