Post by berkley on Jul 26, 2024 0:03:01 GMT -5
My first son (whose Disney+ subscription he shares with his parents) convinced me to give the new version of Shogun a second try, after I had dropped it due to its videogame-style CGI.
I was a fan of the original show when it aired way back when, so I wasn't particularly thrilled to learn that someone thought they could do better. Still, credit where credit's due: some of the acting is pretty good, the pace is brisk, and this new adaptation of Clavell's novel does try to be its own thing. I actually liked the first four episodes.
The new Shogun is a little americanized, naturally. It's a challenge nowadays to find a historical production that doesn't feel like today's California. The lady Mariko is now capable of taking on several armoured warriors at once, whirling like a dervish in her kimono and using a lance to great effect. The future shogun, Toranaga, is far nobler here than in the original series (or in the novel); his selfish ruthlessness has given way to stern commitment to duty. Such changes aren't noticeable when one is unfamiliar with the story, but it feels more like fantasy set in an idealized medieval Japan than it does serious historical fiction. The use of CGI obviously emphasizes this impression; nothing beats practical effect (or real boats and castles) when it comes to verisimilitude.
One aspect that can be a blessing or a curse depending on one's point of view is that the Japanese dialogs are all subtitled. In the original series, we viewers were almost always kept in the dark as to what people were saying, sharing the befuddlement of the English main character. On the one hand the change means that we can better understand how different characters intrigue against one another; on the other hand, we don't get the impression that we discover Japan at the same time the hero does.
One thing that might have been cool would be for the Portuguese to speak Portuguese and the Dutch, Dutch. I know most viewers don't much care for subtitles and that using English for all European languages makes for easier viewing, but still.
I remember how popular both Clavell's book and the original tv miniseries (as we used to call them - has this term has outlived its usefulness now that many series are limited by a defined ending?) but haven't seen the one or read the other. I think I will read the book at least, though, one of these days. And then maybe try one or both of the tv versions. But this is a case where I'm pretty sure I want to read the book first.