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The Last Samurai

The Last Samurai

In the face of an enemy, in the heart of one man, lies the soul of a warrior.

EN5 December 2003154 min 7.6
ActionWar
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
Budget: $140,000,000Box Office: $456,800,000
japan

Browse more: Feature Films 2003

What Viewers Say

Amy Moore
I was completely captivated. you can tell the soundtrack elevates every emotional beat.
CinemaSerf
He arrives and is presented to the young, forward-looking but somewhat intimidated Meiji Emperor and it subsequently becomes clear that his purpose is primarily to assist Ômura, the Prime Minister, to create a military force capable of defeating the traditionalist, but loyal, Samurai clan of "Kausumoto" (Ken Watanabe). Masato Harada delivers well as the devious Minister who, in his own way, wants his society to adapt and flourish and Shichinosuke Nakamura gives the person of the Meiji emperor a caring, aspirational vulnerability that helps give the whole film a sense of truth and authenticity.
TopKek
lowkey I think that the battle scenes are stirring and elegantly mounted, that said they are less about who wins than about what can be proven by dying. Its power is compromised only by an ending that sheepishly backs away from what the film is undeniably about.

Viewer Opinions (6)

HH
Henry Hill@henry_films94 opinions · User since 2021
★★★☆☆ 6.5
A mixed bag that still has its merits. Along those lines, the music is forgettable, unfortunately. The direction lacks the boldness the material demands. …
25 December 2003User Review
CinemaSerf@Geronimo1967
★★★★☆ 7.0
The first skirmish doesn't quite go to plan, and "Algren" is captured. Cruise is clearly the man behind the concept and is to be commended for bringing this gloriously good looking story to the screen; he is not, however, especially good in the lead - the part calls for a sophistication that he, as an actor, simply doesn't possess. It mixes truth with fiction in a clever, unsentimental manner - Watanabe's performance is considered and engaging as the man on the cusp of a new era which neither he, nor his people, want or understand. …
3 September 2023VerifiedUser Review

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Last updated: 2026-03-11