Shogun

There was a time in TV when the mini-series was king. They were great prestige products for the networks who, risking immense financial expenditure, hoped to create a cinematic masterpiece on a small screen.

SHOGUN may be the ultimate expression of this neglected TV format. Based on James Clavell's sweeping epic novel of the same name, it succeeds fully in transporting the viewer to another time and place. Through John Blackthorne's eyes (Richard Chamberlain in a now iconic performance, blending moments of delightful scenery chewing with moments of genuine emotion and subtlety), we become ever more involved in the political dealings of the Japanese nobility and the mixed motives of the Jesuits.

One of the great triumphs of SHOGUN is to ensnare the viewer despite long segments in Japanese with no subtitles. The filmmakers were trying to tell the story through Blackthorne's eyes and save for a few moments of narration explaining the dialog, we are left to slowly comprehend the action at the same pace as Blackthorne. It's a device which works wonderfully well, leaving the viewer to figure out what's going on through context and character.

In addition to Chamberlain, SHOGUN is replete with glorious performances. Toshiro Mifune's Toranaga, a Japanese nobleman with grand political designs, possesses great power and yet Mifune's performance is also very nuanced. Toranaga is a man who's mind is always trying to figure three steps ahead and we see this aspect of Toranaga's personality in Mifune's work- a considerable feat considering his dialog is exclusively in Japanese and without subtitles.

Yoko Shimada plays Mariko with a captivating beauty and ethereal grace. Becoming Blackthorne's interpreter and love interest, we cannot take our eyes off of her. Her performance is made doubly impressive by the fact that Ms. Shimada spoke no English and had to be told what her lines met with great care.

Additionally, John-Rhys Davies gives a wonderfully bravura turn as Rodrigues and Damien Thomas gives his Father Alvito real depth and dignity.

SHOGUN does show its age. The quality of the video image does have a bit of that TV glow to it and Maurice Jarre's score, seeming so lush back in 1980, sounds as if it were recorded by a very small third-rate band in a backwater recording studio- it reeks of TV. Still, these are comparatively minor quibbles to an otherwise completely engrossing epic. SHOGUN succeeds mightily in taking the viewer into a strange land filled with wonder and intrigue. By the end, it's a land you aren't ready to leave- perhaps the ultimate compliment for any film.

Shogun is the story of an English pilot shipwrecked in Japan and the first Englishman to arrive there. The story is based fairly closely on the life of William Adams to whom most of the events in the film happened to and did in fact become the only non japanese ever to become a samauri. He also became a minor daimyo and Japan's first Admiral. He may have well been a deciding factor in tiping the balance of power that let the Shogunate become as powerful as it did to rule as long as it did. One of my favourite things about the story on video is that it is about half english and half japanese. With no subtitles. As John Blackthorne (the name given the main character in the story) is struggling with the japanese so is the viewer. (I have also used it to help improve my japanese which is very limited).

The story is fast moving and fasinating. I read the book in three days and couldn't wait for the mini-series if I have an entire day to relax I will sometimes watch the entire 549 minutes of the show. As I said it is my all time favourite program

Any movie with this magnificent actor even showing up in a cameo, I give a 10. Actually, the costumes weren't very good, & a lot of the true historical facts were sometimes a little silly, but Toshiro Mifune makes the movie a classic. He's elemental, a force of nature, fantastic. Watch it just to get a glimpse of this wonderful actor's presence & charisma. The movie is based on the book by Clavell, & he did write the part of Toranaga with Toshiro in mind. The movie does follow the book pretty closely, and the book is based very loosely on an Englishman who was stranded on the Japanese Islands in the early 1600's.All-in-all, the movie on DVD is a lot better than the previous video tape that was out.

Well like many others, Shogun fueled my first real interest in Japan. I watch it at least twice a year, and am always trying see something new, like a kid attempting to suck that one last drop from a soda pop. I inhaled the movie, as many did and I began studying it's language some time ago. When asked my interest in Japan in a Japanese course I once took, I said I watched shogun 36 times. I read the book too, and it was great. Every time I see the movie, I always get sad toward the end, cause I know it's coming and there's no more. I always wished Clavell had done a sequel, in the same time frame. Toshiri Mifune was wonderfull, and Orson Wells voice was perfect. The whole cast was great. The music was wonderful, but sadly I have never been able to find a soundtrack for it.

fi

One of the most famous mini-series in television history, "James Clavell's Shogun" tells the epic tale of an English pilot who is washed up on the shores of Japan in the 17th century and becomes involved in the local political struggles. "Shogun" proves to be both an engrossing story, and a fascinating piece of television history.

Based on the life of the English navigator William Adams, "Shogun" is a complex story that explores both the political struggles of Feudal Japan, as well as analyzes the cultural differences of East vs. West. The story revolves around Pilot Major John Blackthorne, played by Richard Chamberlain. Coerced by Catholic Portuguese missionaries, with whom the English were at war, the Japanese authorities, or daimyos, throw the shipwrecked Blackthorne and his ailing crew into prison, and torture them as pirates. We soon learn that Lord Toranaga, the most powerful daimyo in Japan, is in the midst of a power struggle that could possibly lead him to be Shogun--the most powerful military ruler in Japan. In a final interview before his execution, Toranaga sees Blackthorne as valuable, and he spares the Englishman's life. Toranaga decides to employ him in training his troops in the Western methods of battle to help them prepare for the upcoming war against his rival, Ishido. Along the way, the audience is given a fascinating introduction to Feudal Japan through Blackthorne's eyes.

Shot entirely in Japan, director Jerry London took great care in using authentic costumes and believable sets. The casting is commendable, with Richard Chamberlain embodying the perfect Blackthorne (his performance garnered an Emmy nomination in 1980). Lord Toranaga is played masterfully by Toshiro Mifune, who also appeared in Akira Kurasawa classics such as Yojimbo and The Hidden Fortress.

Without a doubt, "James Clavell's Shogun" is worth a watch.