The Last Samurai

Synopsis: Captain Nathan Algren is a man adrift. The battle he once fought now seem distant and futile. Once he risked his life for honor and country, but, in the years since the Civil War, the world has changed. Pragmatism has replaced courage, self interest has taken the place of sacrifice and honor is nowhere to be found - especially out West where his role in the Indian Campaigns ended in disillusionment and sorrow. Somewhere on the unforgiving plains near the banks of the Washita river, Algren lost his soul.

A universe away, another soldier sees his way of life about to disintegrate. He is katsumoto, the last leader of an ancient line of warriors, the venerate Samuari, who dedicated their lives to serving emperor and country. Just as the modern way encroached up the American West, cornering and condemning the Native American, it also engulfed traditional Japan. The telegraph lines and railroads that brought progress now threaten those values and codes by which the Samurai have lived and died for centruies, but katsumoto will not go without a fight.

Rating: R

Run Time: 154 Minutes (Unrated Extended Version)

Director: Edward Zwick

Dvd Extra's: 2 Disk Special Edition:
Disk 1: Commentary by director Edward Zwick.
Disk 2: 7 Featurettes, Deleted Scens, Theatrical Trailer.

Nudity Factor: None

Of Note: This movie marks the 100th score for composer Hans Zimmer.

Trailer: The Last Samurai Trailer

Review by: Jason James Rating:

I have some issues with this movie. For one I think the pace is pretty slow. You follow an American Civil War hero that ends up in Japan to help the Emperor there squash any resistance that the Samurai put into his vision. He gets there under the idea that he would be training the troops and it takes longer than expected to get them on board to western ways of fighting. With that they go to battle and the American is captured. He is then taken prisoner as a way for the Samurai to learn form him. Though it is not clear which side learns the most. This is were the pace of the movie drags on and on. They work in a mechanic were time slows even though it really did not belong in the movie. The action in places is pretty good but for the most part. The story is decent but just at times not executed as well as it could be and there are a few places that just don't seem all that realistic. Overall there were places in the movie that lost my attention. The movie could have been shortened to help with that. With that I did enjoy parts of the movie, I just don't think it is something that I would want to watch more than once.