The 2003 Tom Cruise movie The Last Samurai was a beautifully-filmed epic that rolled out the white savior trope too heavily (however unsuccessfully) for a portion of the American audience, although Japan was more forgiving. It was loosely based on a true story, but the reasons behind why the samurai class ended are much more complicated than shown in the film. The movie was a box-office hit, and was nominated for several awards. You may want to learn more about what went into the making of The Last Samurai.
10. Tom Cruise prepared himself for two years.
He studied the Japanese language, customs, and trained in sword-fighting to prepare for the role.
8. The words ‘ the last samurai’ actually refers to Katsumoto’s clan.
Many people think the title refers to Algren or Katsumoto, but in reality the title is referencing Katsumoto’s clan as the last of their kind.
Read more about The Last Samurai at TVOM.