Search - The Last Samurai [Letterbox] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, War Violence Movie Release: 2003 DVD Release: 05/04/2004 Format: DVD - Letterbox for TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 34 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Total Copies: 175 Genres: Drama, Period Film, Historical Epic, Samurai Film See Also: The Last Samurai [Fullscreen], The Last Samurai [HD DVD], The Last Samurai [Blu-ray], The Last Samurai [Widescreen]

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, All Movie Guide

Tom Cruise - Nathan Algren
Timothy Spall - Simon Graham
Ken Watanabe - Katsumoto
Billy Connolly - Zebulon Gant
Tony Goldwyn - Colonel Benjamin Bagley
Hiroyuki Sanada - Ujio
Koyuki - Taka

From director Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall), The Last Samurai is the 19th-century tale of a U.S. Civil War soldier played by Tom Cruise who is contracted to train an army for the Japanese government. Also starring Ken Watanabe, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards and is featured here in a loaded two-disc DVD package. The widescreen anamorphic transfer is complimented by a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack with available subtitles in English, Spanish, and French. Additionally, the original English soundtrack is included in Dolby Digital Stereo and there is a dubbed French track in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Along with the film, the first disc features a running audio commentary track by Zwick. The second disc is packed with a wealth of additional material that essentially covers every aspect of the film's production. History vs. Hollywood: The Last Samurai is a documentary that originally aired on The History Channel, while "Edward Zwick: Director's Video Journal" takes viewers behind the scenes through the eyes of the director and includes narration by both Zwick and Cruise. Other featurettes delve into such topics as production design, costume design, the weapons featured, and the memorable beheading scene. Rounding out disc two is footage from the film's Japanese premieres, a collection of deleted scenes, and the original theatrical trailer. A full-screen edition with the same features is also available. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide