Let me start by saying that this is a wonderful film. Edward Zwick, who has directed other excellent films such as Glory, scores once again in this richly epic, and beautiful picture.
The Last Samurai is not wholly about one man’s journey. It’s also about honor and courage, things not treasured in today’s culture. The movie wisely bases itself around some powerful material, making it a movie well-worth watching. The content is truly entertaining and harrowing, as the film team was very respectful to the time period and its’ warfare.
Tom Cruise plays Nathan Algran, and is excellent. His name does not come up very often in historical epics such as this, but he delivers a wonderful performance. I think that the only setback from Cruise is that he is very much a modern-day actor with a modern-day face. However, he manages to pull off an altogether enjoyable and emotional performance, as does the rest of the cast.
The battle sequences in this film are simply incredible. The giant scale is equal to that of films such as Braveheart. Even the man-on-man sword duals are amazing, with exceptional choreography.
If there is one powerful and brilliant historical film you want to see out right now, this is it. And that is simply why The Last Samurai is a great film and earns a well-deserved ****.