*THE LAST SAMURAI* broke me (lots of tears)

OPEN ME FOR THE THINGS!!
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Original Movie: The Last Samurai
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[@dumbguy1]

Theres more significance to Kastumoto saying "They are all prefect" at the end. It actually calls back to earlier in the film when he said we was having trouble writing the last line of his poem. "The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your whole life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life"...."They are all perfect"

[@BigDamnHero74]

Oh crap, I’m misting up again 🥺

[@saibhargav7526]

Thank you for this comment. I never realised this. I have a much bigger appreciation for what is already my favourite movie.

[@dahlizz99]

Didn't everyone get that? Never even thought about it and I knew it

[@simon2344000]

I knew this threw back to the earlier scene, and always thought it was a nice line. I didn't realize this actual meaning until now though.

[@AngeloBarovierSD]

@@dahlizz99 Different things resonate with different people. "Allah loves wondrous variety."

[@ieyke]

"Are these samurai but all in black?" - Natalie looking at the most stereotypical ninja that ever ninjaed

[@italianwaffle5592]

My thoughts lmao. His name could’ve been N.I Nja and I wouldn’t have batted an eye.

[@jacob4920]

When she called him a Samurai, I literally had to turn my head to spew my drink across the room! I'm not nearly Japanese, but even I couldn't believe the magnitude of that wrongness. lol

[@warr666pigg]

@@jacob4920 Well she might not be wrong, many "ninjas" were in fact samurai.

[@banonKING]

I know! I was like... "How can you not know what a ninja is?!"

[@SaiyanHeretic]

@@warr666pigg Actually, no. Ninja were mercenaries and typically peasant caste. Their weapons were derived from farming implements -- even their swords were cheaply made and mass produced, compared to the master craftsmanship of a samurai's. Ninja tactics and the sort of missions they undertook were considered dishonorable behavior and thus forbidden under bushido, the samurai code. The misconception of ninja also being samurai is a conflation of Westerners not bothering to understand the intricacies of Japanese history and culture. Gaijin Goombah's Which Ninja series is actually a good primer for American fans of anime and video games because Japanese history and culture is literally his area of expertise.

[@robertmolton6761]

This was one of my dad's favorite movies and when he passed about 3 years ago my last words to him I said was "I will miss our conversations". So that line hits especially hard now.

[@user-vc5rp7nf8f]

that's sad and sweet

[@AnthonyTyger]

Well... I'm crying NOW!

[@maggieliu6427]

This is an instant tear up…

[@Gnossiene369]

You couldn’t make up your last words to him yourself? Hope he wasn’t bummed out you repeated a line from a movie… instead of giving him something you made.

[@LastRenegade]

@@Gnossiene369 Or maybe he appreciated that he relayed something the two of them shared, that meant something to him? How low do you have to be to attack someone for the last words they said to their loved one because they weren't fucking original enough for you?

[@thedoctor4327]

“He can’t die he’s Tom Cruise” Well now you have to watch Edge of Tomorrow 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@italianwaffle5592]

You’d think that’s a spoiler having not watched the movie lmao but it’s not.

[@StreetHierarchy]

He can't die, he's Bill Murray!

[@webx135]

@@italianwaffle5592 Right? Like "Live Die Repeat" is even part of the title.

[@realghoststories1210]

Love to see her react to that movie.

[@roelven1282]

yeah only shame he didnt really die ;)

[@Alex.Graystar]

Nat: Rural Japan looks so beautiful. Me living down the road in Taranaki, New Zealand where it was filmed: Yes...yes it is.

[@mookiestewart3776]

Lol New Zealand is awesome but to be fair Japan has amazing places too

[@Outland9000]

lolz

[@MIZZKIE]

Me living in Japan: WHERE ARE ALL THE TREES!!!???? To those of you who don't know, 70% of Japan is uninhabitable forested mountains. If it's 70% uninhabitable today, guess how much nature there was back in those times. That kind of wide open space is VERY hard to find in Japan, and NEVER in a mountain. Even the forest scenes at the beginning of the movie has too much open space. (Yes, space is a luxury in this country.)

[@Alex.Graystar]

@@MIZZKIE still beautiful though.

[@jeremygilbert7989]

@@MIZZKIE It's actually over 80% mountains so even then you're lowballing it lol

[@shawnadams1460]

This is one of those movies that regardless of where in the movie it is, I will stop and watch. That final battle, Katsumoto's death, and him realizing that every blossom is perfect WRECKS guys like very few movies I have seen. It is beautiful and powerful at the same time. Great reaction Natalie, keep them coming!

[@singingwolf3929]

This, Forest Gump, Armageddon...hell, even the speech in Independence Day.

[@glamazon6172]

My appreciation for Tom as an actor and my complete loathing of Scientology is my internal Jihad.

[@David_randomnumber]

Glad I'm not the only one. It would make things much easier if Tom cruise had at least taken part in a few bad movies but he has a real talent to filter out bad jobs.

[@kevindarkstar]

I've never been able to understand how a clearly intelligent man like Tom is falls for an religion especially Scientology, it just beggers belief

[@HandleTakenlol]

Maybe he's acting

[@Diwwah]

@@kevindarkstar He enjoys great privileges there. Check out the Leah Remini interview with Joe Rogan.

[@ricksterdrummer2170]

“I’ll tell you how he lived.” is one of my favorite lines of cinema.

[@AxeGaijin]

It's right up there with Roy Baty's "Tears in rain" monologue from Blade Runner for me.

[@ragnarvolorus2925]

OMG Yes!!!!!! I friggen wept.... Wept!!!! not to mention them softening us up with Algren limping up to the dais, and refusing to do anything but bow and show his respect.

[@ChefNourhan]

Yess

[@LegendMagystik]

Also when Katsumoto is dying "They are all perfect" referring to what he says earlier in the movie about trying to find a perfect blossom

[@foilhattiest1]

Definitely beats "I'll tell you how he smelled".

[@feosu]

I remember seeing this in the theater in a college town. Dead silent at the end of the movie, everyone filed out in silence and you saw tears on nearly every face. This is storytelling, and movie making, at its best.

[@jacob4920]

And it gets so repeatedly forgotten about, that it's actually frustrating.

[@thel1195]

That was my experience. I was one of the wet faces.

[@ragnarvolorus2925]

totally agree, and confirmed by the clueless critics who panned it. Good rule of thumb. When critics destroy a movie, its probably going to be amazing.

[@jacob4920]

@@ragnarvolorus2925 Never more true than this past year, when politics were so brazenly flung at us, that the media sung every movie's praises, regardless of how actually terrible the film was, because that's what the political media wanted us all to experience. Luckily, they're only just now coming to realize that audiences are not that stupid.

[@ragnarvolorus2925]

@@jacob4920 Dang, you nailed that one too.... I gave up on Oscar noms a while ago, but this past year, as you aptly pointed out was just completely tone deaf......Weve been cooped up for 18 months and all you go ahead and praise and reward some of the most depressing tripe available? and the 2020 noms actually had a movie called Parasite if i remember correctly.

[@OutlawOfTexas]

“I’m Natalie and today we’re going to be watching the last samurai” Me: “so you’ve chosen tears”

[@marcochavezjr9180]

Hahaha So sick of "So you chosen death", but this one is actually really funny.

[@user-vc5rp7nf8f]

she didn't cry that much

[@singingwolf3929]

FACTS!

[@Stubbies2003]

Very nice LOTR tie in there.

[@TizzmantineUK]

​@user-vc5rp7nf8f we watched the same video right? 😂

[@ihoiashdoifosdj8327]

I really love Tom Cruise's acting in the beginning. You can see how much he was longing for death and seeing his disappointment when the untrained soldier missed his shot. Hans Zimmer's scores are always great. :)

[@kevinedie4119]

PS "Is that guy Irish?" That's Billy Connelly Scottish LEGEND!!!!!

[@jacob4920]

Ah... So he's ALMOST Irish. lol

[@djlow9915]

The Big Yin 😊

[@BenWillyums]

It's his peninsula

[@arghanothername]

With surprisingly little profanity

[@johnfriday5169]

He plays Irish well...Boondock Saints

[@lindleyfrancis4034]

Katsumoto is a devout Zen Buddhist. As he is dying he sees the flowers in the tree and he suddenly realises that all flowers are perfect. This references the discussion he had with Algren in the garden after the Ninja attack. When Katsumoto realises that all flowers are perfect it means that as a Buddhist he has just achieved Enlightenment, which is the goal of Buddhism. I find this sad since this happens at the moment of his death. Buddhist would believe that Katsumoto has achieved Nirvana after death.

[@jbrisby]

I worked in a factory that was mostly Asians for five years, and believe me, it was a nightmare. They were the most passive people I've ever seen, and they didn't give a fuck if the products were coming out wrong or right. Knowing that Buddhists think "everything is perfect" actually explains a lot. But it doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't buy a radio that was made by a Buddhist.

[@lindleyfrancis4034]

@@jbrisby Buddhists don't believe that everything is perfect. They try to perfect themselves. How does your experience in one factory colour your perspective of an entire religion? Remember, just because someone is Asian doesn't mean that they are Buddhist.

[@lindleyfrancis4034]

@@jbrisby Incidentally, when you say that they were very passive it sounds to me like they practice Taoism not Buddhism.

[@i_love_rescue_animals]

@@jbrisby You are so far off, I don't even know where to start. But Buddhists don't believe that everything is perfect. I'll just leave it at that. Also, all Asians are not Buddhist.

[@alalalala57]

@@jbrisby You have not reached enlightenment.

[@marcgardner9865]

“Tell me how he died”. “I will tell you how he lived”. Such a powerful and humbling exchange of dialogue.

[@saltyk2795]

I was watching this with some buddies, years ago. One of them joked that Taka and Algren should've had sex. I said, "They did." I don't think he got it, and I don't think I explained it well at the time. But that bit when she dresses him for battle remains one of the most intimate and satisfying love/"sex" scenes in any movie I've seen. Such depth and subtlety. This film is fantastic.

[@thomasjuniardi3559]

Glad westerner understand this, they basically already married. It's hard to explain this, but for asian women helping a man to get dressed are a symbol of acceptance that this man are her partner/husband... sorry for my bad English 😁

[@saltyk2795]

@@thomasjuniardi3559 Thank you for your Eastern perspective. It was easy to understand you, too. You've got 90% of it, already. Good job. :) Do you study English in a formal setting?

[@CrazeeAdam]

Yeah. Like first. Rude by your friends. And yeah second they were super intimate before battle. They were together pretty much. And she learned to love him when he helped her children with the passing of their actual dad. :( very strong romance vibes in the latter part of the movie between Taka and Nathan

[@2b0n02b]

Kingdom of Heaven director's cut might be a good one for you to watch. Also, Master and Commander. Two very underrated films.

[@blong217]

Master and Commander is fucking amazin g. Just pure history buff porn.

[@peterireland4344]

Strong agree with both. Must be director's cut for KOH though.

[@promnightdumpsterbaby9553]

The charge of the couple dozen knights in the battle of karak was epic. Were i to go in such a way,i could die happy.

[@Antycarr]

Couldn't agree more!

[@Jaasau]

Yes. Very good suggestions. It HAS to be the directors cut of Kingdom of Heaven, though.

[@Tyrconnell]

Hello from Japan. Despite inaccuracies and artistic liberties, this film is well regarded here. I do recommend you read up on the real person and events it is based on, Saigo Takamori and the Satsuma Rebellion. While events and characters are very different the film conjures up the themes and conflict very well. If you go down in the old Satsuma lands in Kyushu statues and monuments to Takamori are everywhere (he did not look much like Ken Watanabe!) There's also a very famous statue of him and his dog here in Tokyo. One disappointment for you is that they filmed in New Zealand. It's very difficult to film in Japan and get away from showing any urban development these days. It's actually some period urban material that was shot in Japan, in Kyoto and Himeji (plus some studio sets in Burbank). They did take a lot of great Japanese actors out to New Zealand though and cultivated the land to make it look as Japanese as possible.

[@markplott4820]

the NHK Drama telling the same Story was Superior.

[@Drforrester31]

Reading about the movie on Wikipedia I saw it still has like the 13th biggest box office in Japan's history, which I was very surprised by. That's super cool though

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

Do you know the Sabaton song Shiroyama?

[@Tyrconnell]

@@markplott4820 The 2018 one? I haven't seen it. I know Kan Watanabe is in it, though playing Nariakira Shimazu. Maybe I should take a look.

[@markplott4820]

@@Tyrconnell - no, I saw an Earlier one in 2010, Saturday Drama series by NHK on Tokyo TV in SF market.

[@teacherseb5782]

"They're all perfect," the last words of Katsumoto is the last line of his poem. Remember the scene in the snow under the Sakura tree? He was composing a poem. And when Nathan went to him in prison, and said, "How's your poem going?" The samurai love their poem. They even have death poems.

[@Eidlones]

The transition from essentially feudal japan to the "modern era" was insanely fast, in cultural terms. Like within the span of 30 years. It's kind of shocking the country was able to handle it as well as they did.

[@mookiestewart3776]

Japan is an amazing country Ann’s the Japanese are amazing people , their culture is really something incredible

[@Native_Creation]

But guns (and trade with European powers) were a part of Feudal Japan for hundreds of years, things happened so quickly because the power was centralized.

[@Eidlones]

@@Native_Creation They were a part, but not all that widespread. It was a complete social transformation, not just "oh they have guns and trade now". It was how the countty functioned, and how societal roles drastically changed. That kind of rapid change can be incredibly destructive for a group of people. Especially when it's being forced on a country as a whole, and not come to through the countries own societal growth.

[@phueal]

@@Eidlones this is so true, and in fact we see it so often in the present day, when a revolution with the best of intentions (the various rebellions in the Arab Spring for example) turns into a huge disappointment because the country can't adapt in time. Likewise countries with weak social institutions can have a very hard time implementing things like an impartial judicial system and the rule of law, if that country doesn't already have a democratic tradition. I also think it's amazing to ponder, during this film, whether the samurai are the heroes they're portrayed as. After all, while the country was modernising and democratising, they were essentially fighting to maintain the autocratic feudal system.

[@ohauss]

@@Eidlones Well, it did throw the country into civil war. And if you want to compare with Europe, there was pretty much constant war somewhere, so social upheaval was a regular occurence, and plenty of social change was also forced on countries from the outside (e.g. plenty a European body of laws was influenced by the Code Napoléon courtesy of Bonaparte's conquests).

[@garyv83]

"Inevitable Death Timer" Thank you Cameron, this is why I love your editing.

[@spextrekid9410]

only it was counting up instead of down, which was an odd choice.

[@lkjhoiuy97yjhgghfyrthgvjhguty]

@@spextrekid9410 it would kind of spoil the reveal by counting down

[@TheEverwritten]

I was just sitting here thinking "I hope Natalie Gold puts up a video today" little did I know she'd be reacting to one of MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME! Made my day.

[@SiNi5T3R]

Same and Same ^^

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

if you liked this one, track down and watch "Uzumasa Limelight" with Seizo Fukumoto (samurai Bob in Last Samurai).

[@QuickeMart]

Fun fact: The Last Samurai was filmed in and around my home town, New Plymouth, New Zealand. Tom Cruise, Billy Connolly and the other stars were always out and about in town. Tom Crusie went to see a movie at our local cinema and really wanted to sit in the back row and paid everyone in the back row to move forward a row so he and his body guards etc.. could share the back row. He was really good about it, not a jerk at all, talked to them all and had photos and stuff. And still gave them like $100 each or something. Timothy Spall lived in my girlfriend at the times house, the film company rented the house from them. Google Taranaki (and Mt. Taranaki) to see why they chose my little slice of paradise to film here. 😀 awesome reaction, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@Lucas-Stl]

4:30 Fun fact: The script for Tom for this scene ended with his line; “I will kill him!” The rest is pure improv and it actually scared the rifleman.

[@denvergray8943]

20 years later and I'm still in love with the score for this film, I listen to "A Small Measure of Peace" a few times a week at least. It really is just a beautiful movie, visually, auditorily, and emotionally.

[@glamazon6172]

I'm sorry, did you say 20 years? Surely you can't be corre-...Oh my god. 2003.

[@mookiestewart3776]

@@glamazon6172 lol feel old yet?

[@ADifferentVibe]

FYI: music is from Hans Zimmer. Another masterpiece.

[@ronnietornado396]

Hanz is in the masterpiece business. It’s all he knows.

[@Drforrester31]

For me and I'm sure lots of others Hans Zimmer really started to come to the mainstream with Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and Inception, but holy crap he was killing it for decades before then

[@RebeccaJoArt]

One of my absolute favorite soundtracks! Hans’ work is always amazing. 🖤

[@ragnarvolorus2925]

Holy shit!!! i never knew that...definitely something different then what im accustomed to..... Hans Zimmer is the Hans Zimmer of his time..lol

[@alphamorion4314]

His work is always the work of genious. But if I must be honest, I gotta admit that this specific one holds a special place in my heart, I hear his score for this film regularly to this day

[@epicmage82]

I think when he says perfect, he realizes that they always have been perfect. Kind of a taking things for granted lesson. In my opinion.

[@messagetotheuniverse]

This came out when I was in high school and in Japanese class, we watched it often and my Sensei loved it.

[@technopirate304]

The sergeant refusing to go to the rear is equally about his loyalty to Algren and to the men he is training. Army sergeants are often portrayed as though they are task masters but they are really teachers. Quite often they have the task of teaching those above and below them in rank. So the Japanese soldiers and Algren are his students. He didn’t want to leave them.

[@ragnarvolorus2925]

everyting falls inta place once dey know da lingo capn..... Love Gant.....i think its poetic that i think Uijo is the one that does him in.

[@keykiq]

"I will tell you how he lived" always break me

[@KeyserYT]

This is NOT a story of some “white savior” interposing himself onto another people. Solving their problems. This IS a story of how another culture saved a man from a distant land. How IT gave purpose to his pain, and taught him to find peace in the storm within, and beauty in the world without again. Nathan is NOT The Last Samurai. At the end of the movie, it is Katsumoto’s story Nathan recounts to the emperor, NOT his own. Also… Samurai is both singular and plural. It is more than possible, in fact it is likely, the title is in reference to not only Katsumoto, nor even the village of warriors who fought and died for him, but an entire way of life. -Credit to CallMeCrow for this comment

[@LukaBlight69]

This! 100% this.

[@jamesjoseph1249]

I've never liked how people label this movie a "white savior" film. Nathan isn't the hero. Katsumoto is the man who turns Nathan's life around and inspires the emperor enough to drastically change his leadership. Nathan is simply the lens that the audience sees the story told through.

[@KeyserYT]

@@jamesjoseph1249 Exactly right brother

[@aelix56]

@@jamesjoseph1249 I just hate the term in general, should we call black panther a "black savior" film? Sounds disgustingly racist and belittling.

[@tomservo5007]

“white savior” , it's based on true events, except the white guy wasn't from America, he was from France

[@andreamagana4757]

“A small measure of peace” might just be my favorite piece in movie score history. Hans Zimmer has done a brilliant job with so many other scores, but his work here just hits different.

[@sahityabk]

First saw this some 7 or 8 years ago back in college and I just thought it was fine. Labeled it as Tom Cruise's attempt at an epic and sort of forgot about it. Watched it for the second time just recently all these years later and I was floored. I can't explain how many different emotions I was feeling from those last few shots of the film. Don't know how I missed all the deep themes and layers of the characters. The music is up there with my top five easily and have no idea how I missed that the first time either. Don't know why it hit me so hard all these years later. Probably cuz of watching it through a more mature lens now. God i freaking love this movie!🍿🎬 Next I would recommend Kingdom of Heaven (strictly director's cut only)

[@matthalaboo6694]

The same director also made Glory, which is my favorite film ever about the American Civil War and earned Denzel Washington his first Oscar. Worth checking out!

[@adarael]

Huh, I didn't know that, but that makes SO much sense.

[@duanevp]

Glory would definitely break her. It broke me.

[@adarael]

@@duanevp You ain't wrong. I recall seeing it when it came out, and DAMN.

[@k.delpino1124]

Legends of The Fall, Courage Under Fire. Incredible dramas.

[@CaptLoquaLacon]

One of my favourite directors. He might lack a sense of visual flair, but his material is usually incredibly thoughtful, and when he nails it (Glory, Blood Diamond) he is absolutely fantastic

[@briarus1000]

"i will tell you how he lived" hits me right in the secondhand lions

[@EssEll9791]

Bah!!! That's two! Right in the tender feels.

[@ell6323]

I LOVE how you go into movies you don't know anything about with no judgements

[@stpariah9609]

Always love your content! Keep up the great work.

[@WoodrowsRandomReviews]

The setting is beautiful, and it looks a lot like Japan, but it was actually filmed in New Zealand.

[@cameronburns1278]

"Rural Japan is so Beutiful" "Yeah....that would be New Zealand again"

[@schwann145]

Is it beautiful and outdoors? It's prob New Zealand. Doesn't matter what it looks like, lol

[@glamazon6172]

Is there anything that country can't do?!

[@juvandy]

@@glamazon6172 not the best place for deserts or tropical rainforests.

[@TomorrowWeLive]

@@juvandy Well we do have rainforests. Just not the tropical kind. I think we do have a patch or two of desert tucked away somewhere--used for the Mordor scenes in LotR.

[@miguelpestana314]

Ever since I saw NAT weep with Gladiator, I was expecting this one. Of course she's gonna cry and I m here for it

[@NickolaiVolkov]

The inevitable death timer had me in stitches!! XD Natalie, you are AWESOME!!

[@elserg80]

The parts where he is observing the samurai village are some of my favorite parts. The parts where he is admiring their dedication and discipline really make me miss something gone from our world, and the music makes it perfect.

[@tuschman168]

Oh no. I'mma cry again at the "they are all perfect" scene.

[@PaybackJack]

Saw this video pop up in my feed. Skipped right to the end to see the reaction. Line not shown...how?!?!

[@jacob4920]

@@PaybackJack You gotta pay to see the full reaction on Patreon. I don't, but I'm not going to tell anyone else not to. If I was made of just a little more money, I would pay for Natalie's reactions.

[@mgabbard]

That scene gets me too. Earlier in the film when Katsumoto says "The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life.". And then at the end says "They are all perfect" watching the blossoms fall - it's like he achieved an even higher level of clarity in those last moments. Supremely beautiful stuff!

[@jacob4920]

@@mgabbard Could also have been delusion. The mind does funny things to us when it's in the middle of dying. It's possible that, as he faded away, he convinced himself the blossoms were perfect. However, that doesn't change the absolute emotion of the moment. You, and he, both know he is going to die. That these Cherry blossoms are the last he will ever live to see. His line contains all of the emotion of someone who knows he is doomed, but refuses to go out crying about it. Instead, he focuses upon that one thing that he spent his entire life loving, and paints a picture of perfection of it, in his dying seconds. Wouldn't we all like to go out like that...

[@capitaokaede]

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" "What do you want for yourself?" One of my favorite films that I do not tire rewatching, historical accuracy be damned.

[@CaptLoquaLacon]

I'd love to see a film that deals with the French advisor that it is (loosely) based on

[@samuelvincent557]

My Father and I saw this shortly after it came out. He told me that this movie was, in his opinion, very similar to the book Shogun. Close enough that he felt it was deliberately taken from that book. I still need to go read it, one of these days.

[@TomorrowWeLive]

It's more historically accurate than most of the tripe that's made nowadays lol. They don't even pretend to care about historical accuracy anymore--just shit it out and call it a "reimagining" or whatever tripe they're using to justify their bs.

[@FullmetalOrk]

@@samuelvincent557 They made a shogun tv series too. KInd of old but pretty good.

[@samuelvincent557]

@@FullmetalOrk I started to watch it once, a REALLY long time ago, but I was too young to really understand or appreciate it. After I read the book, I may look it up again. Thanks for reminding me of it.

[@74gould]

I love this movie... For all his real life craziness, Tom Cruise is a pretty great actor, and I like most of his movies. P.S. I'd love to see you react to "Interview with the Vampire" - it's one of my all-time favorite Tom Cruise movies. (Maybe a good October/Halloween-y reaction?) :)

[@j0j01192]

Tom Cruise is a top tier actor! Most of his work is amazing and inspiring.

[@mrpk1719]

For me Tom Cruise best work was in Collateral.....that was a oscar winning acting it's a shame he didn't won.

[@StephCurtisC]

I haven’t even watch it yet and I’m just so happy you’ve gotten to this one, I’m expecting massive amounts of tears!

[@TheMrsmartass13]

Me and my family love this movie, all the Native American parts really connected with us, and helped us link the struggle of the Japanese people to ours, and the fact it showed how other cultures viewed us, wether if all they knew was legends or folk tales. I especially love the scene when Katsumoto reads Algrin's journal about his time with the plains tribes. Edit: it auto corrected Algrin's name.

[@BigDamnHero74]

I am of Native descent as well (OK Choctaw) and those scenes for me are still very emotional… 😔

[@5353Jumper]

And every American should know the history of Wounded Knee.

[@KS-xk2so]

It's a sad trend in history to see cultures that try to embrace harmony, peace, and reflection, destroyed by industrialized greed and selfish capitalism.

[@Sprayber]

@@KS-xk2so @K S the warlords in Japan were not a collection of Zen Buddhist who were into peace and tradition. Japan's history is as bloody as any other country and one of the driving forces in Japan's brutality during WW2 was notions of some glorious Samurai past. Take a look at Japanese history, you won't find lefties railing against capitalism. They were just as interested in power as the elites everywhere.

[@rume6951]

@@Sprayber That also goes for the American Indian tribes. Our history is littered with blood feuds, brutality, and yes slavery. And again no capitalism in sight.

[@Thom1212]

The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life... They are all...perfect...

[@markplott4820]

" too bad She wont live " - Gaff.

[@ramiabdo5953]

The music of the Last Samurai has become Legendary in today's movie and TV culture. I hear some of them in locally made documentaries in my country. Hans Zimmer divine touch can truly transform an amazing movie into a spiritual experience! Zimmer did create some great songs before this film, but I feel that the Last Samurai is where he made his debut as an epic/spiritual composer of music.

[@Kage521]

This is by far my favorite Tom Cruise movie it is just so well shot and everything about it is just beautiful.

[@tumbleheart4664]

Prediction: I think Nat is going to love this film.

[@AntoineLaillatOttavi]

Duh

[@jacob4920]

Everyone I know loves this film. This is probably one of the must excellent war movies ever made, yet it gets repeatedly buried under the staggering pile of "WWII" movies that keep getting made.

[@brandi3981]

even though "broke me (lots of tears)" is in the title!?

[@salmarwow]

Are you allowed not to love it?

[@brandonchang4685]

One of the best movies ever made, was waiting for her reaction to this one. So excited she went in cold turkey not knowing anything about it.

[@shirou_munakata]

Samurai's "Seppuku" is to express mutual dignity by praising the enemy who bravely fought and lost and giving death in honor. The final decapitation is mercy to end suffering early after embodying honor. After the seppuku and decapitation ritual, the body is politely buried. The execution method of the sinner is crucifixion or just beheading. Its neck is exposed to a prominent place. The fuselage digs a hole and throws it in.

[@tommywicks97]

My favourite movie of all time! So beautiful. Great choice on reviewing this one, very underrated and deserves more recognition.

[@erichb4530]

Thanks for watching this one Natalie, love it. I don't think anyone goes into a movie about samurai to be such a deep emotionally intense one. I liked your descriptions of the dead soldier's wife, you can see emotional conflict throughout the movie, usually with no dialog at all expressing it. Her emotional delivery was so effective, without being over the top or feeling exaggerated at all.

[@alanhilton3611]

This is actually based on a true story of a French officer called Jules brunet sent to Japan to train soldiers how to use modern weapons and tactics.zeb was played by the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly.

[@marcusfridh8489]

and it is also based on dances with wolves

[@k.delpino1124]

I've seen this so many times. It felt too real to be a fictional story. Like it was out of history. But I never knew it was really from something real.

[@halfknight6706]

@@marcusfridh8489 No.

[@chrismhp]

Hans Zimmer's score for this film is some of his most beautiful work. But people often seem to overlook it and it gets overshadowed by Pirates or Inception, Interstellar etc. He captures the beauty of Japan's culture, the power and heart of the Samurai, and the bittersweet melancholy of the story to perfection. I remember when I first watched it as a kid on DVD, I used a little cassette tape recorder to record the music of the end credits because I loved it so much. This film seems to have aged very well, given it's reliance on practical effects and real actors/stuntmen in all the battle scenes which look incredible. The relationship between Algren and Katsumoto is one of my favorite enemies-turned-friends in a film. Fun Fact: Zimmer signed a contract where he wasn't allowed to work on any other films during the production of Last Samurai. But then he was offered to score the first Pirates of the Caribbean. Since he couldn't legally work on the film, he spent 2 sleepless nights coming up with a 6 minute music demo for a different composer to build on. The demo of course has the main pirates melody we know of today.

[@chaospoet]

This is in my top 5 favorite movies of all time. I was working at a movie theater when this came out in 2003. I remember it bombed. Barely anyone came to see it. However EVERYONE who came out who did see it was in tears. What finally got me to see it on a day off was this old couple came to see it. The guy despite being a senior citizen had a look in his eye like he could kill me in an instant with no trouble. He goes on to tell me how he's interested to see how they portray war in this movie as he was a Korean War Vet and ever since the war he's been interested in what Hollywood directors, who've likely never seen a real weapon let alone battlefield, take on what war is like is? In short one tough son of a bitch. That guy was SOBBING and had to have two people on each side of him assist him out of the theater. I just remember staring in disbelief at my co-workers like "Even the war vets are leaving crying!" So I saw it. Left a fucking wreck. I've watched this SO many times since and I've yet to finish it once with dry eyes. That end battle when the Victors bow in respect to the fallen enemy gets me every single time.

[@PVTKR]

Wow!

[@whistler9788]

that scene where he’s yelling at the soldier to shoot him. You can tell how much he actually wants him too.

[@covalkir]

Yes. This ^^^ This broke me (still breaks me) when the scene plays. Nathan has wanted his pain to end, and sees this chance. He is proven right - and has to continue living - which is no reward.

[@darkphoenix2]

I don't think many people catch on to this. He sees it as a good way to demonstrate that they aren't ready - but he also doesn't care that there's a chance he will get hit and die.

[@k9commander]

@@darkphoenix2 Exactly. It's a win win scenario in his mind.

[@CrazeeAdam]

I believe he even whispers "do it you son of a..." So he wouldn't have to go through with eradicating another culture or fighting.

[@joshuaspinney3208]

Oh Nat. Watching all my favorite movies and crying right along with the parts that break me. ❤️

[@johansmallberries9874]

Gotta say.. shout out to Nats editor. You’ve really be perfecting your craft. Crash zooms, overlays, call backs.. good stuff!

[@ragnarvolorus2925]

Wow!!! I cant believe this was in your wheelhouse!!! So glad you gave it a go, one of my favorite movies.....especially since it was destroyed by critics

[@blackpowder99]

My favorite thing about watching these movies over again with Natalie Gold is she always gives such a great cinematic and directorial commentary, not only do I get emotional with her... I get to relive the movie while seeing it with fresh eyes.

[@kingscorpion7346]

another recommendation for a story like this: Dances With Wolves. the guys all dressed in black that attacked the village at night were Ninja: assassins, schooled in Kenjitsu, the way of the sword the Samurai train in.

[@thalesanastacio760]

The Last Samurai is basically Dance With Wolves: Tokyo Drift

[@garmisra7841]

Kinda playing into a cultural stereotype about ninja, the black clad stealth assassins, but an outfit like that kinda stands out. Most of them dressed as civilians, peasants, tradesmen, just whatever the role of spy or assassin called for. In military actions their roles were as irregular combat troops, and in the higher ranks they also served as strategists.

[@schwann145]

@@garmisra7841 Correcting people online about real-world ninja/shinobi is far far far more than a full time job. It's just... it's just not worth it, lmao

[@Tacomaguy458]

This is one of my all time favorite movies... The scenes are shot so well, the score really sets the tone and the story was phenominal... The last line Tom delivers when speaking to the emperor is the best way they possibly could have ended it.

[@GAdmThrawn]

6:27 I always love that "Wow!" It's so funny because you never expect it. I was going to clarify a bunch of different Japanese historical, cultural, and societal aspects to your commentary, but I figured I would leave that to others much more qualified.

[@adasga]

I also felt weird about Taka and Algren falling in love when I saw this as a kid, but now I just think at the end of the day the audience is never told about the type of marriage Taka had or the family dynamics. Like we have no idea if it was a marriage that happened just due to honor or arranged for other reasons, well I suppose the fact that Taka does fall for Algren and the older child also loves Algren as a father figure might mean it wasn't a perfect family before.

[@chadfalardeau5396]

At the time, Japanese culture viewed marriage differently than in the West

[@juanausensi499]

Nothing in the movie suggests problems in the marriage. You can really love more than one person in your entire life.

[@chadfalardeau5396]

@@juanausensi499 that too

[@adasga]

@@juanausensi499 "You can really love more than one person in your entire life." Of course I'm simply saying that in my opinion falling in love with the man who killed your husband in quite a short time, and a child over 10 years of age loving a man who killed your father as a father figure sounds pretty extreme. Extreme enough for me to say "Well we actually don't have any idea what the marriage and family dynamic was like."

[@juanausensi499]

@@adasga It wasn't common murder, it was a battle, and Taka's husband was going to kill Ethan first. It was an honorable death, not a cold blooded assassination. That distinction was very ingrained in the Samurai Village's culture, note how the villager's didn't have a personal grudge against Ethan (some disrepect him for being an enemy, but not for his killings; a warrior killing enemies is something expected) Yes, I still see your point. And Taka was extremely uncomfortable at first. Still, they were extraordinary times. There was a war claiming lots of men's lives. Taka's children needed a father, and she herself was now alone. And Ethan really was a nice man after he found himself. In real life weirder things happen.

[@paulobrien9572]

The Samurai philosophy never really left Japan and it was during WWII this philosophy was brought to light. The Kamikaze and other soldiers felt honor in fighting to the death and was one of the.main reasons the US decided on the atomic bomb rather than an invasion of Japan the casualties would have been enormous.

[@jaromirmoravec2836]

Well that and also just wanting to show off their new toy.

[@SeaRaven227]

After Okinawa, the US pretty much lost all hopes that an invasion would actually have any chances of bringing a surrender, it would have had to be a genocide or nothing. Not that the US wanted to kill them all, they did it to themselves. At Okinawa, 940k civilians died (mostly with their own military's involvement or suicides), marines watched as whole families would blow themselves up with grenades handed to them by the authorities, women were grabing children and jumping down cliffs or participating in compulsory mass suicide, or shudan jiketsu. Military propaganda had warned the civilian population that if they were captured, the Americans would torture, rape, and murder them. Now imagine 100 million japanese willing to fight to the last man, woman and child. Where suicide was thought as a better outcome than capture, it would have been a massacre. The Atomic bomb actually saved the japanese people....

[@texashookem22]

This is one of the most underrated films of all time in my opinion. So absolutely beautifully told and done.

[@TacticalSandals]

I learned a passable amount of German in three months living in Hamburg for a college thing aboard back in the 80's before cellphones or instant translators existed. It is amazing how fast you learn a language when NOBODY else speaks any English. Although I can definitely understand it better then I can speak it but you learn from necessity in order to survive. You learn things like 'Bathroom, Food, Water, Bed' within the first few hours.

[@DogmaBeoulve]

If you've never seen Dances with Wolves, Natalie, not only have you missed out on a real (old) gem, but a beautifully congruent story!

[@5353Jumper]

And Hidalgo as well.

[@TheOnceandFutureJake]

Dances With Wolves is the very definition of the "White Savior" story.

[@DogmaBeoulve]

@@TheOnceandFutureJake If that is your only, or major, take-away from that film, then there's something really wrong with you.

[@TheOnceandFutureJake]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2nUaYOOpK-qjM0

[@5353Jumper]

@@TheOnceandFutureJake and in the end he did not save them. They saved him and then they all went off and did their own thing and most of them died. So kinda the opposite of a white savior story.

[@acetrainer44]

This movie was based off of actual events of a French officer named Jules Brunet, who was part of the efforts to modernize Japan after its borders were reopened for the US in the mid 1800s. This was a huge transitional phase for the country, with the shogun and samurai being the dominant figures for centuries in its traditional nature. Also, mad respect for Tom Cruise actually learning to sword fight and doing most (if not all) of his own stunts, as well as learning Japanese

[@TheKrislaf]

They also kinda nailed the appearance of Emperor Meiji in this film. For comparison, this is what he actually looked like around this period: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Meiji#/media/File:Mutsuhito-Emperor-Meiji-1873.png

[@jacob4920]

What's sad is that it was based off of real events, but none of the characters are actually real. The real life "Last Samurai" was not named Katsumoto, but was actually named Saigo Takamori. Algren was also a completely fictional add-on. It was really just an excuse to get Tom Cruise in the role. All that being said, I forgive these major corrections, because what we got was still pretty outstanding. That's art, in a nutshell.

[@Matt-vv7fl]

Loved this movie. Loved your commentary. Love the little editing touches you did like the inevitable death counter or the samurai mask on your face during the curse words. I can tell you put a lot of effort into these reactions. Keep up the good work Nat!

[@ericjahoda2997]

When Katsumoto says, "they are all perfect", does me in every time.

[@1Poxxxx]

"are they Samurai but they are all in black?" Its called a Ninja :'D

[@JackintheBox920]

My favorite Tom Cruise movie, as well as my favorite Hans Zimmer score. I could listen to this soundtrack all day

[@spextrekid9410]

I haven't listened to it in years. does it have a lot of cellos ?

[@MistressInferno]

This movie is still EASILY one of my favorite movies of all time, really glad you got to experience it. :)

[@cliveklg7739]

"The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life." to "They are all perfect."

[@theseventhsamurai9804]

Awesome choice and fun reaction to watch (I say after watching Nat cry). This is low key a favorite movie of mine. Some things to note; the movie is loosely based on the "Satsuma Rebellion" that took place at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1877. Basically, like in the movie, Japan was modernizing at a ridiculously fast pace. As they modernized the Samurai were losing their political power they had held for hundreds of years. This led to a rebellion helmed by Saigo Takamori that ultimately ended less than a year later at the battle of Shiroyama where the Samurai were decisively crushed by the much larger and far more modern Imperial army (as seen at the end of this movie).

[@FOSsiiLz]

So happy you reacted to this! It’s one of my favorites!

[@williamallen7984]

It’s one of my favorite movies, and I have always been somewhat enamored of the samurai culture and the bushido code…but it’s important to remember during this time that the samurai were the villains. Japan was a caste society, the emperor , for all his faults, was trying to move the country froward, eliminate the castes, and modernize. The samurai did not want to give up the old ways and their societal privilege

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

I loved this film. The beauty of the Japanese culture first grabbed me when I was a child watching the TV miniseries, Shogun. The look of the clothing, the idea of death with honor and the martial skills of the Samurai were like a spell on me. In this film all of that was all handled so beautifully.

[@BlamoStramo]

"Are these samurai...but all in black?" There's another iconic word for that Nat XD

[@beatleblev]

Four mutant turtle teens I know would agree.

[@VictusG]

If you have not already seen it, you must react to "The Last of the Mohicans!"

[@christopherwhite1648]

Natalie will ball her eyes out watching Last of the Mohicans.

[@wilgarcia1]

One of my all time fave movies. Love that he said one can spend is life looking for the perfect cherry blossom and it would not be a waste and the last thing he saw was the perfect blossoms =)

[@chrisweidner4768]

A masterpiece of a film. High art. Perfect score, writing, acting and theme.

[@kustomkrunch]

I have loved this movie for so long and have never seen someone react to it, this was amazing!

[@__Sauron_]

14:50 “ I’m not gonna be ok if the kid dies” Flashback to revenge of the sith reaction

[@AndrewJamesStep]

Legitimately one of Cruise's best roles on top of some beautiful direction. I love this movie.

[@JC_R8MEOW]

I have been fascinated with samurai culture since I was a young boy, and this movie's ending is the only one that genuinely made me cry as an adult. For a bit of background, look up the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, it is the historic event on which the movie is (rather loosely) based.

[@TheSmitj167]

Even though this movie is one cliche after another, it is still a fabulous flick. I think that speaks volumes for the performances and chemistry between the leads.

[@QuayNemSorr]

If you like the story/concept of this movie I recommend the 1980 miniseries "Shogun" with Richard Chamberlain (based on the book by James Clavell) This movie took a lot of inspiration from that.

[@mormacil]

That's a really undervalued series

[@heathwasson7811]

And that's based on the book by James Clavell, which is actually based on the life of William Adams. Shipped wrecked Englishman who really was made Samurai by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Most of the characters were real, but their names were changed. Adams became Blacthorn, and Tokugawa became Toranaga etc...

[@bujin1977]

Loved that series. I particularly liked that it didn't use subtitles, so at the start you are in the same situation as Blackthorne in that you can't understand (unless you speak Japanese, of course!), but you learn as he learns and eventually begin to understand the plot despite the language barrier.

[@TheTrmetzgar]

I was stationed in Okinawa twice and I loved it. The change in scenery from one side of the island to the other was awesome.

[@Ryu62Alpha]

As much as I enjoyed this movie too, it's problematic for how they portrayed the samurai rebels. It depicts the samurai as a monolithic caste and heroes, but it actually had hundreds of classifications and rankings. In reality the samurai that resisted modernization were actually the bad guys fighting to retain their power. Many samurai actually accept this change, with many young samurai realizing how hilariously behind they were compared to the rest of the world and were at the forefront to advocate for reform. It's important to keep in mind that Japan before opening up was a pretty brutal feudal system with samurai clans constantly at each other's throats.

[@Riku-zv5dk]

This needs to be upvoted more, this movie glorifies a romanticized view of the conservative samurai who wanted to keep their power as Japan realized it needed to reform to maintain its independence from European powers. What is not brought up is how recently the Chinese had their ass solidly handed to them by the British in the Opium Wars and how Japan had just been forced out of their isolationism by America. Thus reformation and modernization was enacted but this came at the cost to the Samurai caste, who were very powerful lords, but also extremely brutal. Many did side with the government there were plenty who didn't, which always happens when people with power are asked to give it up. That said, a lot of the romanticized view of the rebel samurai comes from Japan itself, later down the line during its Imperial days, they incorporated a lot ideology into the army and invoked the spirit of the army being the heirs to spirit of the samurai, which included the rebels and their fateful doomed charge.

[@brucechmiel7964]

@@Riku-zv5dk Thanks to American influence/pressure on every level of Japanese culture, Japan will do in one generation what the rest of the civilized world took 200 years to accomplish.

[@Riku-zv5dk]

@@brucechmiel7964 Which is highly impressive, but also makes the brutality that would follow their expansionism much more understandable as well

[@Checkmate1138]

@@Riku-zv5dk Do you think, thus, that Japan succeeded truly, where other Asian countries did not, at keeping at bay the European powers and in fact succeeding at being able to compete at their level? Are you saying that the Empire of Japan is an obvious display of this success?

[@Riku-zv5dk]

@@Checkmate1138 Yes and no, I'll explain. Japan became a very strong regional power, but it was also a house of cards, unlike the European empires they didn't have a vast colonial empire to fuel their war machine. Two things that really helped them were the two sick empires on their doorstep, Qing China and Tsar Russia. Qing China had failed to modernize and by the end, corruption was endemic to the Empire by the 1890s, the Empress Dowager herself redirected military funds to build her summer palace (a story my friend loves to tell). These loss of funds and failure to modernize came full front in the First Sino-Japanese War which was a resounding victory for Japan and allowed them to annex Korea into their growing empire. This was both impressive, and not impressive, after all Britain had done it multiple times already but it did show Japan was a rising power (China was the punching bag of the world at this point). Next came Russia, which was having many of its own modernization problems, and the Russo-Japanese War happened, another victory for Japan that gave them a foothold in China proper and signaled to Japan that they were equal with the European powers, who didn't agree, hence why they got snubbed in the post WWI, though they did at least get to gobble up German colonies which was a bonus. But this is where the good news for Japan ended, and it was a long bloody road downhill. The civilian government got decimated by coups and assassinations, the army and navy started acting on their own, and they were still relying on other powers to fuel their empire. And they were aware of it. Japan at this point was on the verge of civil war, the only reason it didn't collapse in on itself was that the factions focused themselves outwards, the army was intent and so, Second Sino-Japanese War . The Navy meanwhile focused on expanding southwards into the colonial holdings, but they had to wait. Attacking any of the colonial empires may have united the rest against them (they would struggle to fight one of them, except maybe the Dutch) and they feared the US would protect Britain's empire, which is kind of funny. So they waited until Germany launched their own war to distract and hold up majority of the European Empire's, much like what happened in WWI with Germany and its colonies, while hoping to strike the US hard enough to make them not want fight, basically what they did to the Russian Empire. And we all know how history went. So yes, to a limited extent they were an example of great modernization and being able to capitalize on it. But at the same time they over-expanded and overextended a lot, and due to their early victories it made them overconfident of just how much they had come and underestimate their enemies (this wasn't uniform) and a lot of their later victories against the European nations relied on those nations being too tied up to defend their colonial holdings. Compared to many nations at the time, they were comparable to European powers, but they did not match the Great Powers yet. Probably one of the best things to happen to Japan was WWI, its rivals were devastated from the war and their populations were gutted, meanwhile their losses were minimal and they were able to knock out a rival completely from the region, that being Germany.

[@PeterLangdon]

Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow are also ones I'd love to see Nat's reaction to :)

[@johnwolfe7596]

Edge of Tomorrow for sure!

[@classicghostrider2715]

I love the scene at the end where Okumura tells the emperor that this man fought against him, and Algeren says that he will gladly take his own life if the emperor commands it. Shows how much respect he has for all of them and his pain at being the last one alive.

[@jp3813]

This film's plot has similarities w/ Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves (1990). Edward Zwick also directed the war epic Glory (1989). Other war films in the same vein are Braveheart (1995) and The Patriot (2000), both starring Mel Gibson. Just stick to the theatrical versions for all of them.

[@lancereed5130]

Natalie. Your comments are deep and meaningful, more-so than many of the other you-tubers who have shared their reactions. I also liked how Katsumoto said, "The tiger's eyes are like my own", also making a connection to the vision, and the tiger that represents Nathan. I also wanted to see Omura get his just desserts, but seeing the Emperor dishonor him and offer Seppuku to escape his shame made up for him not dying. The score is amazing... I have it on my Spotify playlist so I can hear the haunting music on the reg. After 45 years of being an avid movie watcher, this is still my favorite all-time movie, even though I understand that the samurai in the movie were romantisized to look better than they historically were. It's just too beautiful and too haunting, truly a warning to hold onto what is best of our past, personally and culturally.

[@therealneal3034]

Captain Algren with the ultimate “Mr. Steal Yo Girl” move.

[@gjjk84]

This is one of my favorite movies, but in actual history, the samurai were closer to the villains. They were part of the upper class and more like oppressors than what this movie suggests. It’s much more complex than what can be including in a comment; however, the samurai were rebelling in order to keep their status in the ruling class, and did not want to share with the lower classes.

[@GUNNER67akaKelt]

Aren't we all villains to someone? Who the villain is depends on who's telling the story. Subjugating people through violence is pretty villainous to us, granted. To them it's just their way of life. Someone, somewhere, thinks you and I are both villains, don't you doubt.

[@RicardoRandom691]

@@GUNNER67akaKelt I can't help someone else thinking I'm a villain, but I don't wield power over them. The samurai did wield power over their serfs. Relativism is... Relative :p

[@GUNNER67akaKelt]

@@RicardoRandom691 Ay, some villains are more deserving of the title than others. European Knights were similar to Samurai.

[@Native_Creation]

It's far more complex than that, and you're thinking of the Daimyo warlords. A samurai was legally able to cut someone down for disrespect, but they weren't in charge. During the Satsuma Rebellion which this is based on, Saigō Takamori was instrumental in the Meiji restoration, stripping the Tokugawa Shogunate of their land and promoting conscripts for the Imperial Army. He retreated to his province with loyalist samurai out of protest because he didn't agree with the other bureaucrats. The end of the samurai was due to the efficiency of a modern conscript army (many who were ex-Samurai), but Saigo was instrumental in his own demise.

[@sherlocksmuuug6692]

Depends on the rebellion, there were multiple ones and the reasons for fighting them were more complex than the Samurai being strictly heroes or villains.

[@ragnarvolorus2925]

They are all amazing in this movie, but Ken Watanabe ??? my gawd.... Hes incredible.... Funny, strong, vulnerable all in the same character... Speechless

[@Do0msday]

This movie is phenomenal. I've seen it many times and the end still makes me emotional. It's such a great story with some great acting. I think this may be my favorite Tom Cruise movie -- and most likely his best overall work. I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan and I feel that sometimes he'll play characters that lack dimension, but this one was much more complex and interesting. The scenery of this is flat out GORGEOUS and I'm so glad you got to watch this.