732. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Running Time: 120 minutes
Directed By: Paul Schrader
Written By: Leonard Schrader, Paul Schrader
Main Cast: Ken Ogata, Kenji Sawada, Yasosuke Bando, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Masayuki Shionoya
Click here to view the trailer

THE HARMONY OF PEN AND SWORD

Closing in on the end of the sixth season, I come to Paul Schrader's 1985 film "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" - a Hollywood film told almost exclusively in the Japanese language, something THE BOOK labels an anomaly.

To detail the plot of "Mishima" would probably take longer than I'd care to spend on it, so I'll gloss over the basics and we'll move on from there. The film plays out like an homage to Yukio Mishima, a Japanese writer who, on November 25, 1970, entered the office of the commandant of the Ichigaya Camp with a list of demands and threats on the commandant's life, threatening seppuku (ritual suicide). The film begins on the morning of November 25 and ends with Mishima inside the commandant's office. Throughout the picture, inter-cut between scenes of Mishima preparing for his seppuku, are three depictions of Mishima's work: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoko's House and Runaway Horses. Also inter-cut throughout the picture are black and white sequences depicting Mishima's real life back story and how his own life mirrored his written works.

Leonard Maltin wrote the following about "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters":

Ambitious, highly stylized drama […] Long, difficult, not always successful, but fascinating.

I'd call that a spot on observation of the film. While the "Mishima" is ultra fascinating, it is, at times, very difficult to get through and often lost my attention. However, the film is so beautifully constructed, designed and filmed that it's hard to dislike it or negatively criticize it. To realize that the film was made in the mid-80s is hard to believe, because it could be released today and hold up against anything coming out of Hollywood - suffice it to say that it has aged very well. The film does deal a lot in politics though and, as my regulars should know by now, doesn't usually sit well with me. I just can't bring myself to invest interest in anything that even remotely has to do with politics, military coups or anything of the sort. I don't care the slightest about those subjects myself, in my country and can't imagine caring so much that you'd be willing to commit suicide to make your opinions heard...I just don't get it.

However, like I said, the film is just mesmerizing, at times. The colors that Schrader and staff were able to create in front of the camera are dazzling and if nothing else, a movie goer should be able to appreciate that. My personal favorite segment of the film was easily "Kyoko's House" - a depiction of Mishima's novel that tells of a young, narcissistic man who gets involved in a sadomasochistic relationship with an older, female lover. Inter-cut throughout this particular sequence are black & white scenes depicting Mishima's struggle with his own sexuality and sexual preference, as well as issues he may have had with his self image. It's a very fascinating segment and I'd have easily watched an entire film based around "Kyoko's House".

RATING: 6/10  Keeping it short & sweet tonight. A '6' is probably too high, but, as I said above, it's hard not to recognize the brilliant film making on display here.

MOVIES WATCHED: 589
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 412

November 26, 2012  7:56pm