The Last Samurai DVD Review:

1876, consumed by guilt over his actions during the military campaigns against the Native Americans, Captain Nathan Algren (Cruise) had taken to drink to numb his pain. Tales of his deeds on the battlefield however, had spread as far as the orient and the Emperor of Japan himself had requested that Algren be recruited to train his troops in modern combat techniques. The army was needed to quell a rebellion by samurai leader Katsumoto (Watanabe), who though his country was becoming too obsessed with western ideals at the cost of the old traditions. When his newly trained troops are sent into battle far too early, Algren is captured and taken prisoner by the samurai but during his time in their custody he begins to find redemption in their accent customs.

Honour is the true essence of the way of the Samurai and filmmakers behind The Last Samurai have treated the story of the 1877 rebellion with that very much in mind.

Director and screenwriter Edward Zwick combines with Gladiator scribe John Logan to bring us a movie filled with exhilarating fight scenes, invigorating battles, captivating characters and most importantly a story that is filled with respect. This is film that pulls no punches in showing American’s push for global industrial dominance and its wiliness to arm a nation in exchange for an iron clad trade contract. In fact the advancing wave of industrialisation is the real villain of the piece, as the once great traditions of a nation fall by the wayside under this inevitable assault. Along with this march to be modern, the film showcases the traditional ideals of the samurai’s way of life. Every aspect of their lives, from their code of honour and training to their religious beliefs are shown in respectful detail making you understand why Captain Algren was drawn into their world.

The attention to historical detail echoes the respect given to the themes. The set and costume designs are superb, capturing the time exactly and making the whole production look very authentic. From the Japanese army uniforms to the exquisitely recreated samurai armour and the brilliant recreation of a tradition village, the whole production is steeped in respect and admiration of the era and the story they are trying to tell.

The fighting and battle sequences are quite simply exhilarating and the filmmakers stick with the modern philosophy of no-holds-barred, authentically detailed re-enactment. The camera takes you into the thick of the action and then pans out to show the sheer spectacle of what is going on. As Howitzer cannons and Gatling guns pour down their flak and bullets onto the charging samurai, you witness the dying embers of a soon to be forgot age disappear before your very eyes. It is heart wrenching and harrowing but you can help but feel a sense of honour for these brave warriors.

Historical accuracy, a good story and an astonishing look would be nothing without great performances and The Last Samurai is filled with them. First and foremost is Tom Cruise’s best and most challenging role since Magnolia. While he explored his darker side in that film and Vanilla Sky, this movie is a whole different ball game for the actor. We all know he can excel in the physical elements of the script but it is the way is reveals the character’s mental anguish over past deeds and his growing sense of self worth that sets this performance apart from the rest. This is a tour-de-force for Cruise, proving that he is a character actor that you can take seriously and not just a megastar paid to bring in the big opening. He seems to come into his own with projects he feels passionate about as he did with Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July, where the emphasis is the story or the character and not him.

Ken Watanabe’s role of Katsumoto steals some of the limelight from star however. This is a commanding performance from the Japanese actor. Every time he graces the screen he grabs your attention such is his presence. He oozes honour and respect as the leader of the rebellion, pulled between loyalty to his Emperor and the traditions he wants to live on.

Good support comes from the ever reliable Timothy Spall and Tony Goldwyn. Both play their parts superbly, with Goldwyn’s Colonel Bagley an instantly dislikeable thorn in Algren’s side. Koyuki as Katsumoto’s bereaved sister Taka and Hiroyuki Sanada as his second in command Ujio as also extremely good in their roles, with the hostility between Ujio and Algren been a highlight.

While Edward Zwick and his team might have taken a few liberties with history (the samurai revolt is real but an American was never involved), this is still a riveting story that emphasises Japanese culture more than just America wanting to rewrite history. This is historical story telling mixed with the pure spectacle of modern cinema at its very best and you will end up wishing that all movies were made with the same amount of honour and respect as The Last Samurai.

Star Rating = * * * * *

DISC 1

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is very good, as you’d expect from a modern movie. Edward Zwich’s stunning visualisation of Feudal Japan is vividly brought to life with outstanding picture quality throughout. The sound is also first rate, with strong, clear dialogue and an auditory explosion during the battle sequences.

Commentary by director Edward Zwick
The accomplished director and the creator of the classic TV show “Thirtysomething” Edward Zwick gives an informative and interesting insight into the making of The Last Samurai. He talks passionately about the authenticity of the film and it’s setting. He reveals how CG was subtly used to create the period and how the introduction of the samurai in the forest took two weeks to get everything right. The writer director talks extensively about Tom Cruise and the Japanese cast. He also discusses how he tried to inject humour into the conversational piece and then a slight hint of home into the final climatic battle, even though there wasn’t any.

DISC 2

BONUS FEATURES

Tom Cruise: A Warrior’s Journey (12.55 mins)

Tom Cruise talks about his character Nathan Algren and his personal journey to make the film. Director Edward Zwick, producer Paula Wagner and the cast discuss what it was like to work with the megastar. The featurette also takes you behind the scenes of the shoot and shows you the amount of fight preparation Cruise had to go through to prepare for the part.

Edward Zwick: Director’s Video Journal (26.18 mins)

With commentary by the director, we are taken behind the scenes of the entire shoot of The Last Samurai. Zwick talks about the elaborate sets and locations that were used to create the era. He also reveals the different styles he used to shoot the movie and how it was hard filming in L.A., New Zealand and Japan.

Making an Epic: A conversation with Edward Zwick and Tom Cruise (17.52 mins)

The director and star reminisce about making the movie. They discuss the amount of research that went into making the movie and the how the samurai way of life effected both of them. There is an awful lot of backslapping but the two do talk very highly about the Japanese cast.

History vs. Hollywood: The Last Samurai (22.05 mins)

A History Channel special that looks into the real events that form the basis of the film. Edward Zwick and Tom Cruise talk about the samurai and the westernisation of Japan in 1867. This was a time of great change for a country as the 15 year-old Emperor embraced modernisation at the expense of tradition.

A World of Detail: Production Design with Lily Kilvert (7.15 mins)

Production designer Lily Kilvert takes you behind the scenes of the L.A., New Zealand and Japan shoots. She reveals how the production used thousands of photographs from the time to authentically recreate the era, especially for the street and village sets.

Silk and Armour: Costume design with Ngila Dickson (6.29 mins)

Chief costume designer Ngila Dickson takes us behind the scenes of the production of hundred of period authentic clothes for three ways of life. This included traditional Japan, the Samurai and a westernised Japan as well as the American uniforms and clothing worn by the western cast. She reveals how the clothes can define a character, giving the example of Algren’s rise from drunken slob to hardened warrior.

Imperial Army Basic Training (5.47 mins)

A behind the scenes look at the two weeks of extensive training the Japanese extras had to go through to become soldiers. Edward Zwick and Tom Cruise talk about how important it was to make the battle sequences and the army look as real and authentic as possible.

From Soldier to Samurai: The Weapons (5.10 Mins)

Firing weapons co-ordinator Robert “The Rock” Galotti takes us behind the scenes of the weapon’s shop. Here they have constructed everything from rifles to cannons and Gatling guns. They also had the task of making the samurai weapons and most importantly their swords.

Bushido: The Way of the Warrior
Your chance to read the actual code of the samurai in this text based presentation.

Deleted scenes (6.01 mins)

These two deleted scenes entitled “The Beheading” and “Algren and Katsumoto” come with commentary from Edward Zwick. The director explains why the scenes were cut and how they would have affected the film if they had remained. There is also a short behind the scenes look at the beheading sequence showing you how it was accomplished.

Japan Premieres (6.54 mins)

Watch interviews with Tom Cruise and the Japanese cast on the red carpet at the Premiere in Japan. They talk about watching the film for the first time and about their characters in the movie.

Trailer
Your chance to watch the final theatrical trailer.

OVERALL
An outstanding movie becomes an excellent DVD. Warner Bros have produced one of their best two-disc sets in years and it is jam packed with extras. It would have been nice to have seen more behind the scenes footage and more of Tom Cruise training regime but apart from that this is a brilliant package for fans of the movie and film lovers everywhere.

DVD Star Rating = * * * *

Jamie Kelwick

Site Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film owners of The Last Samurai and intellectual copyright holders of the movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise & storyline.