The Last Samurai

Cast View all

	Ken Watanabe	Katsumoto
	Tom Cruise	Nathan Algren
	William Atherton	Winchester Rep
	Chad Lindberg	Winchester Rep Assistant
	Ray Godshall Sr.	Convention Hall Attendee
	Billy Connolly	Zebulon Gant
	Tony Goldwyn	Colonel Bagley
	Masato Harada	Omura
	Masashi Odate	Omura's Companion
	John Koyama	Omura's Bodyguard
	Timothy Spall	Simon Graham
	Shichinosuke Nakamura	Emperor Meiji
	Togo Igawa	General Hasegawa
	Satoshi Nikaido	N.C.O.
	Shintaro Wada	Young Recruit
	Shin Koyamada	Nobutada
	Hiroyuki Sanada	Ujio
	Shun Sugata	Nakao
	Koyuki	Taka
	Sosuke Ikematsu	Higen
	Aoi Minato	Magojiro
	Seizo Fukumoto	Silent Samurai
	Shoji Yoshihara	Sword Master
	Kosaburo Nomura IV	Kyogen Player #1
	Takashi Noguchi	Kyogen Player #2

Crew View all

Director	Edward Zwick
Writer	John Logan, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
Producer	Tom Cruise, Michael Doven, Tom Engelman, Ted Field, Marshall Herskovitz, Scott Kroopf, Graham Larson, Charles Mulvehill, Yôko Narahashi, Richard Solomon, Paula Wagner, Vincent Ward, Edward Zwick
Musician	Hans Zimmer
Photography	John Toll

Personal

Notes

Story Synopsis:
A veteran of the U.S. Civil War, Captain Nathan Algren (Cruise) is hired by the Emperor Meiji to train a Japanese army as Western soldiers to defeat samurai warriors. Upon arriving in Japan in 1876, Algren is met with great uncertainty but steps forward to complete the job for which he is hired. His army is comprised of mere peasants with little or no experience in battle, and they are expected to go up against the samurai Katsumoto and his sophisticated rebels much too soon. When Algren is captured by the enemy, he is taken to their village and kept so that Katsumoto may learn more about this strange Western warrior. But what Algren would never have expected was how much he was to learn and inevitably respect the ways of the samurai. "The Last Samurai" is another stirring Civil War-era epic directed by Edward Zwick ("Glory"). (Suzanne Hodges)

DVD Picture:
John Toll’s sweeping cinematography is beautifully rendered on this anamorphically enhanced DVD. The 2.40:1 picture exhibits a warm, nicely saturated color palette that is complementary to the 19th century storytelling. Rich reds, vibrant blues, and bold greens are very nicely rendered, as well as deep solid blacks and natural fleshtones. Images are sharp and detailed, with pleasing textures (like clothing and vegetation) and definition. Contrast and shadow delineation are also well-balanced. There are some minor anomalies inherent in the source element, and there are a few segments in which the picture is slightly shaky. Pixelization is occasionally noticed, but only pickier viewers will be able to detect the edge enhancement. Very rarely does the picture appear smeared for an overall look that is glossy and appealing. (Suzanne Hodges)

Soundtrack:
The Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack exhibits excellent fidelity and tonality. The battle scenes give the listener a very dynamic and involving soundstage. The climactic battle in Chapters 33 through 38 really sound fantastic with excellent channel separation, explosive LFE, and immersive sound from all five channels. Because the battle scenes are scattered throughout the presentation, the majority of the soundtrack spends more time on quiet Zen-like moments where the majority of character development takes place. It’s during these quiet moments where the accurate reproduction of dialogue in the front center channel shines. Additionally, these scenes-which are more subtle and quiet in sound design-speak volumes due to their use of very precise ambient sonic activity. It is in this activity that the soundtrack fills out nicely for a more rich and involving listening experience. (Jeff Kern)

This Disc Contains The Following WSR-Rated Superb Qualities:
Superb Cinematography
Reference Quality

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