Last Samurai [Blu-ray Steelbook]

I'm not a Tom Cruise fan, but he was really good in this film. In fact, the entire cast was superb. I lived for a while in Japan as a child and recognized how realistic much of the scenery and dialogue were. Despite the Hollywood flourishes, the story itself was fairly realistic. This is a movie that you will thoroughly enjoy ... good music, good scenery, good story and good acting. Recommended!

The Last Samurai is an outstanding film that tells the fictional story of Captain Nathan Algren (Cruise), a soldier haunted by regrets hired to train raw Japanese recruits to fight the Samurai, and Samurai leader Katsumoto (Watanabe), who is leading a rebellion in Japan against those who he believes are westernizing the country too quickly. Algren ends up becoming a prisoner of the Samurai, but after spending a number of months as their captive, subsequently finds peace in their way of life. Eventually, he joins forces with the men he was hired to fight against. Not only is the plot interesting and original, but the performances of the actors are nothing short of amazing. Tom Cruise puts forth an outstanding effort, which I consider his best ever. Ken Watanabe is perfect as Katsumoto, commanding even more attention than Cruise, and all of the secondary characters are equally convincing in their roles. Some of the highlights include Koyuki as Taka, Hiroyuki Sanada as Ujio, and Timothy Spall as Simon Graham. The execution of the battle scenes was excellent. This can be attributed to a cast full of professional sword-fighters as extras and Cruise and Watanabe doing all their own stunts. As seen in the extras, the progression of Cruise's skills with a sword isn't staged, either. Sanada and others spent hours working with him every day until he could handle a blade with precision. Having seen this film a dozen times, I can also say I honestly am not able to find many mistakes in the filming and editing, either. The ones I have noticed are hidden well, and none of them take away from the film in any way. There are a few lines in the script that come across as slightly bland or predictable, but overall the script is very well written. Tom Cruise actually speaks Japanese in a handful of scenes, and he does it well. What really makes the movie, on top of everything else, is the beautiful score composed by Hans Zimmer. Though he often recycles his scores and changes them very little, this one is unique and powerful. The Last Samurai's historical accuracy isn't as poor as some reviewers would suggest, but it is a work of fiction. On the special edition of this DVD, 2 deleted scenes are included, along with "the filming of" one of the scenes, and "the filming of" the Cruise beheading scene. There is also a handful of interviews and a look at the real history of the decline of the Samurai in Japan. All in all, The Last Samurai is an extremely entertaining and convincing film. The special edition of this DVD is well worth the extra few dollars, and it has become one of my all time favorite movies.

If you haven’t seen this, you need to. Great actors and acting. Beautiful cinematography and scenery throughout the entire movie. Action, drama, some humor and just a terrific story.

A wonderful film-my favorite Cruise- full of insight and mountainous waves of emotion

Tom Cruise is a famous actor worldwide. Most of you have seen his work in various films, such as A Few Good Men or Jerry Maguire. However, Tom is back in a new movie, which takes the audience back into an era of the past - one that surrounds us in the days of the Civil War. Tom Cruise portrays a man named Nathan Algren, who is a hero during the Civil War, but is disillusioned of the terrible killings he had to perform under the leadership of Colonel Bagloney against the American Indians. He is hired, by the Japanese Emperor, to take down another rebellion by leading a army of Japanese peasants that never saw a gun in their life. Even though he trains them for a time, the rebels attack and Algren is ordered to track them down and defeat the adversary, despite the fact that more training is needed. Fighting somewhere in the forests of Japan, his army is easily defeated and the rebels capture him and take him back to their village. Becoming a captive and not having a chance to escape, due to the fact that winter's coming, Algren spends his time with these people, already inspired and intrigued. He comes to learn that these people are "Samurai", who serve the Emperor and follow life through a different path and a set of principles that keep their life in balance, using such values as loyalty, duty, and compassion, just to name a few. Only one problem remains - Japan is facing a new modernized world and is seeking to keep up with the times by throwing away the traditions of old in favor of a more-friendly government. The rebellion, lead by a samurai named Katsumoto (portrayed by Ken Watanbe), despies that idea and fight back in order to keep their sacred ways alive. Gaining his sense of honor and redemption back, Algren joins the Samurai and aids them in a fierce battle that decides Japan's history for the rest of time. The movie does have its dose of action scenes and story moments, but what really make this movie unique are its philosophical moments. The Samurai, as you know, are people that follow the way of the Bushido, the traditional code of the Japanese samurai, stressing honor, self-discipline, bravery, and simple living. It's the type of values that most people wish to live by, but the Samurai go far beyond that. If they are defeated in battle, then it means that they have dishonored themselves and their clan, thus will kill them for disgracing their families and those close to him or her. It's a tough life, to be sure, but it's the principles of their life that stands out. Tom Cruise said it best about the Samurai: "They are an intriguing people. From the moment they wake, they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seen such strong discipline." In order for the movie to display any realism, the movie was shot around various locations in Japan, from a temple located in Kyoto to a small Japanese town called Himeji. Not only the locations needed to be authentic, but also so did everything else, as this movie took place in two different worlds. Everything had to blend in for the movie a sense of honesty into the whole project. Though there is some historical inconsistencies in the plot, since this is based on a certain era in the past, those can be looked past. The action is wild, but again, had to be realistic. So realistic, in fact, that there was some close calls on the set. Tom Cruise could have died, since an actor's sword nearly beheaded him. That's just one example, but just by checking out the loads of extras on the DVDs, the entire team was committed to the project, making sure that everything went smooth and made the picture look good as a whole. The fighting sequences also add some depth and insight as to how the Japanese and Americans deal with combat, especially in the climatic battle that had both samurai and soldier confronting each other in the end. Overall, The Last Samurai is worth checking out, especially if you are a student of Japanese history or if you're into everything or anything Japanese. It's also some of Tom Cruise's best work by far. Anyone that's a huge fan of Cruise ought to pick up The Last Samurai.

Its decent

Great movie, I love this

Good movie

....His diversity of roles. 'The Last Samurai' is a movie that is by the numbers without any great surprises. It is not an epic nor is it a cheapskate historical film. However, it does have a cogent script, fantastic scenery, good photography and solid performances all round from its cast. Movies like this and 55 Days at Peking or The Sand Pebbles perhaps show why China has no trust of the West. They have long memories plus the physical remnants of when the West lorded over them & are determined not to let it happen again. This is an engaging movie that stands up well to repeated viewings.

I think Tom Cruise is a better actor than, for whatever reason, he's given credit for. And as unlikely as it sounds, he actually manages to make his transition in this film from Western mercenary to Japanese samurai work. Who knew? Cruise plays the part of a veteran of the so-called "Indian Wars" which were conducted by the U.S. Cavalry in the American southwest after the Civil War. He is clearly suffering from what now would be recognized as PTSD. Since he can find succour no where else, he drinks, a lot. Also, figuring he has nothing to lose & needs money to continue to keep himself in liquor, his character signs on as part of an American contingent of mercenaries hired by a Japanese magnate to help transform the Japanese military from the fiefdom of the samurai to a modern, Western-style army fighting with rifles instead of swords. As it turns out, Cruise is captured by the very Japanese warlord he was sent to help annihilate. As his captivity lengthens and Cruise is exposed to the culture of his captors, his transformation begins. Although this story covers some familiar ground & is burdened with more than a few cinematic cliches, Cruise & the other players in this tale make what happens still seem fresh. Remember what I said about Cruise being underrated as an actor. The battle sequences, as well as all of those having to do with Japanese locales, are very ably rendered. As well, the film is dealing with events that actually happened. When the Meiji Emperor was restored to effective rule, thereby ending centuries of rule by a Shogun who was always a member of the samurai elite, Japan embraced change with a vengeance, transforming their society from a feudal one ruled by the samurai to a nation that would humiliate & defeat Russia in 1905. The film does a more than credible job of explicating the differences between the feudal samurai code of Bushido & the modern, Western capitalist system of devil take the hindmost that was pushing to replace it. (As it turned out, the Japanese developed a hybrid system that emphasized the worst aspects of both credos.) This is a rollicking good tale that will provide some entertainment perhaps a little better than was expected.

商品が届きました。誠意のある出品者様です。戦闘シーンや明治天皇の台詞にしびれます。

Très déçu le DVD n'est pas en Français et aucune possibilité de changer la langues . Je ne recommande pas l'achat de se DVD Vraiment très déçu

I love this steel-book for the colors mosaic, as well as the majestic movie within. Beautiful scenery of Japans' mountains and their valley's. As an actor, I love Tom Cruise movies, letting you know. This is one of his greatest achievements, as an actor he delves write into his movies main character, in my opinion.. Great acting all around in this movie with some well enacted battle scenes.