The filmmakers and the mega-star talk about the movie.  A Civil War veteran (Tom Cruise) is hired by the Emperor of Japan to train troops he wants to use to eradicate the few remaining samurai haunting his realm. He wants to Westernize his empire and sees the samurai and their arcane codes of behavior as an impediment to progress. Upon meeting samurai, however, Cruise discovers he has a deep respect for their honorable, brutal and pure way of life and death. Whose side will he stand on in the coming conflict?