Classic film about 16th-century Japanese village which hires professional warriors to fend off bandits. The complete 208m. Deliberately paced and laced with humor, with a game cast. Written by the director. In the 16th Century, a British ship sails the Pacific from the Americas in order to escape the Spanish.
Blackthorn is the pilot of the ship and the first to realize the possibilities of Japan.
Japan is a feudal society which has a strong presence of the Portugese. A struggle is in the final stages for who will be the Shogun, the leader who, under the emperor, governs the land. Toranaga sees in Blackthorn things he can use to at least survive the struggle to come, and if both play their hands correctly, become Shogun. A quietly observant character study with a number of haunting black and white images. Autocratic young Princess Uehara and loyal general Mifune must make dangerous journey to their homeland with royal fortune, with only bare minimum of help from two bumbling misfits hoping to make off with a share of the gold.