Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

On 25 November 1970, the award-winning writer Yukio Mishima drank his last cup of coffee. Dressed in an immaculate, self-designed military uniform, Mishima, accompanied by a few followers, made his way to a military base. The Japanese author’s (1925–1970) attempted coup was to end that day with his ritual suicide. 

Paul Schrader’s visually stunning portrait of the acclaimed author Yukio Mishima (played by Ken Ogata) explores the inner turmoil and contradictions of a man who took on the impossible task of finding harmony between himself, art and society. Set on the final day of Mishima’s life, the film features extensive flashbacks to the writer’s past and beautifully stylised references to his fictional works. MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS is both a tribute to its subject and a daring, exploratory work of art in its own right.