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| James Clavell's Shogun | 
 enlarge | Director: Jerry London
Actors: Richard Chamberlain, Yoko Shimada, Toshiro Mifune, Frankie Sakai, Alan Badel
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $79.99
Buy New: $50.48
You Save: $29.51 (37%)
New (43) Used (18) from $45.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  190 reviews
Sales Rank: 3107
Format: Box Set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), English (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 547
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.7 x 1.5
MPN: PARD154984D
ISBN: 0792193326
UPC: 097361549842
EAN: 9780792193326
ASIN: B0000A2ZNX
Theatrical Release Date: September 15, 1980
Release Date: September 23, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new, never opened in stock and ships today!
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| Editorial Reviews:
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
Product Description
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 09/23/2003 Starring: Richard Chamberlain Damien Thomas Run time: 600 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Jerry London
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| Customer Reviews: Read 185 more reviews...
 Mesmerizing story November 19, 2008
Shogun is one of the best adaptations of a literary bestseller to the small screen. Superb acting, great scenery and great suspense story.
Too bad that one of the 5 discs is flawed. The picture stalls and there is no way to continue watching unless the skip button is used causing that a considerable part of the film is not possible to view.
Outstanding Movie! November 19, 2008
Anyone that has seen Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai will love this movie. I actually think Sho Gun is better. Richard Chamberlain does an excellent job. I highly recommend this movie.
Powerful Movie October 25, 2008
The movie Shogun shows the true side of the Japanese culture during the 17th century and I have yet to find anything that is close to this production.
Shogun September 9, 2008
Simply an awesome mini-series. One of my favorites. Glad to get it on dvd. Good product.
 Book to Film August 3, 2008
Great film rendition of the book. A little hokey at times, considering the improbability of a Gaijin becoming Samurai, but hey, that's the way the book was written. I found the depiction of Post-Heiyan, feudal Japan to be fairly accurate, and the Japanese actors performed flawlessly.
Watch this film and enjoy.
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