Set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide Director : Edward Zwick Media Format Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC, Dubbed, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Closed-captioned Run : 2 hours and 34 minutes Release date May 4, 2004 Actors :Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton, Chad Lindberg Subtitles: English, Spanish, French Language English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1) Studio : Warner Home Video