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The Last Samurai | 
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| Artist: Hans Zimmer
Label: Elektra / Wea
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $14.99
You Save: $3.99 (21%)
New (39) Used (20) from $5.49
Rating:  88 reviews
Sales Rank: 11365
Format: Enhanced, Soundtrack
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.5
MPN: 62932
UPC: 075596293228
EAN: 0075596293228
ASIN: B0000DZTIW
Release Date: November 25, 2003
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | A Way of Life | | • | Spectres in the Fog | | • | Taken | | • | A Hard Teacher | | • | To Know My Enemy | | • | Idyll's End | | • | Safe Passage | | • | Ronin | | • | Red Warrior | | • | The Way of the Sword | | • | A Small Measure of Peace |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Whether Tom Cruise's portrayal of a 19th century American soldier cum samurai warrior will be remembered with the same pangs of pop-cultural bemusement that befell John Wayne playing Genghis Khan remains to be seen. But its musical soundtrack does mark an auspicious occasion: pop musician-turned-composer Hans Zimmer's 100th score since beginning his film career in 1988. A pioneer of fusing both the electronic and orchestral and the Westernized with the indigenous, Zimmer does both here with skill, drawing heavily on samples of the traditional Taiko (a massive Japanese drum) for its rhythmic action sequences, while constructing a melodic Western motif for Cruise's character that's both centerpiece and counterpoint for the score's transcultural intent. Aside from the brief, ominous thunder of the expected action/suspense boilerplate, Zimmer has constructed passages of gentle, Asian-inflected pastoralism that have parallels with much of his evocative work on The Thin Red Line. Those cues are the score's very soul, a canvas against which his more traditional themes reverberate all the stronger. --Jerry McCulley
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| Customer Reviews: Read 83 more reviews...
 Music works in the movie, not as stand alone August 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Having watched The Last Samurai many times, I can anticipate almost every musical nuance in the film. I think the music flavors the film almost perfectly. So, naturally, I had to have the CD.
However, as I listen to the collection of songs on the CD, I am left uninspired and disappointed. There are four songs I like very much, but even they don't totally work as a complete thought.
Rather, each of the songs is like a bad paragraph with well written sentences.
I think Hans Zimmer has done some tremendous work and I wish I had seen Cruise and Zwick acknowledge his contribution to the film's artistic elegance. (If they did so, I will stand corrected)
Unfortunately, I don't think most of you who liked the movie and the music are going to be satisfied listening to the CD alone and out of context.
 A Masterpiece July 30, 2008
This music has the capacity to alter ones consciousness and take it to the higher planes of tranquility. Simply a beautiful masterpiece that should be shared amongst all Souls who yearn for something better than what is found in day to day life.
This music has made me a new fan to orchestrated music April 22, 2008
I am a medical student and this soundtrack was on my Zune so I started listening to it since it doesn't have words that distract me. However, now after listening to it about 40 times I decided to look it up to try and find more music like it. I listen to it just to relax and am a new fan of orchestrated music (coming from the likes of hard rock). Also, I get emotional and have even teared up (Spectres in the Fog). My description of the composition entailed here is it is a breath of fresh air while it moves and motivates you or relaxes the mind. Funny since that is what the movie pretty much entails.
 Poor...Plain and Simple... February 21, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have been a fan of Hans Zimmer since childhood. This album is so filled with rehashed motifs, I thought I'd stumbled back onto the sand of the colliseum in Gladiator. While watching the first confrontation between Tommy-boy and Matsumoto's crew, I thought Russel Crowe was going to come charging down a flanking hill on horseback while calling out, "Roma Victor!" wtf, mate? Just some stale brass and strings with a few woodwinds and sentimental sounding violin thrown in to give it a quick 'Asian' flare. It was fittingly about as substantive as the movie.
WOW!!! A pure work of beauty! January 14, 2008
This is my favorite work of Hans Zimmer. Very rarely do I find any soundtrack as emotional and dramatic as this. I remember watching the movie, and the scenes that impacted me the most were part with the powerful music. Highly recommended!
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