About The Last Samurai
Basic Info | Abbreviated Synopsis | Extended Synopsis
The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by John Logan.
The film was inspired by a project developed by writer and director Vincent Ward. Ward became executive producer on the film, and after working in development on it for nearly four years and approaching several directors (Coppola, Weir), he interested Edward Zwick. The film went ahead with Zwick and was shot in Ward's native New Zealand.
The film stars Tom Cruise (who also co-produced) in the role of American soldier Nathan Algren, whose personal and emotional conflicts bring him into contact with samurai warriors in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in the Empire of Japan in 1876 and 1877. Other actors include Ken Watanabe, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Timothy Spall, Shin Koyamada, and Billy Connolly.
The film's plot is inspired by the 1876 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigou Takamori, and also on the story of Jules Brunet, a French army captain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlier Boshin War. The historical roles of the British Empire, the Netherlands and France in Japanese westernization are largely attributed to the United States in the film. These details, characters in the film and the real story are simplified for plot purposes; the film does not seek to duplicate history.
The Last Samurai was well-received upon release, with a worldwide box office of $456 million. In addition it was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the National Board of Review.
Released: 5 December 2003
Running time: 160 minutes
Language: English/Japanese
Budget: $140 million USD
Gross revenue: $456 million USD
Cast
- Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren
- Ken Watanabe as Lord Katsumoto Moritsu
- Tony Goldwyn as Lieutenant Colonel Bagley
- Masato Harada as Omura
- Shichinosuke Nakamura as Emperor Meiji
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Ujio
- Timothy Spall as Simon Graham
- Seizou Fukumoto as the Silent Samurai
- Koyuki as Taka
- Shin Koyamada as Nobutada
- Billy Connolly as Sergeant Zebulon Gant
- Shun Sugata as Nakao
- Satoshi Nikaido as the non-commissioned officer
- Sosuke Ikematsu as Higen
Soundtrack
Music by Hans Zimmer, performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony, conducted by Blake Neely.
Released: 25 November 2003
Label: Elektra Records
Track Listing:
- "A Way of Life" — 8:03
- "Spectres in the Fog" — 4:07
- "Taken" — 3:36
- "A Hard Teacher" — 5:44
- "To Know My Enemy" — 4:49
- "Idyll's End" — 6:41
- "Safe Passage" — 4:57
- "Ronin" — 1:53
- "Red Warrior" — 3:56
- "The Way of the Sword" — 7:59
- "A Small Measure of Peace" — 7:59
Information from Wikipedia