Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.PCS 1/10/84; site mtgzz.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!houxm!mtuxo!mtgzz!leeper From: leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: MISHIMA Message-ID: <1355@mtgzz.UUCP> Date: Thu, 31-Oct-85 08:20:08 EST Article-I.D.: mtgzz.1355 Posted: Thu Oct 31 08:20:08 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 04:33:22 EST Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 56 MISHIMA A film review by Mark R. Leeper Capsule review: Stylistically, MISHIMA is a very good film that is challenging on many levels. It is intellectually stimulating; at the same time, it is entertaining. Its great downfall is in its failure to allow the viewer to see more than just a superficial view of Mishima's philosophy. On November 25, 1970, Yukio Mishima took a general in the Japanese army hostage, made a speech to the soldiers on the general's military base, and then committed ritual suicide. Even Mishima's greatest detractors have to admit the man's accomplishments were impressive. He was a novelist, a philosopher, and a man who had built his own army. It was as if Lyndon LaRouche, John Updike, Eric Hoffer, and John Wayne were combined in one man. Paul Schrader has brought to the screen a portrait of the man in MISHIMA. The film takes the form of a series of reminiscences of Mishima on the day of his death. We see a little of Mishima's life and the influences that forged his philosophy that Japan should be restored to its military greatness through the code of Bushido. Mishima works out his personal problems and builds his philosophy through his novel writing. Three of his novels are presented as stylized plays inter-edited with scenes from Mishima's past and scenes of the day of his suicide. The three elements are easily distinguished, however, since the scenes in his memory are in black and white, and the scenes from the novels are done in so stylized a manner that there is no confusing them with the scenes of reality. In each of the novels we see Mishima's philosophy work itself out as characters are honor-bound to carry out strange or even insane-seeming courses of action--even as Mishima himself felt compelled toward the actions of the day he died. Schrader and Mishima himself, however, make the same mistake in assuming that because Mishima could win followers, his philosophy is easily conveyed and self-evident. To the film's audience, as well as the audience who listened to Mishima's final speech, little more is conveyed than the macho and nostalgic philosophy that things were better in Japan's great feudal past and that Japan must be returned to her former glory with all men living by the warrior virtues of the past. This has to be a very superficial treatment of the philosophy and the treatment makes Mishima seem a romantic but tragic fool. MISHIMA is a strikingly beautiful film. The stories within the main story use color vibrantly and the set design for these plays is ingenious. Philip Glass's score for the film is really the first piece of his music I have heard that was not driving me crazy after three minutes. I suppose the music is just less minimalist than his usual fare. I give MISHIMA a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale, but it would have been more if I really felt that I understood the character better when I left the theater than when I came in. Mark R. Leeper ...ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper