47 Ronin Movie. Before he could play ... half-English tracker who joins a famed band of ronin warriors in 18th-century Japan — Keanu Reeves needed to get some hands-on time with a samurai sword.

Samurai warriors derived their status and salaries from the daimyo lords they served. When a daimyo died, these warriors became "ronin," masterless samurai. After Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun in ...