Shogun
(NBC)
September 15, 1980
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A $20 Million miniseries Debut:
Twelve hours in a world of pomp and power -- 17th century Japan. That's the setting for this five-part drama (continuing through Friday), which chronicles the adventures of a shipwrecked English navigator named John Blackthorne (Richard Chamberlain), who finds intrigue and romance in a feudal, violent yet courtly society of obeisant women, sword-wielding samurai and ambitious warlords striving to become shogun: supreme military dictator. The romantic sweep, cultural richness and overwhelming sense of power in the miniseries Shogun may prompt viewers to draw comparisons with Roots of The Godfather saga. And those comparisons are valid: This sprawling saga of manners and mores in early 17th-century Japan is handsomely photographed entirely on location, faithfully adapted from the novel written by James Clavell, who oversaw the production as executive producer; and well acted by an international cast headed by Richard Chamberlain as a stranded English helmsman swept into the stratagems of a calculating warlord (Toshiro Mifune) and into an affair with a married noble woman (Yoko shimada). Sure, there are lapses and complexities in the drama (notably a good deal of untranslated Japanese dialog) that may confound some viewers. But on the whole, Shogun represents an ambitious attempt to tell an entertaining story that's steeped in history.
Monday: Blackthorne fathoms culture shock through hard-learned
lessons in obedience, honor nd respect taught through encounters with
an obdurate samurai (Yuki Meguro); the fearsome warlord
Toranaga (Toshiro Mifune); and traders and missionaries from his
country's enemy,Portugal, who have established a stronghold in Japan.
Tuesday: Political ploys and dangerous charades yield to violence between the forces of Ishido and Toranaga, who discovers a clever ally in Black-thorne (Richard Chamberlain), now known as Anjin-san. Wednesday: Romantic feeling could prove dangerous for Mariko (Yoko Shimada) and Anjin-san (Richard Chamberlain) who proves his mettle during an earthquake. Thursday: Part 4 shows how much Anjin-san (Richard Chamberlain) has assimilated Japaneses ways -- evident in his relationship with Mariko (Yoko Shimada) and in his official conduct as a samurai, facing reunions with Rodrigues and with his own crew. Friday: Treachery, Tragedy and surprising turns of events mark the conclusion of this miniseries, capped by a fierce nocturnal battle in the labyrinthine Osaka Castle. Based on James Clavell's novel and filmed on location, the production makes extensive use of Japanese dialogue.
Orson Welles is the narrator.
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