Mishima - A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Synopsis: MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS is director Paul Schrader's stunning film biography of one of Japan's most celebrated post-World War II writers--Yukio Mishima (Ken Ogata). A fictionalized account in four segments, three of the segments parallel events in Mishima's life with his novels... MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS is director Paul Schrader's stunning film biography of one of Japan's most celebrated post-World War II writers--Yukio Mishima (Ken Ogata). A fictionalized account in four segments, three of the segments parallel events in Mishima's life with his novels (THE TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN PAVILLION, KYOKO'S HOUSE, and RUNAWAY HORSES), while the fourth depicts November 25, 1970, the last day of his life, a day in which he committed two puzzling, stunning acts--one political, one deeply personal. MISHIMA is an amazing, disturbing multidimensional character study whose stunning visual splendor is supported by a riveting score by Philip Glass. It is a daring film that explores an obsessed artist--and tries to understand him--through his own writing. [More]