I dreamed of a unified Japan. Of a country strong and independent and modern... Now we have railroads and cannon and Western clothing. But we cannot forget who we are. Or where we come from.
Nathan Algren
Tom Cruise · 14 quotes
Omura
Masato Harada · 11 quotes
Colonel Bagley
Tony Goldwyn · 9 quotes
Katsumoto
Ken Watanabe · 9 quotes
Emperor Meiji
Shichinosuke Nakamura · 3 quotes
Katsumoto and Algren
1 quote
Most scenes together: Omura & Colonel Bagley (5)
The Last Samurai quotes
Page 1 of 3Simon Graham [closing narration]: And so the days of the Samurai had ended. Nations, like men, it is sometimes said, have their own destiny. As for the American Captain, no one knows what became of him. Some say that he died of his wounds. Others, that he returned to his own country. But I like to think he may have at last found some small measure of peace, that we all seek, and few of us ever find.
Algren
[To one Japanese soldier]
Load. [to Simon Graham] Mr. Graham, tell this man to fire at me!
Simon Graham I beg your pardon?
Algren
[Pulls out his pistol and **** it]
Tell this man that if he does not shoot me, I will kill him.
Sgt. Gant
Captain, if I might have a word...
Algren
[Algren fires his pistol at the soldier's feet, making everyone except Gant and Bagley jump.]
Tell him... tell him! [Re-**** his pistol]
Algren
[Graham hurriedly translates for the soldier. Shocked and wide-eyed at Algren's command, the soldier looks at Algren and frantically shakes his head.]
Load!
Algren
[He fires again, this time knocking the soldier's hat off. The soldier hurriedly re-loads his rifle.]
Faster! [fires again] Faster!
Algren
[The soldier loads as fast as possible, discarding his ramrod in his haste.]
Shoot me, damn it.
Algren
[The soldier **** his rifle and aims at Algren, but, almost as though he understands Algren's command, shakes his head and refuses to shoot.]
Fire! Fire, ute!
Algren
[Algren fires his last shot. The soldier aims quickly and pulls his trigger, narrowly missing Algren and hitting the sandbag behind him. Algren lowers his gun, sighs in disappointment, then holsters his gun and pats the soldier on the shoulder, who almost collapses from fear.] [to Bagley]
They're not ready.
[to Algren]
Just tell me one thing. What is it about your own people that you hate so much?
Katsumoto has attacked the railroad next to his province.
We cannot govern the country in which we cannot travel freely. He must be stopped now. My railroad is priority for this country.
Nathan, Katsumoto's attacked the railroad at the border of this province.
We cannot govern a country in which we cannot travel freely. He must be stopped now. My railroad is a priority for this country.
Algren
[about the army]
They're not ready.
The rebels don't have a single rifle. They're savages with bows and arrows.
Algren
Whose sole occupation for the last thousand years has been war.
You have superior firepower and a larger force. I am ordering the regiment to move against the rebel Katsumoto. You will track him down and engage him.
The attack has been stopped.
Send in rest of the regiment.
Emperor Meiji [about Katsumoto]: Tell me how he died.
I will tell you how he lived.
Ambassador Swanbeck, I have concluded that your treaty is NOT in the best interests of my people.
Ambassador Swanbeck Sir, if I may...
So sorry, but you may not.
With this sword I guarded the Emperor...
We are a nation of laws!
We are a nation of whores selling ourselves.
If we are whores, the samurai made us this way!
Sergeant Gant, did you hear my order?
Zebulon Gant I did indeed, sir.
Good, then you will obey it. Now!
Zebulon Gant No disrespect intended, sir, but shove it up your ass.
What do you want?
To know my enemy.
I've seen what you do to your enemies.
Warriors in your country do not kill?
They don't cut the heads off defeated, kneeling men.
General Hasegawa asked me to help him end his life. A samurai cannot stand the shame of defeat. I was honored to cut off his head.
And who was your general?
Don't you have a rebellion to lead?
People in your country do not like conversation?
He was a lieutenant colonel. His name was Custer.
I know this name. He killed many warriors.
Oh, yes. Many warriors.
So he was a good general.
No. He wasn't a good general. He was arrogant and foolhardy. And he got massacred because he took a single battalion against two thousand angry Indians.
Two thousand Indians? How many men for Custer?
Two hundred and eleven.
I like this General Custer.
He was a murderer who fell in love with his own legend. And his troopers died for it.
I think this is a very good death.
Well, maybe you can have one just like it someday.
You have nightmares?
Every soldier has nightmares.
Only one who is ashamed of what he has done.
You have no idea what I've done.
You have seen many things.
I have.
Yet you do not fear death, but sometimes you wish for it. Is this not so?
Yes!
I also. It happens to men who have seen what we have seen. But then I come to this place of my ancestors, and I remember. Like these blossoms, we are all dying. To know life in every breath, every cup of tea, every life we take. The way of the warrior....
Who sent those men to kill you? Was it the Emperor? Omura?
If the Emperor wishes my death, he has but to ask.
So it was Omura.
You believe a man can change his destiny?
I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.
What happened to the warriors at Thermopylae?
Nathan Algren [smiling]: Dead to the last man.
The Emperor could not hear my words. His army will come. For nine hundred years, my ancestors have protected our people. Now... I have failed them.
So you will take your own life? In shame? Shame for a life of service? Discipline? Compassion?
The way of the Samurai is not necessary anymore.
Necessary? What could be more necessary?
I will die by the sword. My own, or my enemy's.
Then let it be your enemy's.
You want me to kill Jappos? I'll kill Jappos.
I'm not asking you to kill anybody.
You want me to kill the enemies of Jappos, I'll kill the enemies of Jappos... Rebs, Sioux, Cheyenne... For 500 bucks a month, I'll kill whoever you want. But keep one thing in mind: I'd happily kill you for free.
Nobutada Please forgive, too many mind.
Too many mind?
Nobutada Hai. Mind the sword, mind the people watch, mind the enemy, too many mind... [pause] No mind.
Commence firing!.. You see, even the mighty samurai cannot stand up to the howitzers! Signal the attack.
I advise sending in skirmishes first.
Nonsense! Full attack!