Englishman Pilot-Major John Blackthorne and his Dutch crew find themselves wrecked in the Japans of the 16th century. Thrown into a culture they have no understanding or experience of they are soon at the mercy of the sadistic Lord Yabu. However Japan is at war with itself at this time and the great Lord Yoshi Toranaga can see the potential of this filthy foreigner with his giant ship and new weapons. Until now it has been the Portugese with their Jesuit priests that have held the monopoly on trade with Japan but with the help of Toranag and the beautiful Lady Toda Buntaro, and if he can stay alive, the Anjin-san Blackthorne can take their ship and all the riches it contains.
Made as a four-part mini-series with each episode a little over 2 hours in length, it really does keep the grand feel of the book and although the production does feel quite dated now, in terms of make-up in particular, the sets are magnifisent and there are some wonderful actors and performances. Richard Chamberlain is really good as Anjin-san, the only problem being that you're reminded of The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte-Cristo all the time. Toshirô Mifune is my favorite actor, he is the best there has ever been and obviously I'm bound to say he's excellent and he is! Furankî Sakai, who like Takeshi Kitano in contemporary cinema was better known as a comic, is very convincing as Yabu and Yôko Shimada makes a sympathetic Lady Toda.
The sets are something else. Whole villages were built, galleys built and launched. Just as a passing piece of trivia, on the day the shooting ended, a typhoon destroyed the whole set of Anjiro.
Keep your eyes open for the great co-star performances by John Rhys-Davies of Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings fame and Michael Hordern, the original voice of Paddington.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080274/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt
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