April 21 - Shogun

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on April 21. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

SHŌGUN        

The Erasmus, a Dutch trading ship under the command of John Blackthorne, an Englishman, arrives off Japan in a terrible storm on April 21, 1600. [3:40 to 8:53] He wakes up in the village of Anjiro, where he and his crew face a hostile reception from the local lord, Kasigi Yabu. Blackthorne, called Anjin by the Japanese is sent to Osaka to meet a regional feudal lord, Toranaga. On the way Anjin saves the life of Rodriguez, the Portuguese pilot of the ship he’s on. He meets with Toronaga and meets Mariko Toda for the first time as she interprets for him. Anjin is jailed briefly, but is released and tells Toranaga about the Spanish and Portuguese treaties that give Japan to them.  This presumption angers Toranaga and Capt. Ferreira considers having Toranaga assassinated. Ninjas infiltrate the castle at Osaka and try to kill Anjin. As his opponent Ishido wants to keep him hostage, Toranaga smuggles himself out of the castle with the unplanned assistance of Anjin, who fakes madness diverting attention from Toranaga.  They fight their way back to the ship and Toranaga announces his resignation from the Council of Regents, causing deadlock as the remaining four must agree on a successor and need five members to do anything. Ishido’s men have blocked the harbor entrance. Toranage buys guns from Ferreira to blast through. Ferreria agrees after the Father-visitor agrees to make him captain of the black ship for the next year also, which the Father-visitor agrees to after Toranaga agrees to let them build a cathedral. .The black ships carries all the wealth extracted out Japan by the Portuguese that year to Macau and its captain gets a share of the profits.  Ferreira wants Anjin left as prisoner and Toranaga agrees, but Rodriguez throws him overboard as a return favor. Anjin is made a retainer of Toranaga. Anjin is taken back to the village and told if they can’t teach him Japanese with in six months the entire village will be killed. This upsets Anjin, who threatens to commit seppaku (ritual suicide) and has the edict cancelled. Anjin and Mariko begin an affair and tension is high when her husband visits. Anjin learns a painful lesson about the life and death power he now has over those in his household. Anjin saves Toranaga in an earthquake and is made a samuri as a reward. Toranaga is summoned back to Osaka and has to go. Anjin and Mariko follow and resume their affair. The Portuguese are upset that Anjin could use his ship to attack the Black Ship and send Rodriguez to kill him, but he can’t bring himself to do it. Anjin asks Toranaga to give Mariko a divorce, which annoys Toranaga.  In Osaka, Ishido refuses to allow Mariko to leave, so she starts to commit sepakku, but Ishidio agrees to let her leave at the last second. Ishido turns Yabu, who kills the head of the Toranaga guards at Osaka castle and helps ninja infiltrate. Anjin and Mariko get into a secret room, but a ninja bomb kills her and blinds him.  Brother Michael comes to escort Anjin to a ship, Ferreira want to burn him, but the Father-visitor protects Anjin with his own body and Brother Michael kills Ferria to protect the Father-Visitor. Rodriguez made captain of black ship. The Erasmus has been destroyed by fire.Yabu’s treachery is discovered and he is forced to commit seppaku. Anjin gets Anjiro as his fief. He starts building a new ship. Toranaga becomes Shōgun.

A complicated plot so you have to pay attention. An interesting introduction to Japanese culture. A great ‘political’ story.

Shōgun by James Clavell (Delacorte Press, New York, 1975) at page 8 gives the date of their arrival in Japan

Producer - Eric Bercovici and Ben Chapman

Director - Jerry London

Screenplay - Eric Bercovici

Awards - It won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series; Outstanding Costume Design for a Series (episode 5); Outstanding Graphic Design and Title Sequences (episode 1). It was also nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special (Chamberlain); Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special (Mifune); Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Special (Shimada); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special (Rhys-Davies); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special (Meguro); Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing (episode 3), Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special (episode 5); Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Special (episode 4); Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or a Special (episode 5); Outstanding Film Editing for a Limited Series or a Special (episode 5) and Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special (episode 5).

Runtime - 9 hours 7 minutes

Released - September 15, 1980

Starring -

Richard Chamberlain as Pilot-Major John Blackthorne (Anjin-san)

Toshirō Mifune as Yoshi Toranaga, Lord of the Kwanto

Yoko Shimada as Lady Mariko Buntaro-Toda

Damien Thomas as Father Martin Alvito

John Rhys-Davies as Portuguese Pilot Vasco Rodrigues

Michael Hordern as Friar Domingo

Yuki Meguro as Omi, Head Samurai of Anjiro

Frankie Sakai as Lord Kasigi Yabu, Daimyo of Izu

Alan Badel as Father Dell'Aqua

Leon Lissek as Father Sebastio

Vladek Sheybal as Captain Ferreira

Hideo Takamatsu as Lord Buntaro

Nobuo Kaneko as Ishido, Ruler of Osaka Castle

Hiromi Senno as Fujiko

George Innes as Johann Vinck

Hiroshi Hasegawa as Galley Captain

Akira Sera as Old Gardener

Atsuko Sano as Lady Ochiba

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015