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Mishima

1985, Movie, R, 120 mins

Mishima: Review

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"Never in physical action had I discovered the chilling satisfaction of words. Never in words had I experienced the hot darkness of action. Somewhere there must be a higher principle which reconciles art and action. That principle, it occurred to me, was death." These words, written by Japanese author Yukio Mishima and spoken in a voice-over narration by Roy Scheider, eloquently state what writer-director Paul Schrader tried to convey in this ambitious, unique undertaking. Though MISHIMA contains much biographical material, it doesn't claim to be a definitive biography of the controversial writer. Instead, the film concentrates on Mishima's art, attempting to piece together a complicated puzzle by examining his work and its relation to his personal obsessions. Perhaps Japan's best-known author, Mishima wrote 35 novels, 25 plays, 200 short stories, and 8 volumes of essays before his ritual suicide at age 45. One of his driving concerns was his perception of Japan's post-WWII rejection of its rich history of tradition, ritual, honor, and religion in favor of the Western world's pursuit of money. He formed his own private army, called the Shield Society, whose purpose was to restore Japan to the emperor. Schrader approaches his subject with taste and intelligence, juxtaposing Mishima's suicide with flashbacks from his life and dramatizations of his novels Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoko's House, and Runaway Horses. Separated into four chapters ("Beauty," "Art," "Action," and "Harmony of Pen and Sword"), the film skillfully integrates the novels and real events, slowly dissecting Mishima's obsessions. MISHIMA's most stunning aspect is the visual style employed in the dramatizations of the novels. With colorful, theatrical sets by famed Japanese designer Eiko Ishioka, the sequences are quite unique and impressive in their own right, and the entire film is photographed beautifully by John Bailey. The visuals are enhanced by Philip Glass's haunting score. leave a comment
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Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - Criterion Collection
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