Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
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In Paul Schrader's unusual biopic, Ken Ogata stars as Yukio Mishima, perhaps the most celebrated Japanese novelist of the last five decades. The film begins with Mishima's youth, then moves forward in episodic fashion to his 1970 suicide, symbolically committed at a military site. Originally titled Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, the film is neatly divided into a quartet of acts, and the screenplay does not flinch in its depiction of Mishima's hyperactive sex life. Among the many neat directorial touches is the decision to offer the narrative in black-and-white, while depicting scenes from Mishima's novels in vibrant color. Written off as self-indulgent by those impatient with Schrader's fragmentary technique, Mishima was produced in Japan by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, an offshoot of Coppola's involvement with Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ken Ogata, Masayuki Shionoya, (more)
- Director(s):
- Paul Schrader
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Format(s):
- DVD
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Synopsis of Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
In Paul Schrader's unusual biopic, Ken Ogata stars as Yukio Mishima, perhaps the most celebrated Japanese novelist of the last five decades. The film begins with Mishima's youth, then moves forward in episodic fashion to his 1970 suicide, symbolically committed at a military site. Originally titled Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, the film is neatly divided into a quartet of acts, and the screenplay does not flinch in its depiction of Mishima's hyperactive sex life. Among the many neat directorial touches is the decision to offer the narrative in black-and-white, while depicting scenes from Mishima's novels in vibrant color. Written off as self-indulgent by those impatient with Schrader's fragmentary technique, Mishima was produced in Japan by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, an offshoot of Coppola's involvement with Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 120 mins
Complete Cast of Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
- Ken Ogata - Yukio Mishima
- Yasosuke Bando - Mizoguchi
- Junya Fukuda - Cadet No. 2
- Shigeto Tachihara - Cadet No. 3
- Naoko Otani - Mother
- Masato Aizawa - Mishima, Age 9-14
- Kyuzo Kobayashi - Literary Friend
- Hisako Manda - Mariko
- Miki Takakura - 2nd Girl [Temple Of The Golden Pavilion]
- Setsuko Karasuma - Mitsuko [Kyoko's House]
- Mitsuru Hirata - Thug [Kyoko's House]
- Hiroki Ida - Izutsu [Runaway Horses]
- Ryo Ikebe - Interrogator [Runaway Horses]
- Roy Scheider - English Narration
- Fumio Mizushima - Reporter No. 3
- Naoya Makoto - Kendo Instructor [Runaway Horses]
- John Nathan - Biographer
- Yuichi Saito - Student
- Yasuhiro Arai - Reporter No. 2
- Toshio Hosokawa - "Rokumeikan" Producer
- Tadanori Yokoo - Natsuo
- Shinichi Nosaka - Policeman [Runaway Horses]
- Ren Ebata - Reporter No. 1
- Minoru Hodaka - Ichigaya Colonel
- Eimei Ezumi - Ichigaya Aide-de-Camp
- Kenji Sawara - Osamu
- Masayuki Shionoya - Morita
- Hiroshi Mikami - Cadet No. 1
- Toshiyuki Nagashima - Isao [Runaway Horses]
- Junkichi Orimoto - Gen. Mashita
- Go Riju - Mishima, age 18-19
- Yuki Nagahara - Mishima, Age 5
- Yuki Kitazume - Dancing friend
- Naomi Oki - 1st Girl [Temple Of The Golden Pavilion]
- Koichi Sato - Kashiwagi [Temple Of The Golden Pavilion]
- Yasuaki Kurata - Takei [Kyoko's House]
- Hiroshi Katsuno - Lieutenant Hori
- Jun Negami - Kurahara [Runaway Horses]
- Sachiko Hidari - Osamu's Mother [Kyoko's House]
- Atsushi Takayama - Interrogation Policeman
- Mami Okamoto - Juliet [Kyoko's House]
- Reisen Lee - Kiyomi
- Donald Richie
- Yosuke Mizuno - "Yukoku" Producer
- Tsutomu Harada - Romeo [Kyoko's House]
- Tatsuya Hiragaki - Actor [Runaway Horses]
- Shinji Miura - Pavilion Acolyte
- Sachiko Akagi - Thug's Girl Friend [Kyoko's House]
- Alan Mark Poul - American Reporter
- Kojiro Oka - 1st MP [Runaway Horses]
- Imari Tauji - Madame
- Kazuo Kato - Grandmother
- Director(s):
- Paul Schrader
- Writer(s):
- Chieko Schrader, Paul Schrader, Leonard Schrader
- Producer(s):
- Tom Luddy, Mata Yamamoto, Mataichiro
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Adult Situations, Nudity, Adult Language, Sexual Situations, Violence)
- Categories:
- Drama, Independent Films
- 1985 - Cannes Film Festival - Best Artistic Contribution
- 1985 - Cannes Film Festival - Best Artistic Contribution
- 1985 - Cannes Film Festival - Best Artistic Contribution
Warning:
This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language.
You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at
least 17 years of age.
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- Closed Captioning:
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