Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Movie (1985): Where to watch and stream online

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

1985, Movie, 2h 1min

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.

Country: United States,Japan

Director:

Cast:

Reviews

Critic Roger Ebert

rated

Mishima is his ultimate man in a room. There is the young boy, separated from his mother and held almost captive by a possessive grandmother, who won't let him go out to play but wants him always at her side.

Read full review at Roger Ebert

Critic Kim Newman

rated

Schrader's obsessive-puritanical philosophising is at its purest here, as he channels his usual concerns into a meditation on Mishima's tussles with love, death, honour and the spirit.

Read full review at Empire

Michael Thomsen

rated

Paul Schrader's ("Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull" etc) mesterværk. Fængede hos mig, selvom jeg ikke kender meget til Mishima's forfatterskab. Fantastisk Philip Glass soundtrack.

3 years ago

erwin

rated

Flot blanding af Mishimas' bøger/teaterstykker og rigtige liv; jeg har hørt Glass' musik 10 gange før jeg så filmen men at se den sammen billederne var noget andet. Jeg synes jeg fik kommer tættere på visse Japanske tankegange ved at se ...

7 months ago

Frequently asked questions

What is Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters about? Toggle content

Explore the tumultuous life and art of renowned Japanese author Yukio Mishima in this visually stunning and thought-provoking biographical drama. Through a series of flashbacks and imaginative interpretations of his works, the film delves into Mishima's inner struggles and contradictions as he grapples with the impossible task of reconciling art, self, and society. Witness the events leading up to his infamous public seppuku, a bold and shocking act that would forever cement his place in history. A must-see for fans of Japanese culture, literature, and cinema.

Where can I stream Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters? Toggle content

You can stream Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters on: Mubi

What movies are similar to Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters? Toggle content

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters include Dead Poets Society, Rain Man, Paris, Texas, Do the Right Thing, Lean on Me, The Karate Kid.