Mishima

R

1985

2h 0m

Biography

List

79%

72 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Fact, fiction and dramatization illustrate events in the life of controversial author-militarist Yukio Mishima.

Read More

Read Less

Prime Video

Rent Mishima on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

Critics Consensus

If Paul Schrader's Yukio Mishima biopic omits too much to fully depict the author's life, its passion shines through in its avant-garde structure, Eiko Ishioka's production design, and Philip Glass' thunderous score.

Read Critics Reviews

Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

Mishima is so tight it comes close to strangeling its own schema. But it doesn't.

Aug 8, 2022

Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Ah, but a noble failure is still a failure, you say. But Mishima is not a failure. No film that asks you to grasp your own life and to consider its ultimate value can be considered a failure.

Rated: 4/4

Apr 5, 2022

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

This handsomely shot movie, with its throbbing Philip Glass score, has a kind of perverse integrity; its mixture of the art house and the hothouse is pure Schrader.

Apr 5, 2022

Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Might be Schrader’s most visually bold work...

Rated: 3/4

Mar 25, 2023

Full Review

Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

Using Mishima’s novels to build up his life and his conversion to ultranationalism, Schrader and his brother, Leonard (who co-wrote the script) make Mishima a man of conflicting ideals...

Mar 7, 2023

Full Review

Sheila K. Johnson

Japan Times

Mishima is an impressive work. Like Oshima's "Gishiki" and "Nihon no Yoru to Kiri," which unquestionably influenced the American filmmakers, it uses both realistic and hallucinatory sequences to paint a disturbing portrait of contemporary Japan.

Feb 10, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Alec B

It's a triumph for Schrader, using a unconventional narrative for exploring the life and work of such an unconventional man works wonderfully. The highly stylized retelling of Mishima's novels are a kind of avant-garde theatre and this is perfect use of a Philip Glass score.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/23

Full Review

Rebekah P

Yes, his politics were crap, but the man could write. My first book by Mishima was Forbidden Colors, which I loved. He's one of my favorite problematic dead writer guys. And this movie was STUN. NING. Gorgeous, well-acted, well-directed, with just gorgeous music. My wife and I left our little indie nerd theater practically swooning over this movie. We both hate biopics. But this one. Good gods.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/22/23

Full Review

dave s

While it's not essential to do some pre-reading about the life of Japanese author/playwright Yukio Mishima (Ken Ogata) before watching Paul Schrader's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, it would probably help in fully understanding the mindset of the iconic and revered figure. Schrader's complex biopic covers Mishima's life from the time of his early youth until his dramatic death some forty years later at a Tokyo military base, mixing fact with the author's fiction and continually jumping back in forth in time. It's a challenging and rewarding film filled with beautiful sets, insightful dialogue, a strong performance from Ogata, and a unique structure. It is a borderline avant-garde film that somehow never manages to let its technique distract from its message and remains a memorable viewing experience almost forty years after its release.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Daniel O

Fantastic and visually striking. But the highlight of the show is the original soundtrack by Philip Glass. To this day it is one of my favorite soundtracks of all time!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/24/22

Full Review

william d

Stylish and well acted, it's worth a watch. However, I think a straight up biopic would have been better than using his stories as allegories for his life.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

andres s

Wait, George Lucas and Francis For Coppola were involved with this movie?! Ok this has to be good. Wow that sunrise shot with the grass in the foreground was gorgeous. And the music is exhilarating! Reminds me of the music in The Truman Show. Probably the same composer. That's quite the glamorous and flamboyant robe for Mishima to wear. That periwinkle light blue with glitter looks like something Elton John would wear lol. Man, this guy appreciates the finer things in life - you can tell. And that military outfit. Wow! So stylish and sleek, yet badass. Man, I already want to know everything about this man. He seems like an interesting person and yet nothing has been mentioned about his life or past. This is how you setup a movie and grab the audiences attention. Wow, to be stripped from your mother and put in the care of your grandmother must do something to a child, especially if the grandmother is ill and somewhat neurotic. Mishima was put in a situation of having to take care of his grandmother instead of the other way around. I'm speechless. That Golden Pavilion scene was incredible. All the intricate little synthesizer liquid sounds in the background and the whole set that was built for that scene was perfection. Poor Mishima was a pretty unattractive fellow, especially with those big ears that stuck out. What throws me off a bit about this movie is how the plot sort of goes from Mishima's life to the stories he's written and how they are a reflection of who he is. It seems Mishima was homosexual and psychologically troubled based on the stories he wrote and the way he lived his life. It seems he's always struggled with his sexuality and coming to terms with it. Fully coming out of the closet was never in his repertoire. It is pretty fucking crazy to think that he created his own private army and that he committed seppuku in real life. That final sunrise shot is so iconic. Incredibly beautiful. Very lavish and rich cinematography. A pure magical entrancing cinematic experience. Filled with beautiful colors and dazzling visuals. Stunning set designs. Unfortunately I couldn't really connect or relate to a lot of its themes and I found the story/plot kind of disturbing and uninteresting at times. Sadomasochism, sexual repression and sexual identity are just a couple. He was also obsessed with beauty. Mishima was an interesting figure, there's no doubt about that. But man, he was a weird dude, bizarre even. I can't help but think how dark and bleak his mind was. I mean, the guy was pretty fucked in the head. It's hard to make a good biographical movie that's also gripping. But seeing what Paul Schrader was able to accomplish, I'd say he did a pretty damn good job. With the being said though, I don't feel compelled to watch this movie again. Except maybe for inspiration on set designs and cinematography.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Paul Schrader

Director

Ken Ogata

Yukio Mishima

Kenji Sawada

Osamu

Toshiyuki Nagashima

Isao

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

83%

71%

Winchell

83%

80%

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

35%

60%

Surviving Picasso

77%

70%

I Shot Andy Warhol

64%

79%

Man on the Moon

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Fact, fiction and dramatization illustrate events in the life of controversial author-militarist Yukio Mishima.

Director: Paul Schrader
Rating: R
Genre: Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 18, 2017
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround

Most Popular at Home Now