# The Last Samurai



## Jikan225 (Nov 6, 2005)

Even thought The Last Samurai is a little old it is still a great movie. I love this movie because it portrays a differemt erra in time, actually my favorite erra. I love the battle sceens and the motion of fighting. Pluss the talking sceens that devolope the story. Well just wanted to bring it up.:


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## MartialHorror (Nov 7, 2005)

I loved it too.

9/10


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## martryn (Nov 7, 2005)

A well made movie, but it didn't do justice to the actual story of events.  Still, the movie itself was awesome.  Maybe it'd be better if it was a Sci-Fi movie or fantasy movie or something that didn't have real world dictums.


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## Last of the Uchihas (Nov 7, 2005)

Great movie, bad title


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## krescentwolf (Nov 7, 2005)

Although it completely tossed away actual historical facts on which it was based it was still a very well done flick that romantisized the Samurai lifestyle. Watanbe for teh win! >_<


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## martryn (Nov 7, 2005)

> Although it completely tossed away actual historical facts on which it was based it was still a very well done flick that romantisized the Samurai lifestyle. Watanbe for teh win! >_<



Couldn't have said it better myself.


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## Awryon (Nov 7, 2005)

Uchiha Cop #1 said:
			
		

> Great movie, bad title



haha so true...if you've seen that Chappelle's Show segment where Paul Moony is a film critic, you'll know what i mean.


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## Keyser S?ze (Nov 7, 2005)

it was a good movie, good acting. very good action scenes. 8/10 i'd say.


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## Seany (Nov 7, 2005)

yea i loved this movie too


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## CrazyMoronX (Nov 7, 2005)

I liked this movie a lot, and I don't really pay any heed to history when watching a movie, I watch it for what it is, a movie.

That said, I'd give it a 9/10, maybe more. I really enjoyed it. I found myself fighting back the tears during the end, but then again I found myself fighting back the tears at the end of DOOM (it was just THAT bad).


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## Keyser S?ze (Nov 7, 2005)

crazymoronx said:
			
		

> I found myself fighting back the tears during the end, but then again I found myself fighting back the tears at the end of DOOM (it was just THAT bad).



i agree that the ending was sad, but it was really good. i like how it wasn't the typical happy ending, it was one of the best endings. the best ending however, goes to the perfect storm.


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## sunshine and gasoline (Nov 7, 2005)

A good Hollywood movie, hell it's a great Hollywood movie.

Historically like Marty said it's alot of bullshit, but movie wise and filming wise it was great. I disliked though that he survived.


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## TheVileOne (Nov 7, 2005)

Not that great.  Can anyone actually believe that the Samurai would ingratiate a white guy into their ranks?  

The lamest thing is that Tom Cruise is the Last Samurai.  Lame.  A lot of lame and melodramatic moments.  I seriously wanted to smack Tom Cruise when he started posing in his hakama.  20 years later and he's still doing his mugging and routine from Risky Business.


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## Last of the Uchihas (Nov 7, 2005)

Awryon said:
			
		

> haha so true...if you've seen that Chappelle's Show segment where Paul Moony is a film critic, you'll know what i mean.




Yeah, 

Rememeber what he said about "Last ^ (use bro) on Earth", starring Tom Hanks.

That was hilarious as hell.

I love Dave Chappelle, and Paul Moony.


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## TheVileOne (Nov 8, 2005)

In that respect, I agree with Moony.


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## uncle jafuncle (Nov 8, 2005)

Ujio was awesome.  I love the part where he beats Tom senseless in the rain.  Hiroyuki Sanada is a marvelous actor.  Shame he was simply a side character...


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## TheVileOne (Nov 8, 2005)

If the movie was about just Katsumoto and didn't have Tom Cruise, it would've been a million times better.


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## hakke (Nov 8, 2005)

I hate people complaning about not being accurate... its not a freaking  documentary, its a hollywood movie... and it was a great one. The battles scenes didnt have that ghey motion blur and shaky camera effects that most films use to depict "intense action". The awesomeness of the score just made me love the movie even more.


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## TheVileOne (Nov 8, 2005)

hakke said:
			
		

> I hate people complaning about not being accurate... its not a freaking  documentary, its a hollywood movie... and it was a great one. The awesomeness of the score just made me love the movie even more.



Sure it had some nice music by Hanz Zimmer and some pretty production design, but its still an average movie.  Cruise was CLEARLY going for an Academy Award with this movie, and once again the Academy and the critics rejected him.


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## hakke (Nov 8, 2005)

TheVileOne said:
			
		

> Sure it had some nice music by Hanz Zimmer and some pretty production design, but its still an average movie.  Cruise was CLEARLY going for an Academy Award with this movie, and once again the Academy and the critics rejected him.



I never once heard oscar buzz about the movie, and I didnt expect it to win anything... it still was a great movie.
Of course if you dont like Tom Cruise's acting you will see the movie as average, but again, great score,great production, great battle secuences.. and Watanabe was in it.


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## Riles481 (Nov 8, 2005)

It wass okay overrall for a movie but what I didn't like was the underlying "Tarzanist" theme (ex. white man is king of the jungle), where the last samurai turns out to be a white ex-soldier who master the arts five times faster than those who have been studying there wholes lives, that part just hit a bad note with me.


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## TheVileOne (Nov 8, 2005)

hakke said:
			
		

> I never once heard oscar buzz about the movie, and I didnt expect it to win anything... it still was a great movie.



You never heard Oscar buzz because it didn't get any.  But Tom Cruise's whole intent was so he would win won finally, which he is yet to do.



> Of course if you dont like Tom Cruise's acting you will see the movie as average, but again, great score,great production, great battle secuences.. and Watanabe was in it.



Yeah Watanabe was in it and he was great, unfortunately he was playing second fiddle to a mugging Tom Cruise.



> It wass okay overrall for a movie but what I didn't like was the underlying "Tarzanist" theme (ex. white man is king of the jungle), where the last samurai turns out to be a white ex-soldier who master the arts five times faster than those who have been studying there wholes lives, that part just hit a bad note with me.



Agreed.  I also like to refer to the movie as TOP SHOGUN and DANCES WITH SAMURAI.


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## Keyser S?ze (Nov 8, 2005)

yes the whole premise about some ex-soldier coming in and assimilating the japanese art of the samurai was kinda a strech to say the least, but once you get past it it's a pretty good movie. a more appropriate title would have been the first samurai, lol, the first white samurai.


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## Ongakukage (Feb 14, 2007)

This movie was fantastic. I would give it a 9/10 or higher. Awesome fighting scenes and storyline.


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## Bender (Sep 13, 2010)

My bad if there's already a thread on this

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5BeJ7j1Fj4[/YOUTUBE]



> ad feedback
> 
> In the 1870s, Captain Nathan Algren, a cynical veteran of the American Civil war who will work for anyone, is hired by Americans who want lucrative contracts with the Emperor of Japan to train the peasant conscripts for the first standing imperial army in modern warfare using firearms. The imperial Omura cabinet's first priority is to repress a rebellion of traditionalist Samurai -hereditary warriors- who remain devoted to the sacred dynasty but reject the Westernizing policy and even refuse firearms. Yet when his ill-prepared superior force sets out too soon, their panic allows the sword-wielding samurai to crush them.
> 
> Badly wounded Algren's courageous stand makes the samurai leader Katsumoto spare his life; once nursed to health he learns to know and respect the old Japanese way, and participates as advisor in Katsumoto's failed attempt to save the Bushido tradition, but Omura gets repressive laws enacted- he must now choose to honor his loyalty to one of the embittered sides when the conflict returns to the battlefield...



Probably the only movie of Tom Cruise's next to Collateral that I'll watch

My favorite scene has got to be when the ninja attack the village


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## Prendergast (Sep 13, 2010)

is there a new tom cruise movie coming out soon? why are you publicizing him? *suspicious*


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## Bender (Sep 13, 2010)

Prendergast said:


> is there a new tom cruise movie coming out soon? why are you publicizing him? *suspicious*



Da fuck are you talking about?  That movie you're talking about (at least I think) Knight and Day came out 3 months ago. 

I'm just bringing this movie up because it's one of my favorites. pek pek


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## MartialHorror (Sep 13, 2010)

Yeah, I loved this movie. Imo, its arguably Cruise's best, and that says a lot. Like the guy or not, he does have an eye for good projects.

My only qualm was the ending, which was a bit too Hollywoodish imo. 
*Spoiler*: __ 



him happening to be the only survivor




It should be noted that the title refers to all of the Samurai, not just Tom(its plural).


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## Eternal Pein (Sep 13, 2010)

I thought it was Tom's best movie


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## Bender (Sep 13, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> It should be noted that the title refers to all of the Samurai, not just Tom(its plural).



Not really

The title refers to Kasumoto

The director even stated that he is the last samurai.


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## Klue (Sep 13, 2010)

One of two Tom Cruise featured movies that I enjoyed tremendously. I should thank you for bringing it up again; maybe a quick re-watch is in order.


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## Bender (Sep 13, 2010)

Klue said:


> One of two Tom Cruise featured movies that I enjoyed tremendously. I should thank you for bringing it up again; maybe a quick re-watch is in order.



After I finish my run on DBZ tonight I plan on watching it again...


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## MartialHorror (Sep 14, 2010)

Bender said:


> Not really
> 
> The title refers to Kasumoto
> 
> The director even stated that he is the last samurai.




Which is funny, because I've also heard the director say the opposite. The thing with filmmakers is that they often change their own stances depending on the context. I've heard filmmakers state that they intentionally made a bad movie, when the rest of the cast/crew stated differently(ex: The guy who directed "The Room").

The confusion stems from the marketing(which states Tom Cruise is the Last Samurai), and the fact most dont realize samurai is plural. 

Katsumoto being "The Last Samurai" goes against the films logic. Do you think that the Imperial fighters bowed ONLY to Katsumoto? Do you think that his sacrifice was the only one the Emperor had in mind at the end? 

Katsumoto may have been the leader, but in the story, the title was obviously refering to all the Samurai who were killed in the battle.....as their demises signified the end of the samurai age.

Actually, the samurai's portrayal bugged me a little bit. The Samurai were often bullies who would kill peasants(and especially Eta) if they did anything to annoy them, and it would be okay. 

In fact, their actions were often FAR WORSE than anything Algren ever committed. It was samurai custom to kill women and children if the mens insults were bad enough. They would crucify villages in masse for stupid reasons.

I would've liked it if the movie played that up more, but it didnt bother me enough for my opinion of the movie to drop.


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## Bender (Sep 14, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> Which is funny, because I've also heard the director say the opposite.



Yeaaaaaah....I don't believe you




> The thing with filmmakers is that they often change their own stances depending on the context.




Okay if "Last Samurai" is about all the few remain samurai then don't you think the title of the movie would be "The Last samurais"?


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## MartialHorror (Sep 14, 2010)

Ugh..........Did I not just explain that the title is plural? Have you ever seen a movie or book that refers to them as Samurais? 

Or maybe you just dont know what plural means. 

I can't believe how hostile you act over something so obvious yet stupid.


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## FitzChivalry (Sep 14, 2010)

For what it's worth, in the DVD commentary, it was explained that the Last Samurai was in fact plural, referring to neither Tom Cruise or Ken Watanabe's characters, but the entire swordsman group that were featured in the movie. I bought it, feeling, like everyone, that the idea of Algren being the Last Samurai was absurd. And as MH explained, the idea of Katsumoto being the singular Last Samurai was near as ridiculous.

Anyway, great movie. One of my favorites in the last decade, definitely my favorite from Tom Cruise (who is a usually a fine actor, real life antics be damned) in that span.


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## MartialHorror (Sep 14, 2010)

That must be where I heard it, as I went through all of the movies special features.


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## Gnome (Sep 14, 2010)

I watched this last week, great movie. I think it was kind of overshadowed for coming out in the same year as LOTR 3.


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## Bender (Sep 14, 2010)

FitzChivalry said:


> For what it's worth, in the DVD commentary, it was explained that the Last Samurai was in fact plural, referring to neither Tom Cruise or Ken Watanabe's characters, but the entire swordsman group that were featured in the movie.



Looked it up

It was Kasumoto and his group that were "The Last Samurai". 

@MH 

Of course I know what plural means.


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## Eki (Sep 14, 2010)

This movie was great when i first saw it


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## Mider T (Sep 14, 2010)

Movie was alright, don't remember specifics to be honest.

And most Japanese titles are plural and singular.  Like "Samurai" or "Ninja"


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## MartialHorror (Sep 14, 2010)

Bender said:


> Looked it up
> 
> It was Kasumoto and his group that were "The Last Samurai".
> 
> ...



So in other words, you were wrong once again while having a snobby, dickish attitude and yet still you don't apologize....


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## Bender (Sep 14, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> So in other words, you were wrong once again



Well technically...I'm half right, Kasumoto was indeed one of the last samurai.

But yeah, whatever you were kinda right also; so I apologize or whatever.


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## ~Avant~ (Sep 14, 2010)

Lmfao you guys are funny.

Anyways one of my all time favorite movies


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## MartialHorror (Sep 14, 2010)

Well, of course. After all, we are planning the "MartialHorror and Bender Show: Guess who has the bigger dick", which should be coming to TV in 2039.


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## -Dargor- (Sep 14, 2010)

Watched it a few years ago, liked it.

Good movie.


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## Angelus (Sep 14, 2010)

As much as I despise Cruise, this is a really good movie.

My favourite scene was when he was beaten by one of the samurais with the wooden sword, but he still got up again and again, not giving up until he was unconscious.


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## ~Avant~ (Sep 14, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> Well, of course. After all, we are planning the "MartialHorror and Bender Show: Guess who has the bigger dick", which should be coming to TV in 2039.



Something to look forward to in the event 2012 turns out to be bs


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## CrazyMoronX (Sep 14, 2010)

Remember when they got shot up by that gatling gun? That was awesome.


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## Bender (Sep 14, 2010)

^

lol no

The sepukku was way more awesome.  Imma bit pissed that Kasumoto didn't take Algren(Cruise) with 'em. If dat was me I'd be like "Bitch I'm not dying alooooone!" 

My first favorite scene ^

My second is that colonel custard...Sanders...whatever lookalike friend being impaled by the sword Algren threw at him. 

third

The emperor nutting the fuck up and standing up to the tubby jap dude that was dickriding Westerners.


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## CrazyMoronX (Sep 14, 2010)

I want to watch this again now. Thanks for ruining my life.


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## Corran (Sep 14, 2010)

Got this on blu-ray a few weeks ago. Great movie and probably one of Cruise's best. Apart from his role in Tropic Thunder


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## MartialHorror (Sep 14, 2010)

Hmmmm, my favorite scene was when Katsumoto was talking to Algren about how everyone dies. It was just a beautiful scene.

Although there was plenty of awesome scenes in general, as I love when they fight the ninja too.


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## Tsukiyomi (Sep 14, 2010)

It's one of a select few Tom Cruise movies I can still enjoy.  Just well done all around.


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## Wuzzman (Sep 14, 2010)

I like this better than Avatar.


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## TSC (Sep 15, 2010)

The Last Samurai seems to be a fictional inspiration on the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877 lead by Saigo Takamori. For those unfamiliar, the Satsuma rebellion was a group a former samurai of the satsuma district lead by Takamori against the Meiji Government after being dissatisfied with the way the Meiji government has become.

In Rurouni Kenshin they talked about this and that it happen about 6 months prior to beginning of the series.


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## Castiel (Sep 15, 2010)

great.  Zwick is consistently good


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## Comic Book Guy (Sep 16, 2010)

Did an essay on this in for Cross-Cultural psychology course.


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## Dream Brother (Sep 17, 2010)

When I saw the trailer for this I remember cringing and expecting the movie to be an abomination; it looked like exploitive silliness. I was surprised, though, as I ended up really liking it. Good movie.


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