This is my very first IMDb review, and let me tell you why I choose "the last samurai", and no other. Because this movie is the reason why I became a classic movie fan/collector.<br /><br />I remember it like yesterday... February of 2004, summer in Buenos Aires (where I live), going to Recoleta for a walk, entering the movie theater just to see what were they playing, buying the ticket and a popcorn, preparing myself to have a nice moment of light and harmless entertainment<br /><br />Around half of the movie, EPIPHANY !. "Didn't I see this movie already, at least one million times ?". "Why Tom Cruise, again ?". "I already know who is going to get the chick, to be the hero, to give as all an unforgettable lesson of honor and humanity... the yankee, right !". "Why I keep seeing this kind of movies" ... and so on<br /><br />I left the theater, to never return. This was my last Hollywood-crap-big-budget movie, period. I keep asking myself how could I spent so many years of my life, passively consuming this junk-culture propaganda. But OK, better late than never.<br /><br />Now, after 3 years of rehab (exclusively Kurosawa, Bergman, Fellini, Eisenstein, Kubrick, indie, art, documentary, etc)... I can finally say that I'm cured, I can recognize junk from miles away<br /><br />All thanks to "The Last Samurai", which I will never forget<br /><br />Fidel Polvorón <br /><br />PS1: this is based on a true story... in fact, it's 100% a true story <br /><br />PS2: I gave it 4/10, just because Ken Watanabe, Art and Costumes