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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 |
 "stunning visuals, my favorite movie of all time"This is far and away my favorite movie of all time, and I highly recommend it for anyone who's passionate about richly textured movies. The sound track (by Philip Glass) is one of his best works (that's how I discovered the movie in fact) and the art direction is extremely beautiful. The director does a great job of mixing together the multiple strands of Mishima's life (his life's history, his decision to kill himself, and his art) and shows how they weave in and out with one another. Mishima himself was not a great man - a bit of a clown even - but this movie seeks out the parts of his life that are relevant to all of us and puts them together perfectly. I consider this movie "must see" for any theatrical set designer or movie cinematographer.  "Subtle and Powerful"The movie was wonderful, rife with Eastern imagery. The layout of the movie was a symphony with four segments like movements outlining Mishma's life. At first it seemed choppy but the conclusion integrated all the parts powerfully. The movie expressed Mishima's life, analogous to cultural change in Feudal Japan. Many layers to absorb. It is well worth seeing more than once. Phillip Glass's score was perfect. "A True Original"Director Paul Schrader's sumptuous and operatic telling of writer Yukio Mishima's life and stories rivals all films released in the past ten years for filmmaking originality and daring. Critics scream for something different and this film was totally ignored! Go figure. Discover it for yourself and you will marvel at the cinematography by John Bailey highlighted by the music of Phillip Glass. This film deserves more than just a cult following. "PERFECTION"I dont throw around the word perfect very often, especially when it comes to movies. I am a fan of both Schrader and Mishima. This is by far Schrader's best film, a labor of love that was flawlessly executed. His style, direction, storytelling, excetera, captures the spirit of Mishima's soul. The film is a poem that stikes on the notes of both Mishima the storyteller and Mishima the man. Movies this well crafted from the writing, directing, the preformances,editing, music, and right down to the film stock are few and fortunate for those lucky enough to view them. This movie should be revered and acknowledged as one of the most pure examples of perfect cinema. |
