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The Last Samurai Details

FULL SYNOPSIS

Edward Zwick returned to the director's chair for the first time since 1998's The Siege with this sweeping period drama set in 19th-century Japan. After centuries of relying on hired samurai for national defense, the Japanese monarchy has decided to do away with the warriors in favor of a more contemporary military. Tom Cruise stars as Nathan Algren, a veteran of the U.S. Civil War who is hired by the Emperor Meiji to train an army capable of wiping out the samurai. But when Algren is captured by the samurai and taught about their history and way of life, he finds himself conflicted over who he should be fighting alongside. Billy Connelly, Tony Goldwyn, and Ken Watanabe co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

  • Release date:November 29, 2003

Awards

Awarded by
Nominee
Category
Year
Status
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Anna Behlmer Best Sound 2003 Nominee
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lilly Kilvert Best Art Direction 2003 Nominee
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Ngila Dickson Best Costume Design 2003 Nominee
Producers Guild of America Paula Wagner Producer of the Year 2003 Nominee
National Board of Review Edward Zwick Best Director 2003 Winner
Producers Guild of America Edward Zwick Producer of the Year 2003 Nominee
Hollywood Foreign Press Association Hans Zimmer Best Score 2003 Nominee
Hollywood Foreign Press Association Tom Cruise Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama 2003 Nominee
Producers Guild of America Tom Cruise Producer of the Year 2003 Nominee
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Jeff Wexler Best Sound 2003 Nominee
Producers Guild of America Marshall Herskovitz Producer of the Year 2003 Nominee
Screen Actors Guild Ken Watanabe Best Supporting Actor 2003 Nominee
Hollywood Foreign Press Association Ken Watanabe Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture 2003 Nominee
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Ken Watanabe Best Supporting Actor 2003 Nominee
American Society of Cinematographers John Toll Best Cinematography 2003 Nominee
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Andy Nelson Best Sound 2003 Nominee
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Gretchen Rau Best Art Direction 2003 Nominee

Cast

Tom Cruise
as Nathan Algren
Timothy Spall
as Simon Graham
Ken Watanabe
as Katsumoto
Billy Connolly
as Zebulon Gant
Tony Goldwyn
as Colonel Benjamin Bagley
Hiroyuki Sanada
as Ujio
Koyuki
as Taka
Shichinosuke Nakamura
as Emperor Meiji
Shun Sugata
as Nakao
Masato Harada
as Omura
Shin Koyamada
as Nobutada
Satoshi Nikaido
as N.C.O.
Eijiro Ozaki
as Battle Corp
Takashi Yamaguchi
as Battle Corp
Kenta Daibo
as Samurai Ensemble
Chris Chin
as Battle Corp
Giorgio Miyashita
as Battle Corp
Koji Fujii
as Samurai Ensemble
Takeru Shimizu
as Samurai Ensemble
Satoshi Nakamura
as Battle Corp
Togo Igawa
as General Hasegawa
Sosuke Ikematsu
as Higen
Takashi Kora
as Samurai Ensemble
Takeshi Maya
as Samurai Ensemble
Mitsuyuki Oishi
as Soldier in Street #2
John Koyama
as Omura's Bodyguard
Koichi Funayama
as Battle Corp
Shoji Yoshihara
as Sword Master
Ray Godshall, Sr.
as Convention Hall Attendee
Masashi Odate
as Omura's Companion
Akira Koieyama
as Battle Corp
Hiroaki Amano
as Samurai Ensemble
Makoto Hashiba
as Samurai Ensemble
Seiji Mori
as Samurai Ensemble
Jiro Wada
as Soldier in Street #3
Mitsuki Koga
as Battle Corp
Shimpei Horinouchi
as Samurai Ensemble
Hisao Takeda
as Samurai Ensemble
Masayuki Maekawa
as Battle Corp
Lee Murayama
as Samurai Ensemble
Ryoichiro Yonekura
as Samurai Ensemble
Noguchi Takayuki
as Kyogen Player #3
Aoi Minato
as Magojiro
Kazuya Shimizu
as Battle Corp
Atsushi Ono
as Battle Corp
Chad Lindberg
as Winchester Rep Assistant
William Atherton
as Winchester Rep
Scott Wilson
as Ambassador Swanbeck
Shane Kosugi
as Samurai Ensemble
Brian Ho
as Battle Corp
Yuki Kawanishi
as Battle Corp
Tadashi Oiwa
as Battle Corp
Takanobu Kaneko
as Battle Corp
Shintaro Wada
as Young Recruit
Yusuke Myochin
as Sword Master's Assistant
Hiroshi Watanabe
as Guard
Genji Nakamura
as Battle Corp
Sven Toorvald
as Omura's Secretary
Takashi Noguchi
as Kyogen Player #2
Masayuki Yamada
as Battle Corp
Toru Ishida
as battle extra platoon leader
Shinji Matsumoto
as Battle Corp
Yuki Matsuzaki
as Soldier in Street #1

Crew

Edward Zwick
Director
Edward Zwick
Producer
Tom Cruise
Producer
Paula Wagner
Producer
Marshall Herskovitz
Producer
Tom Engelman
Producer
Marshall Herskovitz
Screenwriter
John Logan
Screen Story
John Logan
Screenwriter
Edward Zwick
Screenwriter
Gary Capo
Cinematographer
John Toll
Cinematographer
Suzette Moriarty
Musical Arrangement
Hans Zimmer
Composer (Music Score)
Steven Rosenblum
Editor
Victor DuBois
Editor
Christopher Burian-Mohr
Supervising Art Director
Jess Gonchor
Art Director
Lilly Kilvert
Art Director
Kim Sinclair
Art Director
Graham J. Larson
Associate Producer
Yoko Narahashi
Associate Producer
Michael Doven
Associate Producer
Richard Solomon
Executive Producer
Vincent Ward
Executive Producer
Ted Field
Executive Producer
Charles B. Mulvehill
Executive Producer
James Bayliss
Set Designer
Adrian H. Gorton
Set Designer
Philip Thomas
Set Designer
Anthony D. Parillo
Set Designer
Ann Harris
Set Designer
Roy Barnes
Set Designer
John Perry Goldsmith
Set Designer
Patte Strong-Lord
Set Designer
Samuel J. Storey
Set Designer
Michael Smale
Set Designer
Gretchen Rau
Set Decorator
Natasha Walsh
Costume Designer
Cynthia Morrill
Costume Designer
Sian Evans
Costume Designer
Kendall Errair
Costume Designer
Grace Kelly Lambert
Costume Designer
Lucinda Campbell
Costume Designer
Ngila Dickson
Costume Designer
Michael Kamper
Sound/Sound Designer
Jon Title
Sound/Sound Designer
Scott Harens
Special Effects
Karl Chisholm
Special Effects
Scott Mattson
Special Effects
Eduardo Lozano
Special Effects
Dave Booth
Special Effects
Darian Lumsden
Special Effects
Jim Fredburg
Special Effects
John Mowat
Special Effects
Lenny Dalrymple
Special Effects
Guy Menanno
Special Effects
Ken Rudell
Special Effects
Charles Schmitz
Special Effects
Peter Zivkovic
Special Effects
Guy Feldman
Special Effects
Joel Blanchard
Special Effects
Paul Verrall
Special Effects
Alistair Anderson
Special Effects
Dean Bushby
Special Effects
Terry Erickson
Special Effects
Yukiyoshi Shimizu
Special Effects
Rick Peterson
Special Effects
Brent Herrmann
Special Effects
Steven Dearth
Special Effects
Scott Garcia
Special Effects
John Fagan
Special Effects
Warwick Yin
Special Effects
Iain Hutton
Special Effects
Oliver Gee
Special Effects
Peter Cleveland
Special Effects
Daniel Gilmore
Special Effects
Phil McLaren
Special Effects
Jeremy Hays
Special Effects
Kim Derry
Special Effects
Dean Clarke
Special Effects
Ron Matthews
Special Effects
Mathew Dunne
First Assistant Director
Nilo Otero
First Assistant Director
Mark Schilling
Consultant/advisor
Takeyama Yo
Consultant/advisor
Calum McFarlane
Camera Operator
Peter McCaffrey
Camera Operator
Darrin Keough
Camera Operator
Leigh Mackenzie
Camera Operator
Mike Thomas
Camera Operator
Tommy Klines
Camera Operator
Yoshio Miyaki
Stunts
Brian Imada
Stunts
Moritaka Yoshida
Stunts
Pedro Garcia Garcia
Stunts
Shogo Ikegami
Stunts
Kiwa Halley
Stunts
Spencer Sano
Stunts
Kraig Kishi
Stunts
Tasho Ihara
Stunts
Geraldine Jacobsen
Stunts
Hiro Asari
Stunts
Taketo Nakamura
Stunts
Danny Baldwin
Stunts
Yoshiyuki Kubo
Stunts
Danny Le Boyer
Stunts
Shoji Sakai
Stunts
Tad Griffith
Stunts
Kazuki Tsujimoto
Stunts
Al Goto
Stunts
Michael Li
Stunts
Hiroki Takano
Stunts
Albert Heimuli
Stunts
Ava Strong
Stunts
Dean Caulfield
Stunts
Motoki Kawana
Stunts
Phil Chong
Stunts
Akira Kamito
Stunts
Paul Shapcott
Stunts
Kimio Yamada
Stunts
Patrick Shining Elk
Stunts
Takahiro Kudo
Stunts
Al Eisenmann
Stunts
Tadashi Oiwa
Stunts
Kenji Sato
Stunts
Noroa Poa
Stunts
Akira Sugihara
Stunts
Yoshio Iizuka
Stunts
Daisuke Amano
Stunts
Alaynna Davis
Stunts
Duncan McNaughton
Stunts
Nobuyuki Obikane
Stunts
Peng Zhang
Stunts
Tadahiro Shimizu
Stunts
Mike Ching
Stunts
Ryoichi Murakami
Stunts
Kenji Tominaga
Stunts
Lin Oeding
Stunts
James Lew
Stunts
Dave Foreman
Stunts
Marcus Young
Stunts
Atsushi Morita
Stunts
Joel Kramer
Stunts
Ken Hasegawa
Stunts
Keiya Tabuchi
Stunts
Tadahiro Nakamura
Stunts
Jon Kishi
Stunts
Casey O'Neill
Stunts
Zokir Sultanov
Stunts
Paul Wu
Stunts
Jean-Jacques Desplanque
Stunts
Stephen Dunham
Stunts
Shawn Orr
Stunts
Liz Mullane
Casting
Mitsuyuki Kousaka
Production Manager
Yoko Narahashi
Casting
Victoria Thomas
Casting
Kevin de la Noy
Unit Production Manager
Anna MacKenzie
ADR Editor
Tam Norris
Assistant Location Manager
Richard Lacy
First Assistant Camera
Sharon Bardsley
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Elizabeth Flaherty
Assistant Art Director
Jack Steinberg
Second Second Assistant Director
Richard Snell
Makeup
Danny Romero
Transportation Coordinator
Harry E. Otto
Assistant Art Director
Mitchell Dauterive
Production Supervisor
Kristian Eek
Production Assistant
Paul Stanwyck
Lead Scenic Artist
Riki Otaki
Personal Assistant
Lynley Schollum
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Sharlene Heys
Assistant Location Manager
Marc Siegel
Production Assistant
Emil Richards
Musical Performer
Kevin MacCarthy
Storyboard Artist
John Markovich
Set Dresser
Lincoln Kupchak
Visual Effects Editor
Stacy Parker
Assistant Production Coordinator
Damien Kwockson
Dolly Grip
Nathan Wipatene
Swing Gang
Takayuki Mizoguchi
Costumes Assistant
Michiko Inoue
Assistant Properties
Eric Napier
Assistant Location Manager
Lance McCrae
Assistant Location Manager
Lisa Matsukawa
Production Coordinator
Slamm Andrews
Recording
Eileen Gopperth
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Allen Kupetsky
Second Assistant Director
Joseph Pinkos
Set Dresser
William Acedo
Set Dresser
Phred Palmer
Buyer
Richard Riwaka
Assistant Location Manager
Luis Olivares
Video Assist
Mikey Svitak
Set Production Assistant
John Roesch
Foley Artist
Orion Archung
Craft Service/Catering
Oscar Delgadillo
Set Dresser
Tommy Klines
Steadicam Operator
Yoko Ishikawa
Hair Styles
Heather Moses
Assistant Production Coordinator
Josh Gummersall
Personal Assistant
Kay Kimura
Art Department Coordinator
Todd Zongker
First Assistant Avid Editor
Victor Shelehov
Dolly Grip
Graeme Sang
Swing Gang
Nicole Abellera
Casting Assistant
George Macri
Visual Effects Producer
Carol Pershing
Hair Styles
Victor Ennis
First Assistant Sound Editor
Cynthia Thornton
Associate Editor
Lisa Ozanne
Set Dresser
Rachel Musprave
Craft Service/Catering
Melvin Mete
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Ollie Chadwick
Assistant Location Manager
Steve Erdody
Musical Performer
Martha Fein
Prosthetic Makeup Effects
Miwako Morita
Production Assistant
Jed Hooker
Leadman
Phillip Shaw
Production Assistant
Sophia Cook
Costumes Assistant
Kim Taylor Coleman
Casting Associate
Terry Fraser
Key Grip
Yoshiko Suzuki
Assistant Makeup
Anne Bruening
Production Supervisor
Randa Squillacote
Hair Styles
Bridget Brewer
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Craig Argent
Hair Styles
Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan
Second Assistant Camera
Christopher Glass
Storyboard Artist
Paul Flinchbaugh
Assistant Sound Editor
Alan Rankin
Sound Editor
Jamie Boyce
Set Dresser
Mari Imagawa
Set Medic/First Aid
Zoltan Elek
Makeup
Mark Stoeckinger
Supervising Sound Editor
Will Waru
Set Production Assistant
Neil Greenberg
Visual Effects Editor
Caitlin McKenna
ADR Editor
Charlene Amateau
Costumes Supervisor
Emi Fukuda
Production Secretary
Kenny Myers
Key Make-up
Brett McDowell
Dolly Grip
Marc Streitenfeld
Music Editor
Graham J. Larson
Post Production Supervisor
George Marino
Assistant Location Manager
Jeff Wexler
Production Sound Mixer
Michael Krehl
Makeup
Eddie Thorne
Third Assistant Director
Kazumasa Hayakawa
Assistant Location Manager
Kinu McCarthy
Set Medic/First Aid
Lindsay Tapp
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Romulo Adreano Jr.
Visual Effects Producer
Mo Henry
Negative Cutter
Nicky Laguna
Production Assistant
Tomofumi Nishida
Set Dresser
Tom Boland
Visual Effects Producer
Jenny Hicks
Assistant Editor
Sala Baker
Assistant Location Manager
Karen Kemsley
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Madoka Mori
Set Medic/First Aid
Trevor Rudolph
Set Dresser
Alison Haskovec
Personal Assistant
Giacomo Iovino
Model Effects
Ullric Raymond
Second Assistant Camera
Mari-An Ceo
Key Costumer
Shikiho Yanagida
Production Assistant
David James
Still Photographer
Fred Selden
Musical Performer
Brian Hulse
Assistant Location Manager
Dolores Clay
Musical Performer
Parker Swanson
Assistant Properties
Gunner Ashford
Armorer
Kelly Oxford
ADR Editor
Martha Johnston
Assistant Art Director
Nerses Gezalyan
Foley Mixer
Stacy Solomon
Production Assistant
Ted Haigh
Graphic Design
David Ziek
Assistant Editor
Yoshiko Yanase
Set Medic/First Aid
Andy Nelson
Re-Recording Mixer
Brendan Treacy
Leadman
Arwen Munro
Production Coordinator
Kyoko Kageyama
Production Supervisor
Pierre Gonzalez
Set Dresser
Paula Carswell
Greensman
Troy Putney
Personal Assistant
Emily Wallin
Visual Effects Editor
Tracey Vickers
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Alexandra Bain
Swing Gang
Alan Halcombe
Assistant Location Manager
Benjamin Hale
Musical Performer
Peter A. Ramsey
Storyboard Artist
David Topping
Swing Gang
Cindy Kahu
Production Secretary
Jim Samson
Set Dresser
Doug Katau
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Jeffrey Shortt
Greensman
Brock Helfer
Set Dresser
Duncan McNaughton
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Gary Capo
Second Unit Director
Roy Irwin
Set Medic/First Aid
Wok O'Keeffe
Assistant Location Manager
Neil Testa
Swing Gang
Masayuki Tamura
Assistant Properties
Nigel Nally
Set Production Assistant
Tim Crosbie
Visual Effects Supervisor
Byron Connew
Swing Gang
Cesar Angebaldo
Transportation Captain
Izumi Satoh
Costumes Assistant
Jasmin Vette
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Rosie Miles
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Casi Heath
Set Dresser
Del Spiva
Assistant Music Editor
Robert Deschane
ADR Mixer
Mayda Renizzi-Holt
First Assistant Accountant
Kazunori Makiguchi
Assistant Properties
Naoki Noda
Camera Loader
Ayako Nakayama
Set Medic/First Aid
Craig Eastman
Musical Performer
Lil Heyman
Production Coordinator
Edward Licht
Second Second Assistant Director
Graham Dolan
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Lyena Nomura
Set Production Assistant
Lyena Nomura
Translator
Ray Quinlan
Unit Production Manager
Mariann Lee
Extra Casting
Neena Rae
Assistant Location Manager
Alexandria Forster
Costumes Supervisor
Josh Breslow
Post Production Assistant
Christopher Toll
First Assistant Camera
Christopher Toll
Production Assistant
Don Coufal
Boom Operator
Jennifer Barrons
Hair Styles
Jennifer Barrons
Makeup
Jock Fyfe
Second Assistant Camera
Randy Woodside
Chief Lighting Technician
Wonder Fortune Serra
Personal Assistant
June Kuramoto
Musical Performer
Nobuhiro Wakabayashi
Second Assistant Camera
Al Laverde
Key Grip
Jessica Franks
Set Production Assistant
Minori James
Production Assistant
Yukihisa Takagaki
Assistant Location Manager
Anna Behlmer
Re-Recording Mixer
Jeffrey White
Visual Effects Producer
Gunner Clancy
Personal Assistant
Deirdre McKessar
Buyer
Lisa Vick
Script Supervisor
Kathy Lucas
Assistant Set Decorator
Cedar McClure
Art Department Coordinator
Geoff Ellis
Assistant Properties
Josh Ernstrom
Set Production Assistant
Terry Baliel
Key Hairstylist
Janis McEwan
Costumes Supervisor
Duncan Jarman
Model Effects
Seiji Honjo
Set Dresser
Bob Beher
Foley Editor
Lois Burwell
Department Head Makeup
Dave Degaetano
Construction Coordinator
Kathleen Rosen
Buyer
Peter McCaffrey
Steadicam Operator
Mike McGregor
Assistant Location Manager
Charles B. Mulvehill
Unit Production Manager
Jeff Pelton
Second Assistant Camera
Kirsty Fromont
Assistant Location Manager
Murray Hartley
Greensman
Basil McGahan
Greensman
James Morriana
Foley Artist
Jacquilyn Penn
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Vic Cuccia
Transportation Captain
Kami Calevro
First Assistant Accountant
Rachel Bracegirdle
Assistant Location Manager
Geoff Pattison
Post Production Coordinator
Jill Soper
Assistant Production Coordinator
Rin Takada
Cable Person
Ryan Quinlan
Set Production Assistant
Tov Belling
First Assistant Camera
Tulsi Cullen
Costumes Assistant
Bruce Tannis
Sound Editor
Jiro Koga
Assistant Art Director
Steven Brennan
Set Dresser
Clayton White
Assistant Location Manager
Michelle Pazer
ADR Editor
George Tsukahira
Technical Advisor
Alan Meyerson
Recording
Sharon Ninness
Assistant Location Manager
Erin Cressida Wilson
Set Production Assistant
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