"The Last Samurai" stars Tom Cruise who plays an American army officer Nathan Algren. When the movie opens, Algren is living in the United States without purpose or direction. He is hired as a military adviser for Japan to train the Emperor's troops. In combat, he is captured by the opposition, the samurai. Unable to escape, he begins to learn and appreciate the way of the samurai. He becomes friends with his captors, primarily Katsumoto, who is a leader among the samurai. Eventually Algren completely embraces Japanese and samurai culture, so much so that he switches sides and fights for their cause.