Shogun (1980– )

A English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in the complex political games in feudal Japan.

Stars:

Richard Chamberlain, Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Shimada

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Richard Chamberlain	...	Anjin-san (5 episodes, 1980)
Toshirô Mifune	...	Lord Yoshi Toranaga (5 episodes, 1980)
Yôko Shimada	...	Lady Toda Buntaro - Mariko (5 episodes, 1980)

Storyline

John Blackthorne, an English ship pilot, whose vessel wrecked upon the Japanese coast in the early 17th century is forced to deal with the two most powerful men in Japan in these days. He is thrown in the midst of a war between Toranaga and Ishido, who struggle for the title of Shogun which will give ultimate power to the one who possesses it.

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Plot Keywords:

japan | shogun | 17th century | power | hidden agenda | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Details

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

15 September 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

James Clavell's Shogun

Filming Locations:

Daiei-Kyoto Studios, Kyoto, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Asahi National Broadcasting Company, Jardine Matheson Co. Ltd., National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (10 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When 'Toshiro Mifune' was wearing his Toranaga samurai gear he went completely into the character, grunting and growling constantly and always with an angry look. Nobody dared to go close to him in such moments.

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Goofs

After the storm at sea, Rodrigues is recovering and tells Blackthorn, "There's a bottle of grog over there. Bring it to me." The term "grog" came from a British Admiral named "Vernon," for whom Washington's estate "Mount Vernon" was named. Vernon habitually wore a coat made of "grogham," a coarse cloth of the 17th Century. He was referred to by his men as "Old Grogham." Vernon disapproved of the British Navy's tradition of giving the sailors a daily ration of rum. He watered down the rum that was passed out to the men. The men derisively referred to this watered rum ration as "grog." Thus the term "grog" did not enter the language until the 1760s and would not have been used in 1600.

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Quotes

[after Blackthorne's guard prevented an assassination attempt by Rodrigues]
Pilot-Major John Blackthorne: Captain Yoshinaka was right to search him. Was that your idea?
Lady Toda Buntaro - Mariko: Please excuse me, but I was afraid for you.
Pilot-Major John Blackthorne: Sad, isn't it? Not being able to trust anyone.
Lady Toda Buntaro - Mariko: It is not sad, Anjin-san. It is just one of life's most important rules.

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Connections

Featured in The 33rd Annual Emmy Awards (1981)

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Soundtracks

"BLACKTHORNE'S SHANTY"
Words and Music by Eric Bercovici

User Reviews

Ultimate mini-series.

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.