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All the ninja seen in the film were played by actual modern day practitioners of the ninjitsu arts. Allegedly this led to a running joke on set where if the ninja were rehearsing with a stunt double or an extra they would spontaneously perform a kill move (obviously stopping before actually hitting their opponent) then remind everyone they were only contracted to let Tom Cruise live through the movie. Everyone else, as far as they were concerned, was fair game. See more...

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The Last Samurai (2003) - 37 mistakes

Directed by Edward Zwick, starring Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton (add more)

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, War

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Continuity: In the fight scene where the ninjas invade the village, right before Algren runs in to help Katsumoto, it shows a shot of Katsumoto and two ninjas. One has a sword, the other has two sais. The two shots are close-ups on each ninja. The shots show each one having a sword. Then in the next shot, when Algren runs in, the ninja has sais again.

Edit Submitted by swiftpenguin Time
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Continuity: During the climactic horseback charge, Algren is shown holding his sword with the blade pointing upwards. There is, however, one shot, immediately before Colonel Bagley shouts "Aim", where, despite Algren's hand being visibly in the same orientation (so he's not twirling the sword), the blade is pointing downwards. Immediately after Bagley shouts "Aim", another shot of Algren shows the sword back in the upwards position.

Edit Submitted by Tailkinker Time
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Continuity: Algren's horse has a white spot on his forehead. The spot changes size, shape and place during the film. At the very end of the film, when Algren goes back to the samurai-village, horse hasn't got that spot at all (it's still the same horse, big ears and all that.).

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Continuity: When Algren teaches a soldier to shoot, the soldier has a chin strap below his lip. Yet, in the next shot there is no strap.

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Revealing: During the final battle, some samurai horsemen are lighting hay panels to create a smokescreen. At one point a horseman rides past two of them without touching them with the torch at all, and they still catch fire. Moreoever, they start to burn from the bottom, not where the flame could have touched them (which of course it didn't).

Edit Submitted by David Mercier
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Audio problem: In the scene where Algren is talking to Katsumoto about General Custer, there is a shot from behind Katsumoto's head and it is clear that he is talking and yet his mouth isn't moving.

Edit Submitted by David Mercier
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Continuity: When Algren is handing the 'sword' back to the little kid, his hands change position around the sword everytime the angle switches: first it's between his fingers, then fully grasped, then between his fingers again.

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Revealing: During the melee in the final battle, towards the end, Algren looks around, seeing the death around him (much of this is in slow motion). In one of the shots focusing on Algren, behind him, on the left side of the screen, you can see an army soldier using his rifle to fight in close quarters. As he brings his rifle up, it noticeably flexes, indicating that it's a stunt-friendly rubber prop, rather than metal and wood.

Edit Submitted by Tailkinker Time
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Continuity: During the ninja attack, Algren, Taka and her children retreat inside their house. The older boy goes to bring his father's sword to fight a ninja and another ninja is pushing Algren's face towards a sword's edge. When the boy screams and engages in combat, we can see Algren in the back stabbing the ninja in the head with a sword fragment. A couple of short scenes later, we see Algren stabbing the ninja again, only this time he actually holds the fragment, for during the first stabbing it's still lying out of reach.

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Continuity: During the scene where Nobutada's top knot is cut off, his hair magically changes positions multiple times. When the police officer begins cutting his hair, you see his face close up, and there is no hair on his shoulders- it's all behind his head, presumably still connected to the topknot. You then see Nobutada from a distance. The officer's finishing cutting at his hair, and you can see a lot of it resting on the front of his shoulders. The next shot of Nobutada is a closeup on his face and shoulders again, and his hair's all behind his head- his shoulders are clean. The officer then kicks him down to the ground, and his hair's back in front. The two different angles were shot separately- one while the officer's cutting his hair and one where the officer finishes and kicks him to the ground, thus the inconsistency.

Edit Submitted by Chris Moyer Grice Time
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Continuity: When Algren is sitting down with the photographer and talking to him, the old man with the pipe's arm changes position in between shots(the old man is standing next to Algren on the right).

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Continuity: The first time Algren is eating with the family, there is a shot with the older of the 2 boys in the corner. He takes a bite of his food with his chopsticks at his mouth, but immediately after, his chopsticks are down in the bowl again, there is no time in between shots for him to put the chopsticks down.

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Continuity: When Algren and the samurai leave the village on horseback for the final battle, all the remaining villagers line the road and bow to them. You see Taka getting back up and when the shot changes, she's coming up again.

Edit Submitted by Sereenie
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Audio problem: When Algren fights the five "ronin," he does not shout out when he kicks at one of his opponents; yet in a flashback a few moments later, it is obvious that a war cry was added in.

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Continuity: When Katsumoto's son gets shot and Algren rescues him from the bridge, watch the dribble of blood on his lip; it keeps changing lengths from down to his neck, to not there at all, to on his chin.

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Continuity: After Algren is defeated during the first battle with the samurai, Katsumoto says something to his second in command who kneels next to him, however in the next shot the same man can be seen kneeling down again.

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Continuity: During the training scene near the beginning, Algren is showing a soldier how to aim and fire a rifle-musket. The soldier is looking down the barrel and is about to fire, but the musket's hammer is down (uncocked). The shot changes to the coloniel and we hear Algren talk to him. This lasts for a few seconds that are devoid of sound effects (ie. a hammer being pulled back). The shot then changes back with Algren in mid-sentence and we see the hammer is now cocked and a percussion cap has been fitted.

Edit Submitted by Wubbman