James Clavell's Shogun
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Movie Reviews of James Clavell's Shogun
Movie Review: Excellent, well worth owning to watch over and over!
Summary: 5 Stars
Richard Chamberlain gives an excellent performance as well as all the Japanese actors in this well-made adaptation of Clavell's novel. It sticks fairly well to the plot of the book.
Super-rich in history with one of the most interesting characters, Anjin-san (Japanese for Mr. Pilot). Anjin-san is marooned in feudal Japan and makes a decision to change his Western thinking and fit in to the totally foreign but alluring Japanese society.
He is drawn into a forbidden love with a Japanese noblewoman, while battling jealous Japanese nobles and fanatical Jesuits. He earns the trust of Lord Torenaga who is a wise tactician in the art of waging war and diplomacy. Can Anjin-san survive the constant perils he is put into and win the hand of the woman he loves?
Many scenes are in Japanese, but if you had no problem with The Last Samauri, it should pose no problem here.
Movie Review: Great presentation of an excellent story
Summary: 5 Stars
"Shogun" remains one of my favorite novels and TV events. The adaptation is amazing in capturing the flavor and overall story line of a novel rich in detail. This is a great presentation, I don't recall any "missing" content, but then the original on NBC was many years ago. This is the same version that recently aired on the Hallmark channel far as I can tell. Just a comment about the previous review on "bad Japanese by Westerners." The character Rodrigues (John Rhys-Davies) SHOULD be speaking bad Japanese. It shows his disdain for the culture in general and demonstates his ethnocentric outlook. Same reason he calls them monkeys and toadies. Yes, some of the Jesuit priests speak it poorly, Father Alvito should have a more natural accent having grown up in Japan but the actor does a good job.
Movie Review: OK, this may be a little premature...
Summary: 5 Stars
but I've been waiting for years for this miniseries to be released on DVD. As a kid I saw "Shogun" when it first aired and was completely blown away. This is probably the most elaborate and expensive TV that was ever - or will ever be - made. It is a work of art, with superb acting, intense and beautiful scenery, brutal and graphic scenes of sex and violence that all move an absolutely incredible and detailed plot line forward. It is the opposite of all the garbage reality TV that maximize Exec profits while destroying any and all intelligence and art to television. I don't know if "Shogun" ever made the profits that "The Pleasure Hotel" will make, but it will definitely go down as the pinnacle of The Golden Age of the Miniseries. About time they brought this to DVD! PS. The book is still better.
Movie Review: Epic Mini-Series
Summary: 5 Stars
Shogun by James Clavell is one of my favorite novels and the mini-series is fabulous, if a bit tedious at times. This 10-hour epic follows the exploits of John Blackthorne, a navigator on a Dutch ship in the 1600's who finds his way to the Japans through the Magellan Straight. In Japan Blackthorne is confronted by a culture strange to him and Portuguese traders and priests who have monopolized trade with the Japan's because of their heretofore secret passage through the Straits. Blackthorne finds himself thrust into the middle of a political struggle that works against him staying alive, much less getting back home. There's plenty of politics, intrigue, and romance here and you'll find that owning the DVD you're like to watch the entire 10-hour show without much break in-between.
Movie Review: Honorable DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just want to make a quick comment about the DVD box set of SHOGUN, instead of my standard long-winded review. It's an excellent movie, beautiful locations, wonderful story, etc. But what a DVD transfer!!! The video quality is so good, I forgot that the TV miniseries from filmed in 1980. Of course it's not widescreen as they never shot TV films in that format back them, but the colors are vibrant and image is overall clean and sharp. I was very surprised. You only see some spots and grain when they transition between scenes but that's okay with me. Considering the audio is in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, this is a sweet DVD collection. Now, if only such teleplays as LONESOME DOVE, CHIEFS and the 1984 A CHRISTMAS CAROL (with George C Scott) would receive the same treatment.