Top-Rated Episodes
S1.E3
Blackthorne and Mariko begin a romance; Toronaga continues to build his army for a battle with Ishido. Anjin-san proves his mettle during an earthquake and is honored by Toranaga for bravery. ...
S1.E4
Anjin-san's assimilation of Japanese ways is evident in his exemplary conduct. Toranaga decides to return the Erasmus to Anjin-san. Mariko tells Father Alvito of a plot to murder a Christian lord on ...
S1.E1
Set in early 17th-century Japan, shipwrecked English navigator John Blackthorne finds intrigue and culture shock in a feudal society that puts a premium on honor. A rival Lord sentences Blackthorne ...
Nina Dobrev is moving from vampires to playing a reformed bad girl on her new CBS sitcom "Fam."
Related News
-
Cancelled or Renewed? Status of Cable & Streaming TV Shows (S-z)
7 days ago | TVSeriesFinale -
Sandra Oh ‘Grateful’ Her Parents See Her Win at the 2019 Golden Globes
07 January 2019 | Variety -
Golden Globes: Sandra Oh Makes History With Drama Actress Win
06 January 2019 | The Hollywood Reporter
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Shogun (1980)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
Shogun
(TV Movie 1980)
Adventure
|
Drama
|
History
Director:
Jerry London
Stars:
Richard Chamberlain,
Toshirô Mifune,
Yôko Shimada
The Thorn Birds
(1983)
Drama
|
Romance
Stars:
Richard Chamberlain,
Rachel Ward,
Christopher Plummer
North and South
(1985–1994)
Drama
|
History
|
Romance
Stars:
Kirstie Alley,
Georg Stanford Brown,
David Carradine
Noble House
(TV Mini-Series 1988)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Drama
Stars:
Pierce Brosnan,
Deborah Raffin,
Ben Masters
Edit
Cast
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
John Blackthorne, an English ship pilot, whose vessel wrecked upon the Japanese coast in the early 16th 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. Written by Harald Mayr <marvin@bike.augusta.de>
Taglines:
A nation of violence, Samurai warriors ... and forbidden love. See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
15 September 1980 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
James Clavell's Shogun See more »Company Credits
Production Co:
Asahi National Broadcasting Company, Jardine Matheson Co. Ltd., National Broadcasting Company (NBC) See more »
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(10 episodes)Sound Mix:
Mono | Mono (Dolby Digital 5.1)| DTS (DTS HD MASTER AUDIO 5.1 Mix)| Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
Edit
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
According to the DVD documentary "The Making of Shogun", Sir Sean Connery, Sir Roger Moore, and Albert Finney were all considered for the role of Blackthorne. Connery was James Clavell's choice for the role, but turned it down. See more »Goofs
In the opening scenes you can see a jet airplane vapor trail. See more »Quotes
Vasco Rodrigues: Listen to me, you whore-gutted, pock-marked, motherless scum... I need a favor.See more »
Alternate Versions
Originally a 10-hours TV miniseries narrated by Orson Welles, it was later reissued for television in a somewhat shortened version with narration by 'Anne Bancroft'. Shogun was re-edited into a 125-minutes movie for USA network TV with the addition of a new voice over narrated by Orson Welles See more »Connections
Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Anjelica Huston and Billy Martin/George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic (1986) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
Watch Hollywood hits and TV favorites for free with IMDb Freedive. Start streaming on IMDb and Fire TV devices today!
Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.
In 1976, James Clavell wrote an epic masterpiece: the story of Blackthorne, an English sailor lost in Feudal Japan. He gradually finds his place, oft the central pawn of political intrigues between various foreign powers and the local warlords. In 1980, this miniseries was unleashed on the world and created a whole new audience for the mammoth bestseller. No small feat considering the length and complexity of Clavell's 1200+ page door-stopper. Clocking in at almost 10 hours, this mega-budgeted series delivers the goods. People who have seen "The Last Samurai" might see a few plot similarities (even in certain smaller details: Tom Cruise sports exactly the same haircut as Richard Chamberlain). With all respect for the 2003 film, Shogun is far out of it's reach.
Richard Chamberlain embodies Blackthorne to perfection, successfully gaining our empathy through an ambiguous yet very human performance. Supporting him are Japanese icon Toshiro Mifune as the shrewd warlord and aspiring shogun Torunaga, who befriends/manipulates Blackthorne, and Yoko Shimada as Blackthorne's translator, confident and friend. Every actor gives life to Clavell's carefully drawn and layered characters (most of all a very bombastic John Rhys-Davies). For a television miniseries, the technical specs are quite surprisingly good. Indeed the budget must have been quite important (and set a record at the time) but never is the story or it's rhythm scarified to show-off. The direction and photography are quite tasteful, often reminiscent of early Kurosawa, only in color. Maurice Jarre's score might not reach the lofty heights of his work for David Lean but it serves it's purpose.
Many will tell you that the book is better. It is certainly more intimate and detailed, but a more faithful and excellent adaptation of such a rich book you are not likely to see anytime soon. For anyone with a taste for epics, Japan or just plain good entertainment, this is essential viewing.