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Mishima - A Life in Four Chapters Actors: Philip Glass, Ken Ogata, Masayuki Shionoya Director: Paul Schrader Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Running Time: 120 minutes Studio: Warner Studios Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2001-08-07 Buy from Amazon |
 "if you love mishima...this is for you"this director as usual always has a good one in store (example: 'Cat People' and 'Last Temptation of Christ' are a couple of my favorites) so go ahead and watch...very hard to find in video stores..i consider myself lucky. But if you love Yukio, you should most assuredly view this colorful and beautiful film.  "Great Movie--Lackluster Transfer!"In both the running commentary and in the DVD production notes, it is revealed that the participants involved with "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" felt they were producing a film "no one would see." How odd that a film that felt it had no audience, turned out to be an exceptional and popular film about a writer's life and work. What sets Mishima apart from others in this genre, is that Paul Shrader focused solely on the themes that appear in both Mishima's personal life and within his writings. This is not a tell-all exploration of a known celebrity, rather it is an in-depth analysis of a man's core beliefs that motivated both his direction in life and his writings. Broken into three distinct styles, the film covers Mishima's past (black and white), present (documentary color) and novels (stylized color), resulting in a concise, deep, and through exploration that neither hails or condemns its subject. All aspects of the film production are exceptional. From the spot on performances of Ken Ogata (it is eerie how he physically captures the essence of Mishima) and the supporting cast, to the incredible & luxurious sets of Eiko Ishioka, and the atmospheric music of Philip Glass. There is much to admire within this film and if you haven't seen it, you should. Warner has previously released this film on VHS and Laserdisc and now presents it on DVD. Surprisingly, this film with no audience, has a lot of amenities to make it a worthwhile purchase. Paul Schrader, the film's director, provides a thorough and insightful running commentary, further illuminating Yukio Mishima's life as well as chronicling the production. Additionally, the Japanese audio track features the original narration that was done by Ken Ogata. (When first released in Japan, his narration was replaced.) As for the picture, the transfer leaves a lot to be desired, appearing to be a rehash of the original laserdisc transfer. It's a shame that such a visually potent film lacks a proper transfer to DVD. [On a odd note, in the original release Roy Scheider provided the narration to this film. However, despite a listing on the end credits, it appears that the narrator on this DVD is NOT Roy Scheider. I did an A/B comparison with the laserdisc and there is a distinct difference from the Laserdisc to the DVD. If anyone has any information on this oddity, I would be interested to hear from you.] ""Mishima" finds it's way ..... to DVD"With the Release of Paul Schrader's 1985 Classic in my hands, I run home to find that this gem has still the power and the intrigue that I have enjoyed so many times, but amplified beautifully in this DVD edition! With Extras that include a Behind The Scenes Short and Feature Commentary by Schrader himself, I settle in to experience this breathtaking excursion along side an haunting and engaging score by Philip Glass. Only one draw back I hear , as the film starts it's voyage is, with this release as with the re-release on Laser Disc sadly Roy Schnieder's smoky, moody dramatic narration was replaced once again with a rather non-chalant affected narrative voice (even though his voice is credited and the end of the film) it's a odd mystery that puzzles me.. However this film will still forever revel my joy in the esthetics of japanese design, beauty and the complex figure known as ..... Yukio Mishima. (If a first viewing of this film is to behold, try and find a Original Video version, as you'll enjoy having the striking voice of Mr. Schnieder's along for your first journey, one I know will you'll find to be taken again and again.) "Don't shelve your VHS copy of Mishima"I would like to see greater resistance to content alteration as we release such classics on this better medium. Was disappointed to notice a new narration track in the DVD release. What was in the original print a dignified, reflective narration, is now something morose and of a peculiar American accent -- really lacks the subtle animation Scheider was able to deliver in the cinema and vhs releases. Strangely, Roy Scheider is still credited; Is this really him? It sounds like he's had a stroke or two if so. "mishima a film review in four words"this film is art. |
