LAST SAMURAI, THE 205
Production
Filming of The Last Samurai took place over a seven- month period (10 Octo-
ber 2002–9 May 2003) in the United States, Japan, and New Zealand. The open-
ing scene, set in San Francisco, when Algren walks past cable cars, was actually
filmed on the “New York Street” set in the Warner Bros. Studios backlot in Bur-
bank, with the view of the bay added digitally. Another early scene, where Nathan
Algren is introduced to Omura, was filmed in the Moorish Room of the Castle
Green Restaurant in Pasadena, California. Scenes at Katsumoto’s temple were filmed
at Sho- sha- zan Engyo-ji Temple in Himeji City, about 30 miles west of Kobe, Japan.
Scenes supposedly taking place at the Imperial Palace of the Emperor Meiji in Tokyo
were actually shot at the 400- year- old Chion- In Temple in Kyoto. The rest of the
film was shot in the Taranaki region on New Zealand’s North Island, a location
chosen because Mount Taranaki resembles Mount Fuji, also because of copious
forest and farmland resembling pre- industrial Japan. Much of the filming took place
on the hillsides of the Uruti Valley, where Katsumoto’s village was constructed.
The port where Algren arrives in “Japan” was a set built at New Plymouth, New
Zealand, and the parade ground where Algren trains the Imperial Army conscripts
is at the Pukekura Sports Ground, also in New Plymouth. The “ battle in the fog”
was filmed in Mangamahoe Forest, just outside town. As is his custom, Tom Cruise
did his own stunts for the film. Supporting actor Ken Watanabe also trained
intensely and performed most of his stunts. Over 500 Japa nese extras trained for
10 days at the Clifton Rugby Grounds in New Plymouth for the climactic battle
scenes. Oscar- winning New Zealand costume designer Ngila Dickson and her
80- member team created the Meiji- era costumes, which included military uniforms
and period dress for the American Indian wars, over 250 sets of samurai armor,
and traditional dress for Japa nese rural village life and street scenes.
Plot Summary
Former U.S. Army 7th Cavalry Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is a morose
alcoholic haunted by his participation in an Army massacre of Native American
men, women, and children at Washita River in the Oklahoma territory during the
American Indian Wars. After being fired from his job selling Winchester rifles,
Algren is approached by his former commanding officer, Col. Bagley (Tony Gold-
wyn), with a job offer: to train the newly formed Imperial Japa nese Army for
Japa nese businessman Omura (Masato Harada), who requires an army to sup-
press a samurai- led insurrection against Japan’s new emperor. Despite loathing
Bagley for his role in the Washita River massacre, Algren needs employment, so
he takes the new assignment and sails to Japan, accompanied by his old friend,
Sgt. Zebulon Gant (Billy Connolly). Upon arriving in Japan, Algren meets Simon
Graham (Timothy Spall), a British translator and samurai expert. Algren soon
discovers that the Imperial soldiers are not well trained and are instead conscripts
with no knowledge of firearms. Before he can adequately train his men, Algren
is told that samurai are staging an assault on one of Omura’s railroads. Omura sends
the army there, despite Algren’s protests. The battle quickly turns into a rout when
the conscripts panic and Gant is killed. Algren kills at least eight samurai warriors