the aggravated ayi
Vancouver, Canada
Visually flashy, but obsessed with death
I don't remember much from the first American TV production of Shogun (1980), so I'm only able to re-watch scenes on YouTube for comparison. Interestingly one scene, Blackthorne explaining his understanding of the world map to Toranaga, is recreated almost word for word in the latest production by Disney+.
The remake gives a very different feel as there is unexpected weight given to the Japanese characters, especially that of struggling feudal Lord Toranaga. Much of the dialogue is in Japanese and even the episode titles are bilingual. This is perhaps an attempt to give the show an authentic Asian drama presentation, but there's something that's still very American in its tone. So much attention was paid to authentic visual detail, but I think the forest ended up getting lost in the trees.
I grew up watching North American TV, but spending the last 3 years watching Asian (C/K/J) productions has given me a new view of cinematic storytelling. There are stark differences but it took me a while to figure out exactly how to describe it in one word, but I thought of it: gratuitous. North American audiences are so obsessed with gore that they need to see the heads flying for the sake of seeing heads flying. Not to mention sex without love; there's no meaning attached. How does that flying head affect the person making or watching it happen? (Compare the execution of Ned Stark in Game of Thrones for an emotional beheading). The show thus became an endless parade of suicide & killing in the most gruesome manner, every single episode. Death is something each character is resigned to on daily basis & sex is just something you do like going to the gym; it's no wonder everyone is miserably hopeless. Was is truly the zeitgeist of Japanese feudal society?
The setting is stunning considering how every structure is a replica. Unfortunately I felt a lot of the beauty was lost in the very dark lighting of so many scenes, all in shades of grey & blue. This is made worse with a lower res tv. Why film in the dark, other than to emphasize the very dreary atmosphere with the constant threat of death under every stone. Mud, mist, & rain are prominent. Every scene is cold, wet, muddy & bloody.
Equally monotone are the personalities of all the characters. A very narrow range of emotion makes the show seem to present a stereotypical portrait of Japanese people as serious, stoic, humourless, and inscrutable. Any expression of joy is muted against the background of rain & darkness. I realized I couldn't sympathize with any of the characters. Where's the base human emotion that connects us all? One episode is titled "Eight Fold Fence", describing the wall behind which a person hides their inner selves for protection from a chaotic outer world. This just means everyone is so withdrawn that even viewers can't connect. How can one sypmathize & be drawn into any character's story in this way? The only thing left to be interested in was the political intrigue, which is simply a history lesson.
With the politics being a final note, this series ends on a cliff hanger, ready for a season 2, as this first season was basically a huge build up for a war that has yet to happen. Making the characters more human would be a big improvement for the next season. Otherwise I'd have to say this show was a not an elevation from a typical flashy American show. Rated 7.5 for the production.
The remake gives a very different feel as there is unexpected weight given to the Japanese characters, especially that of struggling feudal Lord Toranaga. Much of the dialogue is in Japanese and even the episode titles are bilingual. This is perhaps an attempt to give the show an authentic Asian drama presentation, but there's something that's still very American in its tone. So much attention was paid to authentic visual detail, but I think the forest ended up getting lost in the trees.
I grew up watching North American TV, but spending the last 3 years watching Asian (C/K/J) productions has given me a new view of cinematic storytelling. There are stark differences but it took me a while to figure out exactly how to describe it in one word, but I thought of it: gratuitous. North American audiences are so obsessed with gore that they need to see the heads flying for the sake of seeing heads flying. Not to mention sex without love; there's no meaning attached. How does that flying head affect the person making or watching it happen? (Compare the execution of Ned Stark in Game of Thrones for an emotional beheading). The show thus became an endless parade of suicide & killing in the most gruesome manner, every single episode. Death is something each character is resigned to on daily basis & sex is just something you do like going to the gym; it's no wonder everyone is miserably hopeless. Was is truly the zeitgeist of Japanese feudal society?
The setting is stunning considering how every structure is a replica. Unfortunately I felt a lot of the beauty was lost in the very dark lighting of so many scenes, all in shades of grey & blue. This is made worse with a lower res tv. Why film in the dark, other than to emphasize the very dreary atmosphere with the constant threat of death under every stone. Mud, mist, & rain are prominent. Every scene is cold, wet, muddy & bloody.
Equally monotone are the personalities of all the characters. A very narrow range of emotion makes the show seem to present a stereotypical portrait of Japanese people as serious, stoic, humourless, and inscrutable. Any expression of joy is muted against the background of rain & darkness. I realized I couldn't sympathize with any of the characters. Where's the base human emotion that connects us all? One episode is titled "Eight Fold Fence", describing the wall behind which a person hides their inner selves for protection from a chaotic outer world. This just means everyone is so withdrawn that even viewers can't connect. How can one sypmathize & be drawn into any character's story in this way? The only thing left to be interested in was the political intrigue, which is simply a history lesson.
With the politics being a final note, this series ends on a cliff hanger, ready for a season 2, as this first season was basically a huge build up for a war that has yet to happen. Making the characters more human would be a big improvement for the next season. Otherwise I'd have to say this show was a not an elevation from a typical flashy American show. Rated 7.5 for the production.
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