The Last Samurai DVD 2003 Az utolsó szamuráj / Directed by Edward Zwick / Starring: Tom Cruise, Timothy Spall, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly

UPC 5996514004403

MADE IN Hungary

REGION 2 PAL DVD

AUDIO: English 5.1, Hungarian 5.1

SUBTITLES: Hungarian, English

TOTAL RUNTIME: 148 MINUTES

English Summary:

Former US Army Captain Nathan Algren, a bitter alcoholic traumatized by the atrocities he committed during the American Indian Wars, is approached by his former commanding officer Colonel Bagley to train the newly created Imperial Japanese Army for a forward-thinking Japanese businessman Omura, who intends to use the army to suppress a Samurai-headed rebellion against Japan's new emperor. Despite his hatred of Bagley for his role in the Indian Wars, an impoverished Algren takes the job for the money, and is accompanied to Japan by his old friend, Sergeant Zebulon Gant. Upon arriving, Algren meets Simon Graham, a British translator knowledgeable about the samurai.

Algren finds the Imperial soldiers are actually conscripted peasants that have no knowledge of firearms or battle. Early in their training, Algren is informed that the samurai are attacking one of Omura's railroads; Omura sends the army there, despite Algren's protests that they are not ready. The battle is a disaster; the undisciplined conscripts are routed and Gant is killed. Algren fights to the last before he is surrounded; expecting to die, he is taken prisoner when samurai leader Katsumoto decides to spare him. Algren is taken to Katsumoto's village to live among his family. While he is poorly treated at first, he eventually gains the samurai's respect and actually becomes friends with Katsumoto. Algren overcomes his alcoholism and guilt, and learns the Japanese language and culture. He develops sympathy for the samurai, who are upset that the pace of modern technology has eroded the traditions of their society. Algren and Taka, Katsumoto's sister and the widow of a samurai killed by Algren, develop an unspoken affection for each other.

Hungarian Summary:

A polgárháborúnak vége. Az egykori hős, Nathan Algren nem találja a helyét a békés, egyre praktikusabb országban. A vakmerőség, az önfeláldozás, a hűség - az ő legszebb katonaerényei - itt már értéktelenné váltak. Egy egész világnyira tőle egy másik katona is úgy érzi, kicsúszik alóla a talaj: Katsumoto, az utolsó szamurájcsapat vezetője is idegenként mozog a változó új világban. De ő nem adja fel harc nélkül. Kettejük útjai akkor keresztezik egymást, amikor a fiatal, Amerika-barát császár modern hadseregébe kiképzőtisztnek szerződteti Algrent. A messziről jött katonát lenyűgözik a szamurájok: saját világát látja tükröződni bennük. És ott találja magát egy elsöprő, nagy háború örvényében, melyben két világ, két korszak, két hadsereg csap össze...

Cast / Szereplők:

• Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren, a Civil War and Indian Wars veteran haunted by the massacre of Native American civilians at the Washita River. Algren was born in the United Kingdom but is a naturalized American. Following a dismissal from his job, he agrees to help the new Meiji Restoration government train its first Western-style conscript army for a hefty sum. During the army's first battle he is captured by the samurai Katsumoto and taken to the village of Katsumoto's son, where he soon becomes intrigued with the way of the samurai and decides to join them in their cause. His journal entries reveal his impressions about traditional Japanese culture, which almost immediately evolves to admiration.
• Ken Watanabe as Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu, a warrior-poet who was once Emperor Meiji's most trusted teacher. He is displeased with Mr. Omura's bureaucratic reform policies which leads him into organizing a revolt against the Imperial Army. Katsumoto is based on real life samurai Saigō Takamori.
• Koyuki Kato as Taka, wife of a samurai slain by Nathan Algren, sister of Lord Katsumoto
• Shin Koyamada as Nobutada, Katsumoto's son who is lord of the village in which the Samurai are encamped. Nobutada befriends Algren. Katsumoto, the samurai lord, advises Nobutada to teach Algren in the Japanese way – Japanese culture and Japanese language.
• Tony Goldwyn as Colonel Bagley, Nathan Algren's commanding officer in the 7th Cavalry Regiment, who was to train the Imperial Army. Algren dislikes Bagley for his role in the Washita River massacre of the Native Americans that Algren cannot get over. Bagley is killed by Algren in the climactic battle when Algren throws his sword into his chest.
• Masato Harada as Mr. Omura, an industrialist and pro-reform politician who dislikes the old samurai and shogun-related lifestyle. He quickly imports westernization and modernization while making money for himself through his railroads. Coming from a merchant family that was like many repressed during the days of Samurai rule and the cause for his extreme dislike for their nobility, he assumes a great deal of power during the Meiji Restoration and takes advantages of Meiji's youth to become his chief advisor (wielding power similar to those of the Shoguns). His image is designed to evoke the image of Okubo Toshimichi, a leading reformer during the Meiji Restoration. Masato Harada noted that he was deeply interested in joining the film after witnessing the construction of Emperor Meiji's conference room on sound stage 19 (where Humphrey Bogart had once acted) at Warner Brothers studios.^{[citation needed]}
• Shichinosuke Nakamura as Emperor Meiji: Credited with the implementation of the 1868 Meiji Restoration, the Emperor is eager to import Western ideas and practices to modernize and empower Japan to become a strong nation. His appearance bears a strong resemblance to Emperor Meiji during the 1860s rather than during the 1870s, when The Last Samurai takes place.
• Hiroyuki Sanada as Ujio, one of the most dedicated, loyal and fierce samurai under Katsumoto. He teaches Algren the art of Samurai sword fighting, none too gently but eventually grows to respect him. He is one of the remaining samurai to die in the final charge in the last battle.
• Timothy Spall as Simon Graham, a British interpreter for Captain Algren and his non-English speaking soldiers. Initially portrayed as a typical practical-minded Englishman, he later comes to understand the samurai cause.
• Seizo Fukumoto as Silent Samurai, an elderly man assigned to follow Algren (who later calls the samurai "Bob") as he travels through the village. Ultimately, the samurai saves Algren's life (and speaking for the first and only time, "Algren-san!") by taking a fatal bullet for him.
• Billy Connolly as Zebulon Gant, an ex-soldier who served with and is loyal to Algren, talked him into coming to Japan. He, along with Algren, train the imperial army before confronting the samurai. He is later killed in the opening battle by Hirotaro (Taka's husband).
• Shun Sugata as Nakao, a tall jujutsu and naginata-skilled samurai, who takes part in Katsumoto's rescue, and is later killed in the final battle.