I recently got the DVD collection and sat down to watch this great mini-series again. Even after several viewings over the years, it's hard to believe that I can still get so caught up in this world of honor and brutality. Never has 9 hours went by so fast.
Obviously, things weren't perfect. This was made over 20 years ago with only a moderate budget. The extra DVD in this set was actually pretty good (better than most DVD "extras"). It told of the many cultural and communication problems involved with filming a movie in Japan with many non-English speaking Japanese actors. What I found particularly interesting was that Yôko Shimada, who played Mariko, didn't speak a word of English. She was a last minute (somewhat desperate) casting choice who pretty much only got the part because she faked the English language well. It was also quite funny to hear stories told by Richard Chamberlain and John Rhys-Davies about Toshirô Mifune trying to get into his Toranaga character. How he would grunt and growl to everyone who came near him.
Speaking of these two, I've always liked John Rhys-Davies and always perked up a little when his character was on the screen. He brought so much power and energy to the role that it was hard to take your eyes off his performance.
And Chamberlain actually became Blackthorne to me. Maybe he was over the top at times but I just accepted that as part of Blackthorne's character. This part was originally slated for Sean Connery but, while I like Connery a lot, I don't think it would have been possible for him to give a better performance than Chamberlain. So while I've never really liked Chamberlain in anything else he's done, he was the perfect Blackthorne in my eyes.
So many little things were done right in Shogun. The intracasies of the sets and costumes, the viewing of the Japanese culture through Blackthornes eyes, and the graceful use of a narrator (Orson Wells) instead of clunky subtitles to let us know what was being said in Japanese. In particular, the Tea Ceremony was entirely in Japanese yet, even without knowing the language, the actors facial expressions conveyed so much that we almost knew what was happening, even before the narrator filled us in.
The only thing I have left to say is that Shogun is an experience you won't forget. They don't do TV like this anymore.
