SEINFELD BLOG

James Clavell's Shogun

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: CHAMBERLAIN,RICHARD
EAN: 9780792193326
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC
ISBN: 0792193326
Label: Paramount
Manufacturer: Paramount
Number Of Items: 5
Publisher: Paramount
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 23, 2003
Running Time: 547 minutes
Sales Rank: 3560
Studio: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: September 15, 1980

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
The story of a shipwrecked English navigator who becomes a samurai during a struggle for power by a Shogun and the Emperor in feudal Japan.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 23-SEP-2003
Media Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video:
What better way to escape from the onslaught of so-called reality television than to sail away with Richard Chamberlain to 'the Japans' for a little samurai action and some discreet 'pillowing'? From the golden age of the miniseries comes this television benchmark, the 10-hour, Golden Globe-winning saga based on James Clavell's bestselling epic. In his award-winning performance, Chamberlain stars as John Blackthorne, the 17th-century English navigator on a Dutch trading ship. A storm runs the ship aground off the coast of Japan, a 'torn and cruelly divided country' locked in a power struggle between Toranaga (the venerable Toshiro Mifune) and Ishido, two warlords who would be Shogun. Blackthorne gets over his initial culture shock ('I piss on you and your country,' he defiantly proclaims to his samurai captors, which to his humiliation turns out to be an unfortunate choice of words) to become a trusted ally of Toranaga and the lover of the beautiful interpreter Lady Mariko (Yoko Shimada). Their forbidden, ill-fated romance--and Blackthorne's total assimilation into Japanese culture--is set against political intrigue as Toranaga prepares for the inevitable showdown with Ishido, and Blackthorne's growing influence threatens the local Jesuits who had built up a lucrative trade monopoly. Shogun was a production blessed with good karma, and it remains an awesome achievement from a bygone era when the miniseries was king. --Donald Liebenson

Amazon.com:
Originally broadcast in September of 1980 as a 5-part, 12-hour miniseries, Shogun stood out from the pack of television events at the time with its boldness of action and calculated risks. Based on James Clavell's epic novel, Shogun stars Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne, a 17th-century English pilot commanding a Dutch ship that wrecks off the coast of Japan. Viewed suspiciously by local authorities, Blackthorne is at first in some danger of being executed. But with little hope of returning to Britain anytime soon, he begins to assimilate into the feudal society, befriending a powerful warlord (Toshiro Mifune) and wearing the robes of a samurai. Inevitably, Blackthorne begins to think of himself as Japanese, defending his hosts in battle, learning the language, and falling in love with an interpreter (Yoko Shimada). At the same time, his presence there exacerbates a problem with would-be European colonialists gazing at Japan covetously. Directed by journeyman Jerry London, Shogun immediately caught on with its blend of romance, exoticism, and compelling myth of an outsider's reinvention--a story that becomes sadder as it becomes clear that Blackthorne may never see his home again. The production deliberately pushed hard against various television taboos and audience expectations, including the extensive use of Japanese dialogue, startling violence, near nudity, and profane behavior. That all looks tamer now, of course, but Shogun is still a unique entry in the phenomenon of prestige miniseries from the late 1970s and early '80s. --Tom Keogh




Rating: - Book to Film
Great film rendition of the book. A little hokey at times, considering the improbability of a Gaijin ... Read More

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Rating: - James Clavell's SHOGUN
James Clavell's Shogun
Very good quality, excellent package and presentation, Very happy with the ... Read More

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Rating: - Shogun
I have loved this story ever since it first appeared in book form and as a mini series. I own the VHS version ... Read More

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Rating: - Very nice
I love this movie, glad to be able to show to my kids.
maggie

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Rating: - Subtitles and...no subtitles!
The Region 2 edition of this set comes with a choice of more than 20 subtitles, but ONLY for the bonus features ... Read More

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Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.