Review of Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) by Scott R — 20 Aug 2017

Mishima is one of the oddest yet most compelling biopic films I have ever seen. The movie unfolds as a series of parts, as the title clearly states. Each part has a very different visual style and form. The story of this man's life is told, at first, through a series of his dramatic works. In contrast, the last part tells the story of Mishima's final days in a more grounded setting. Despite the heavy use of abstract sets and larger than life colors, the film feels grounded and accessible.

The film is beautiful. Every part is done with a rich color scheme and a fine eye for details that perfectly set the mood of each story. There is a nearly seamless blend between each fictional character and Mishima, creating a sort of continuous narrative explaining one man. I've never seen a more creative and compelling way to tell the story of a person through their work.

The first three parts are all highly abstract and surreal, but they reveal the character of the film's subject in the most direct and relatable way possible. You truly feel by the end of this film that you know Mishima's thoughts, feelings and emotional drive in the richest way a film could convey. You leave this biopic not really having any idea where he lived generally, what he ate or who he really interacted with in his life. In the end, however, you leave knowing the man more intimately than any amount of biographical facts would ever reveal. This is the story of a complex man who grappled with his identity through his art and stories. It is only fitting his own work would ultimately explain the man.

Outside of its technical mastery, which ages extremely well when I watched this film decades later in 2017, there is a rich brilliant story. I think this film exemplifies a cardinal rule in film making, never tell the audience what they already know. There is compelling and well-handled look at complex themes like sexual identity, artistic struggles and an immediate need to find meaning in everyday life. You can see, through Mishima's art, all of these wonderfully complex struggles in the fewest words and pictures possible. I think that compact simplicity is why this film is so excellent. There is a seamless blend between fictional characters and their creator. I could not really tell you what characters where in each part, I am pretty sure they're all just extensions of the same man. We are not defined by one struggle, but a handful of impactful intense moments . A truly excellent film that works on many levels.