A hardened veteran of the American civil war, Captain Nathan Algren is a man who's lost his way. A hero to many, he is haunted by some of the things he has done and when offered the chance to teach the art of modern warfare to a Japan in the grip of modernisation, he sees an opportunity to escape his past. Plunged into a war against the Samurai, Nathan is captured but allowed to live so that the warriors may learn the ways of their new enemy. From here on in it's mutual admiration all round; Nathan admires the Samurai code of honour and their spirituality, the Samurai love his brooding bloody mindedness 'The Last Samurai' is an epic dramatic adventure, and it looks beautiful, though the po-faced tortured soul routine could have done with an occasional lightness of touch. Not an original film and not a great film, but a gripping drama and a feast for the eyes.