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"Shogun" (1980)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
15 September 1980 (USA) morePlot:
A English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in the complex political games in feudal Japan. full summaryAwards:
Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 13 nominations moreNewsDesk:
Richard Chamberlain Wears King Arthur's Crown In Spamalot(From BroadwayWorld.com. 16 February 2009, 6:01 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Cool introduction to Clavell moreCast
(Series Cast overview, first billed only)| Richard Chamberlain | ... | Pilot-Major John Blackthorne / Anjin-san | |
| Toshirô Mifune | ... | Lord Yoshi Toranaga | |
| Yôko Shimada | ... | Lady Toda Buntaro - Mariko | |
| Frankie Sakai | ... | Yabu | |
| Alan Badel | ... | Father Dell'Aqua | |
| Damien Thomas | ... | Father Alvito | |
| John Rhys-Davies | ... | Vasco Rodrigues | |
| Vladek Sheybal | ... | Captain Ferriera | |
| Yuki Meguro | ... | Omi | |
| Hideo Takamatsu | ... | Lord Buntaro | |
| Nobuo Kaneko | ... | Ishido | |
| Hiromi Senno | ... | Fujiko | |
| Michael Hordern | ... | Friar Domingo | |
| George Innes | ... | Vinck | |
| Leon Lissek | ... | Father Sebastio |
Additional Details
Runtime:
60 min (10 episodes)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoFun Stuff
Trivia:
The location used for Osaka castle is in fact Himeji Castle. moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: Anjin-san receives a flintlock pistol as a gift from Lord Toranaga. Flintlock pistols were not in wide use until 1630, thirty years before the show's setting. The wheel lock and match lock pistols and muskets, also used in the show, are correct. Additionally, the Europeans were reluctant to export the latest firearms to Japan, preferring to keep the superior weaponry to themselves. moreQuotes:
[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.
more
Soundtrack:
BLACKTHORNE'S SHANTY moreFAQ
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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.