Synopsis

Paul Schrader’s visually stunning, collagelike portrait of acclaimed Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima (played by Ken Ogata) investigates the inner turmoil and contradictions of a man who attempted an impossible harmony between self, art, and society.

Taking place on Mishima’s last day, when he famously committed public seppuku, the film is punctuated by extended flashbacks to the writer’s life as well as by gloriously stylized evocations of his fictional works.



With its rich cinematography by John Bailey, exquisite sets and costumes by Eiko Ishioka, and unforgettable, highly influential score by Philip Glass, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is a tribute to its subject and a bold, investigative work of art in its own right. -- The Criterion Collection

Cast: Ken Ogata, Masayuki Shionoya, Hiroshi Mikami, Junya Fukuda, Shigeto Tachihara, Junkichi Orimoto, Go Riju, Yuki Nagahara, Yasosuke Bando, Hisako Manda, Kenji Sawada, Reisen Lee, Setsuko Karasuma, Yasuaki Kurata, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Hiroshi Katsuno, Hiroki Ida, Jun Negami


Cannes: Best Artistic Contribution