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Amazon.co.uk Review
The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads as Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernised society in 1876-77. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Captain 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 honour 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 honour 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 honour. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Warner, Bros., Region 2 PAL 2003 154 mins sealed
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Uniformed or uninformed??,
This review is from: The Last Samurai (Two Disc Edition) [2003] [DVD] [2004] (DVD)
I am at a loss to understand the reviewer from Kyoto as I saw this film with my Japanese girlfriend and she loved it. So much so that I had to buy a copy of it for her. Also most of our Japanese friends who have seen it really liked it too. So to tell people not to bother watching it, especially after they have only watched 15 minutes of the film, is ridiculous. Watch any film and form your own opinion, if you like it then fine, if you don't then that's fine too, at least you know. But please don't force your opinions on others.From my perspective the film was great, I really enjoyed it. I am an uninformed person from a Japanese historical point of view and consequently the treatment of the Samurai is not my forte. But from my experience history research usually explodes any utopian image we have of ourselves or our native history, so perhaps there is some element of truth in this saga ... perhaps not. But that is artistic licence for you, it deviates! Sure there are a couple of corny bits, but they cannot spoil some excellent performances, especially the talented Timothy Spall and a nice cameo from the equally talented Billy Connolly. Tom Cruise plays at his best and Ken Watanabe is great. It has some terrific fight scenes without going over the top and I think it shows how strong honour and tradition is in the Japanese culture. All in all and excellent film from my perspective, so give it a try and if you don't like it, well there will always be another film that you will enjoy more.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pride, Tradition, Respect,
By
This review is from: The Last Samurai (Two Disc Edition) [2003] [DVD] [2004] (DVD)
I put off watching this movie for a long time, because apart from not being the world's greatest Tom Cruise fan, I thought it would have been another overhyped mega-production. I was wrong! (and I don't admit this very often, so believe it) This is a great movie, well acted and superbly cast. Ken Watanabe as Katsumoto won me over completely, as did Shin Koyamada, playing Nobutada, Katsumoto's son, the Japanese equivalent of "Legolas". The unspoken attraction between Nathan Algren (Cruise) and Taka (Koyuki)was beautifully portrayed , and the tender manner in which she DRESSED him, created far more sparks than if she had done the "deed" on screen. The battle scenes were realistic, without being overly gory, and the bravery of the Samurai nearly brought me to tears during the final skirmish. We can all learn from the courage and traditions of the Samurai, and they have darned nice armour and swords too. Amanda Richards
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I expected!!!,
This review is from: The Last Samurai (Two Disc Edition) [2003] [DVD] [2004] (DVD)
Seeing Tom Cruise as the main star of an ancient Japanese setting, i thought to myself, this could never work. But when as i watched the story unfold, the more i become attached to the characters within the film and the value their beliefs held. It has some historic ancuracy and portraits history well in a way that will have the audiance stunned at the visual backdrops and effects. Any fans of japanese films, samurai warriors or war films, will love the last samurai.
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