This week, Cruise shoots for Oscar recognition in Edward Zwick’s 2003 historical drama The Last Samurai. Is this an overlooked classic? How does it stand with the other historical epics of the 2000s? Has anyone ever been better than Ken Watanabe?

Content warning: violence, suicide, racism

Unanswered Questions:

• Is this a white savior story?
  
  
• Who is — or are — the last Samurai?
  
  
• Should the movie be longer?
  

Further reading:

• Gladiator (2000)
  
  
• The Sakoku Period
  
  
• Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
  
  
• The Line Of Action
  
  
• The Last Star In Hollywood Definitive List Of Tom Cruise Films
  
  
• The Last Star In Hollywood: Production Schedule
  

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Join us next time for Michael Mann’s hitman drama, Collateral!

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