While Tom Cruise is best known these days as a daredevil, an actor more than willing to put his body on the line for the perfect shot. One of his most ambitious films focused less on action and more on the emotion and soul behind the swordplay and stunts. More than two decades after its initial release in 2003 Edward Zwick‘S The Last Samurai is finding a new audience as the 154-minute historical epic is experiencing a revival HBO Max.
When you compare it to the high-flying action, explosions and fast-paced thrills we’ve come to know Cruise for, it’s hard to imagine audiences connecting in the same way with a slower, denser film like this – and the film was actually a flop at the US box office upon release (albeit remarkably so). successful in Japanthe country in which the film takes place).
But the audience is rediscovering it, because The Last Samurai is the kind of blockbuster the film industry no longer wants to produce: a massive, serious historical drama that takes its time developing its characters and doesn’t rely on action. Cruise is the face of the film, which sparked a backlash against the film, calling it a “white savior” narrative, but in many ways it’s an unfair criticism. The movie star may be the face, but so are the supporting actors Ken Watanabe And Hiroyuki Sanadaare his beating heart. The film’s staying power comes from the combination of the cast and the world that Zwick successfully builds around them.
Tom Cruise gives one of his most underrated performances in The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai It centers on Nathan Algren (Cruise), a former 19th-century U.S. Army captain who is haunted by his experiences fighting Native Americans, including his participation in a massacre in an innocent village. A bitter alcoholic desperate for money, Algren accepts an offer to travel to Japan to help train the country’s new Imperial Army in Western tactics. Opposite him is Watanabe’s legendary samurai warrior Katsumoto, who fights against the rapid modernization of Japan, which he sees as a departure from the country’s traditions.
After an opening battle that proves disastrous for Algren’s army, he is captured by Katsumoto, who wants to learn more about who he is against. Algren spends months living among the samurai, training with them and learning their habits. He begins to question what he knows and believes about war and honor. With Katsumoto’s help, he learns to deal with the horrors of his past, and Cruise’s performance in these scenes is the film’s highlight.
Cruise sells the transformation from a depressed soldier to a man at peace with his past because he regains the charisma of a movie star. It’s one of the actor’s most underrated performances, a role that often gets lost in his extensive and better-known filmography. Cruise’s Algren copes in a fight, but The Last Samurai is much more interested in exploring how someone deals with their past and learning how to move forward.
Ken Watanabe is the true heart of The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai It wouldn’t work without Ken Watanabe’s Katsumoto to balance Cruise’s Nathan Algren. Katsumoto could easily have been an idealized warrior figure, but Watanabe gives him humor, curiosity, and unexpected depth that form the film’s emotional center. The relationship between the two men is at the core of The Last SamuraiAs they talk about life and how they both struggle to understand what of the worlds they believe is worth protecting, a mutual respect develops between them.
It’s no surprise that Watanabe received an Oscar nomination for this role, and it remains one of his finest performances, with some of his strongest moments found in the film’s quietest scenes. Algren may be the main character, but Katsumoto is the one who truly becomes the “Last Samurai.” Even aside from his most delicate moments, his action sequences – particularly the final battle against the Imperial Army – are some of his best scenes. As his samurai force launches their attack that they know will likely lead to their downfall, Watanabe’s appearance helps establish how important this is to them, even if they die in the process. The action feels earned and has weight because Katsumoto helps you fully understand why they’re doing this.
This combination of intimate character drama and enormous spectacle helps explain why audiences return The Last Samurai and to remind people why this film deserves attention. Cruise has certainly made bigger films and headlined major franchises like Mission impossible And Top Gunbut few of his films seem so great. If you’re a history buff or just want a great epic, The Last Samurai remains one of Tom Cruise’s most rewarding films.
- Release date
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December 5, 2003
- Duration
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154 minutes
- director
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Edward Zwick
