The Last Samurai
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.
Critics Sentiment
Katsumoto commits seppuku with Algren's help as soldiers kneel
Nathan Algren drinks heavily in San Francisco after Indian Wars trauma
The film builds from Algren's initial despair to the transcendent final battle and Katsumoto's death, rising nearly 3 points from the opening alcoholism to the climactic sacrifice.
Reviewers consistently praised The Last Samurai as a visually stunning epic that builds from a strong but conventional opening to increasingly powerful emotional heights. The film peaks with Watanabe's acclaimed performance during Katsumoto's death scene, which moved many critics to tears and elevated the entire viewing experience.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 48
Tom Cruise
Nathan Algren
Ken Watanabe
Moritsugu Katsumoto
Timothy Spall
Simon Graham
Tony Goldwyn
Col. Benjamin Bagley
Hiroyuki Sanada
Ujio
Koyuki
Taka
Shin Koyamada
Nobutada
Billy Connolly
Zebulon Gant
Togo Igawa
General Hasegawa
Shichinosuke Nakamura
Emperor Meiji
Masato Harada
Omura
William Atherton
Winchester Rep
Chad Lindberg
Winchester Rep Assistant
Scott Wilson
Ambassador Swanbeck
Ray Godshall Sr.
Convention Hall Attendee
Masashi Odate
Omura's Companion
John Koyama
Omura's Bodyguard
Satoshi Nikaido
N.C.O.
Shintaro Wada
Young Recruit
Shun Sugata
Nakao
Crew
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