Great Samurai Movie--- 8/10

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2003)

I am probably gonna have dreams of being in Japan's beautiful countryside, practicing sword skills and drinking sake after watching this movie. It is a very interesting film, not only because of it's incredible battle scenes, but it's look into old Japanese culture and it's focus on the violent civil war between a modernizing government and rebellious samurai. I don't know too much about that time, but the writers didn't seem to put anything in the movie that was historically inaccurate or too "Hollywood". The cast did an amazing job as well. Tom Cruise gives the best performance i have seen him in, but in my opinion, Ken Watanabe steals the show. He is the lead samurai who takes Algren (Cruise) prisoner in a samurai village. I think he deserves the Best Supporting Oscar, or, at the very least, a nomination. Koyuki is a beautiful woman who hosts Algren in her home at the asking of Wanatabe. She brings a peace and beauty to a place that is ravaged by war. The pace sags here and there, but the action and performances more then make up for it. 8/10