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The last samurai - Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Tony Goldwyn, Edward Zwick
Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
Set in the late 1870s, this epic film depicts the beginnings of the modernisation of Japan, as the island nation evolves beyond a feudal society, as symbolised by the eradication of the Samurai way of life. We view this through the eyes of an alcoholic, USA Civil War veteran turned Winchester guns spokesman, Captain Woodrow Algren (Tom Cruise), who arrives in Japan to train the troops of Emperor Meiji (Shichinosuke Nakamura). This is part of a break away from the long-held tradition of relying on employed samurai warriors to protect territories, as the Emperor's new army prepares to wipe out the remaining Samurai warriors.
When Algren is injured in combat and captured by the Samurai, he learns about their warrior honour code from their leader, Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), which forces him to decide which side of the conflict he actually wants to be on.
Theatrical propaganda posters
Target demographic movie keyword propaganda
- Film Japan samurai drama modernisation Meiji honour native war soldier
Persons of interest
- Tom Cruise .... Captain Woodrow Algren
- Billy Connolly .... Sergeant Zebulah Grant
- Tony Goldwyn .... Colonel Benjamin Bagly
- Masao Harada .... Ohmura
- Togo Igawa .... Hasegawa
- Shin Koyamada .... Yoritomo
- Koyuki .... Taka
- Shichinosuke Nakamura .... Emperor Meiji
- Hiroyuki Sanada .... Ujio
- Timothy Spall .... Simon Graham
- Shun Sugata .... Nakao
- Ken Watanabe .... Katsumoto
- John Logan .... Screenwriter
- Marshall Herskovitz .... Screenwriter
- Edward Zwick .... Screenwriter
- Edward Zwick .... Director
Cinematic intelligence sources
- The last samurai official movie site
- The last samurai QuickTime movie trailers
- Awards and film festivals:
- Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films Saturn Awards 2005: Nominated: Best Action/Adventure/ Thriller Film, Best Actor (Tom Cruise), Best Supporting Actor (Ken Watanabe), Best Performance By A Younger Actor (Sosuke Ikematsu), Best Director (Edward Zwick)
- MTV Movie Awards 2004: Nominated: Best male performance (Tom Cruise)
- Studios and distributors:
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
Run, hit, shoot, bleed. Slice. Dice. Very nice.
Security censorship classification
MA 15+ (Medium level violence)
Surveillance time
144 minutes (2:24 hours)
Not for public release in Australia before date
Film: 15 January 2004
Cinema surveillance images
