In the long and varied filmography of superstar Tom Cruise there are numerous highlights worth seeing, many of which have made film history and cemented his exceptional status in Hollywood. Works like “Top Gun”, for which a sequel was shot, “Magnolia” or the “Mission: Impossible” series were great commercial and artistic successes.
One of the many blockbusters in his career is “Last Samurai” from 2003. In it, Cruise plays the American military advisor Nathan Algren, who first goes into battle against and later alongside the Japanese samurai. The film by Edward Zwick will on January 5th, 2021 at 8:15 p.m. on kabel eins broadcast. Tom Cruise can count himself lucky that he survived the shooting, because it almost turned out differently (via IMDb).
“Last Samurai”: Tom Cruise escaped death by a hair’s breadth
In “Last Samurai” there are many action scenes, whether with guns or swords, on the ground or on horseback. Accordingly, the filming should have taken place with all kinds of safety precautions, but dangerous situations can still arise.
Cruise and his co-star Hiroyuki Sanada filmed a sword fight for one scene. Cruise was on a mechanical horse when Sanada started to strike with a sword. The device was supposed to ensure that Cruise could duck under the blow at the right moment – but just then, when it mattered, it technically failed. Sanada was able to slow the swing just in time and the blade stopped just a few inches from Cruise’s neck.
The star got away with her life again. But were they actually real swords? In the case of a film production with a prominent cast, one should be able to assume that they were simply tricked and blunt blades were used. In fact, several real katanas were purchased and used for the production. So it is quite possible that Sanada actually attacked with such a cruise for the corresponding scene.