#The Last Samurai Movie Did Not#

Set in Japan during the 1870s, THE LAST SAMURAI tells the story of Capt. Yet when his ill-prepared superior force sets out too soon, their panic allows the sword-wielding samurai to crush them. Badly wounded Algren's courageous stand makes the samurai leader Katsumoto spare his life once nursed to health he learns to know and respect the old Japanese way, and participates as advisor in Katsumoto's failed attempt to save the Bushido tradition, but Omura gets repressive laws enacted- he must now choose to honor his loyalty to one of the embittered sides when.

He also endured eight months of strenuous training in Japanese martial arts and sword fighting, so he could do all of his own stunts.'I thought it was important to actually show the audience that he had done the homework, that it wasn't done with sleight of hand,' says Zwick.'There is something like 70 different points of contact, sword on sword, kicking and body movements,' says Cruise. I just fought and fought and fought.'But Cruise didn't just read up to get ready for the part. It's not something that I didn't think was there. And it was something that I knew.

The Last Samurai Movie Did Not

'And I think to Tom, I think he became a little more Japanese in his acting as well.'Cruise traveled all over the world to promote 'The Last Samurai.' At the London premiere, he spent three hours talking to his fans вЂ“ even the ones calling on cell phones.But in spite of all that personal commitment, the research, the training, and the money, the movie did not break through with major Academy Award nominations.'If there was a problem with 'Last Samurai,' it's that it had the misfortune to come out in a year when it wasn't the only game in town,' says Mark Harris, who is following the awards race closely for Entertainment Weekly magazine.'Cold Mountain, Master and Commander, even Lord of The Rings, which is a fantasy, draws from the same vein of military history. But Samurai are not expressive.''I remember my direction to him at times was, 'Ken, speak English but act in Japanese,' says Zwick. For example, the scene between Cruise and the woman he falls in love with is all about restraint.'You have to earn a scene like that, because you don't know, is the tension in the relationship going to work? Is it too much? Is it too little,' says Cruise.The other essential on-screen chemistry in the movie was between Cruise and actor Ken Watanabe, who plays the Last Samurai.This is Watanabe's first English-speaking role: 'English is very expressive language. The key moments are driven by silence. That's really about twice the length of a lot of movies.'There was more to get right than just the action sequences. 'We shot for 117 shooting days.

'Samurai' has made more than $109 million in the United States and more than $296 million internationally.'Oh yeah, they'll they're gonna make back and be able to go out and go make some more movies,' says Cruise, laughing.

The Last Samurai Full Movie