One of those films that deserved better

Rating: 9/10 (28 September 2004)

To see The Last Samurai slip into oblivion is quite a joke. Hollywood's hatred toward Tom Cruise came to a head with this film. I'm not saying Tom Cruise is a great actor, but to deny him in a film where he certainly earned some accolades is a disgrace.
First of all, The Last Samurai is formulaic, which means all of the other elements involved in making a film must be tight and perfected. The music, the cinematography and the acting all fell into place, giving the film a certain richness that helped set it apart from the multitude of films that precluded it. The Last Samurai was much better than Cold Mountain or Master and Commander, which to say many people were turned off by the idea of Cruise leading a serious ensemble without explosions and car chases to back up his dialogue. Give the man some credit where it is due. Every dog has his day, and this was certainly it.
The first time I watched this film, I was surprised by the amount of talent that went into making this film. John Toll (director of photography), Ed Zwick, and Hans Zimmer all layed their signature groundwork, making this a memorable film. In the annals of remembrance, The Last Samurai will certainly have better staying power than Master and Commander or Cold Mountain, and it will just become another one of those "should-of-beens."