Yukio Mishima Movies

Natsuko (Reiko Sumi) is a Tokyo-born lass who tires of the big city and all those around her. She heads to a Trappist retreat in Hokkado, intending to devote her life to spiritualism and contemplation. When she meets handsome Masao Wakahara, however, Natsuko changes her plans and spends the rest of the film pursuing the poor fellow --who, for his part, is more interested in chasing after a bear that had killed his previous lady friend. To put it mildly, this is an odd one. Japan's second full-color feature film, Adventures of Natsuko performed well at the box-office both domestically and internationally. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Yasuzo Masumura's yakuza yarn begins with an assassination attempt on Takeo (played by novelist Yukio Mishima), a gangster about to be released from prison. The assassin kills the wrong guy, however, and Takeo is released. On the run from a rival gang boss (Eiji Funakoshi) whom he wounded before going to prison, and too cowardly to go after him himself, he kidnaps his son instead. Meanwhile, he's also become involved with a new girlfriend, who is trying to get him to go straight. ~ Tom Vick, Rovi

A young woman falls in love with a man who turns out to be a member of the Japanese mafia wanted by the police in this story from Yukio Mishima. The gang member shows his tattoo identifying himself as a mobster for all the world to witness his shame. Stock footage of San Francisco and Rio are used to fill out the thin plot. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

In this Japanese romance, a middle-aged divorcee eases her loneliness with a much-younger male prostitute and falls in love with him. He seems to fall for her too, and they move in together. Things go well, until he meets the lovely daughter of one of her friends. The fellow falls head-over-heels and proposes to the young woman. The poor divorcee decides to get revenge and so takes some nasty photographs of him and threatens to show his new love if he doesn't leave her. The young man becomes terribly upset and nearly goes mad with grief. Eventually the older woman realizes that she is wrong for harming him and gets rid of the photos. She then goes back to her lonely former life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This Japanese historical drama set during the mid-19th century chronicles the attempts of a brave group to restore their beloved emperor to his throne. Unfortunately, an evil villain wants the seat and so hires a warrior to kill the rightful emperor. It works. The wicked new emperor rewards his loyal warrior by placing him in prison. There the distraught and dishonored fighter kills himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Independent Japanese filmmaker Isao Yukisada collaborates with screenwriters Chihiro Ito and Shinsuje Sato to adapt author Yukio Mishima's sexually tinged tale of obsession and intrigue in Taisho era Japan. The year is 1912, and as Emperor Taisho takes power the Japanese upper class begins mirroring the refined social graces of European aristocrats. Noble bloodline youngsters Kiyoaki Matsugae (Satoshi Tsumabuki) and Satoko Ayakura (Yuko Takeuchi) are two such citizens, and though Satoko harbors feelings for Kiyoaki that run much deeper than friendship, the girl's disapproving father (Kenjiro Ishimaru) fears that the Kiyoaki's lecherous father (Takaaki Enoki) has passed his unchaste manners on to the next generation. Having fallen from grace with the rise of Emperor Taisho, the families of both children must struggle simply to stay afloat financially. Even as she enters into her final year of high school a decade later, Satoko still longs to be with her childhood sweetheart. In order to sidestep the romance, Kiyoaki ponders the prospect of setting Satoko up with his high-strung military school pal Shigekuni Honda (Sosuke Takoaka). Later, when Kiyoaki forces sex on Satoko and the teen becomes pregnant, she furtively plans to have an abortion before traveling to Nara to become a nun. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi