"Shogun" is mind boggling....

James Clavell ruled the best seller lists with his release of the novel, “Shogun”, an epic thriller set in 16th century Japan, just as the western world was uncovering the secrets of the great Asian societies. Clavell wrote over one thousand pages of thrilling plot spiced with history and customs of the past, as seen through the eyes and points of view of amazing well-developed character. There is no question that Clavell’s book is a classic. It is as excellent after three reads as it was the first thrilling time I picked it up and couldn’t put it down.

Filming a great and tempestuous novel has its hazards, and often the films don’t bear up in keeping true to the writing. This is not the case with “Shogun”, which has to be one of the best portrayals of an original novel ever brought to film.

That Clavell agreed to let it be filmed for TV is a tribute to the success of “Roots”. Clavell was involved in the scripting process and knew, probably more than anyone, that the book could not be conveyed in a two to three hour movie without sacrificing plot or character. The result is a mini-series of about 9 hours in length, filmed to thrill and capture the hearts and minds of the American television audience, where it debuted in triumph.

Like all period pieces filmed before the advent of Lucas-type technology, “Shogun” pales in comparison for special effects to today’s films (which seemingly have limitless budgets). Would that the money spent on effects for Cruise’s “The Last Samurai” (a mediocre film, at best) been available at the time of filming, a review today of a piece that is now over 20 years old could have been more enthusiastic about the realism. Still, the producers filmed in Japan, and no amount of attention to detail was spared when it came to the costuming and set design. Realistic portrayal of the customs and culture of the day was paramount to the filmmakers, and thus, the piece survives the test of time, even though some of the ways it was filmed were strictly 㣴’s.

The issues I take with production are that the script was told from a single point of view (Blackthorne’s), taking away the multi-dimensional vision of the book, which was told from several points of view. And the budget WAS spared for the music, which is overwhelming and annoying, amateurish in light of today’s best efforts.

The Plot:
In the story, a Dutch merchant ship, the Erasmus, is part of a convoy of traders trying to find the rich ports of the East Indies. The rest of the convoy is destroyed by storms around the hidden passage of the Strait of Magellan and the Erasmus limps through the Pacific alone, washing up on the shores of Japan, its crew half-dead of scurvy and its Captain, Englishman Alan Blackthorne powerless to stop what remains of his crew from being taken hostage by local warlord Yabu.

The cultural shock of men adrift and ill, dreams destroyed, stumbling into a society that is based on strength, skill and centuries of tradition is played out well. Chamberlain, a heart-throb of the 60’s culture who reinvented himself as a grand television hero in Shogun and The Thorn Birds mini-series, is excellent, immersing himself into the role of Blackthorne – he comes on a little strong at the beginning, but finishes in what would prove to be his finest performance. He has that given “hero” air about him, when he is on film, the one that Clark Gable had. And while he’s no Gable, he’s a solid and believable entertainer.

In the film, Blackthorne becomes samurai, a legendary feat, and his conversion to the samurai society is much aided by the tutelage of a woman of samurai stock, Mariko. Mariko is married to a violent samurai, Buntaro, but is pressed into service by the warlord to assist Blackthorne. Secretly, and going against tradition, the two fall into a deep, spiritual love, which is destined to be their downfall.

The actress who plays Mariko (Yoko Shimada) has the right touch of courtesan, ethereal beauty, and a blend of shyness/intellect, that is perfect for the character. Most of the rest of the cast is unknown, but standout performances by the legendary Toshiro Mifune (as Toranaga, Blackthorne’s sponsor) and John Rhys-Davies plays Vasco Rodriguez, kicking off the start of an admirable career.

There are nine hours of film, on 4 CD’s and a 5th disc, filled with extraordinary extras. There are featurettes that explain the samurai, the geisha, and the tea ceremony….and give the viewer an idea of their significance in 16th century Japan. There’s a huge amount of film and discussion on the “Making Of” including discussions about the culture shock even in the 20th century, and how the earthquake was filmed. There are no subtitles, other than those in English, when Japanese is being spoken in the film. You’ll come away from the extras with a sense of how much time and effort was spent to make this a memorable successor (and some say it surpassed) miniseries to “Roots”.

A phenomenal effort, one that, who knows (?) may be remade in the future. At twenty-seven years old, it has definitely withstood the test of time.