Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writers:

Yukio Mishima (life story and his novel)
Chieko Schrader (Japanese script)
(more)

Release Date:

20 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

On November 25, 1970, Japan's greatest author Yukio Mishima commited an act that shocked the literary world...

Plot:

A fictionalized account in four segments of the life of Japan's celebrated twentieth-century author Yukio Mishima...

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Revolt | Katana Sword | Scene Based On Painting | Army

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ken Ogata	...	Yukio Mishima (segment "November 25, 1970")
Masayuki Shionoya	...	Morita (segment "November 25, 1970")
Hiroshi Mikami	...	Cadet #1 (segment "November 25, 1970")
Junya Fukuda	...	Cadet #2 (segment "November 25, 1970")
Shigeto Tachihara	...	Cadet #3 (segment "November 25, 1970")
Junkichi Orimoto	...	General Mashita (segment "November 25, 1970")
Naoko Otani	...	Mother (segment "Flashbacks")
Gô Rijû	...	Mishima, age 18-19 (segment "Flashbacks")
Masato Aizawa	...	Mishima - age 9-14 (segment "Flashbacks")
Yuki Nagahara	...	Mishima, age 5 (segment "Flashbacks")
Kyuzo Kobayashi	...	Literary Friend (segment "Flashbacks")
Yuki Kitazume	...	Dancing Friend (segment "Flashbacks")
Haruko Kato	...	Grandmother (segment "Flashbacks")
Yasosuke Bando	...	Mizoguchi (segment "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion")
Hisako Manda	...	Mariko (segment "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion")
Naomi Oki	...	First Girl (segment "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion")
Miki Takakura	...	Second Girl (segment "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion")
Imari Tsujikoichi Sato	...	Madame (segment "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion") (as Imari Tsuji)
Koichi Sato	...	Kashiwagi (segment "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion")
Kenji Sawada	...	Osamu (segment "Kyoko's House")
Reisen Lee	...	Kiyomi (segment "Kyoko's House")
Setsuko Karasuma	...	Mitsuko (segment "Kyoko's House")
Tadanori Yokoo	...	Natsuo (segment "Kyoko's House")
Yasuaki Kurata	...	Takei (segment "Kyoko's House")
Mitsuru Hirata	...	Thug (segment "Kyoko's House")
Toshiyuki Nagashima	...	Isao (segment "Runaway Horses")
Hiroshi Katsuno	...	Lieutenant Hori (segment "Runaway Horses")
Naoya Makoto	...	Kendo Instructor (segment "Runaway Horses")
Hiroki Ida	...	Izutsu (segment "Runaway Horses")
Jun Negami	...	Kurahara (segment "Runaway Horses")
Ryo Ikebe	...	Interrogator (segment "Runaway Horses")
Toshio Hosokawa	...	'Rokumeikan' Producer
Hideo Fukuhara	...	Military Doctor
Yosuke Mizuno	...	'Yukoku' Producer
Eimei Ezumi	...	Ichigaya Aide-de-Camp
Minoru Hodaka	...	Ichigaya Colonel
Shoichiro Sakata	...	Isao's Classmate
Alan Mark Poul	...	American Reporter
Ren Ebata	...	Reporter #1
Yasuhiro Arai	...	Reporter #2
Fumio Mizushima	...	Reporter #3
Shinji Miura	...	Pavilion Acolyte
Yuichi Sato	...	Student
Sachiko Akagi	...	Thug's Girl Friend
Tsutomu Harada	...	Romeo
Mami Okamoto	...	Juliet
Atsushi Takayama	...	Interrogation Policeman
Kimiko Ito	...	Grandmother's Nurse
Kojiro Oka	...	First MP
Tatsuya Hiragaki	...	Actor #1
Shinichi Nosaka	...	Policeman
Sachiko Hidari	...	Osamu's Mother
Roy Scheider	...	Narrator (voice)

Directed by
Paul Schrader

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yukio Mishima		life story and his novel
Chieko Schrader		Japanese script
Leonard Schrader		writer
Paul Schrader		writer

Produced by
Francis Ford Coppola	....	executive producer (as Francis Coppola)
George Lucas	....	executive producer
Tom Luddy	....	producer
Yosuke Mizuno	....	line producer
Alan Mark Poul	....	associate producer
Chieko Schrader	....	associate producer
Leonard Schrader	....	associate producer
Mataichiro Yamamoto	....	producer (as Mata Yamamoto)

Original Music by
Philip Glass

Cinematography by
John Bailey		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Chandler
Tomoyo Oshima

Casting by
Nobuaki Murooka

Production Design by
Eiko Ishioka

Art Direction by
Kazuo Takenaka		(executive art director)

Set Decoration by
Kyoji Sasaki

Costume Design by
Etsuko Yagyu
Eiko Ishioka		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Noriyo Ida	....	makeup artist
Yasuhiro Kawaguchi	....	makeup artist
Masayuki Okubi	....	makeup artist
Junji Ota	....	hair stylist: Ken Ogata

Production Management
Whitney Green	....	production manager: U.S.
Atsushi Takayama	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Takayoshi Bunai	....	second assistant director
Yasuo Matsumoto	....	second assistant director
Koichi Nakajima	....	first assistant director
Hisashi Tôma	....	second assistant director (as Hisashi Toma)

Art Department
Masato Endo	....	prop assistant
Yuji Fukuzawa	....	assistant property master
Yoshikazu Furuya	....	prop assistant
Kyôko Heya	....	art department (as Kyoko Heya)
Toshihiko Higashimukai	....	prop assistant
Yoshiyuki Ishida	....	art department
Yasue Ito	....	art department
Kazumi Koike	....	prop assistant
Kyoko Machida	....	assistant property master
Yoichi Minagawa	....	property master
Akira Mizuno	....	set artist
Norio Morisaki	....	prop assistant
Sharon Nakazato	....	calligrapher: titles
Kunio Okimura	....	assistant set decorator
Yasushi Ono	....	art department
Shunichiro Shoda	....	art department
Kazuo Suzuki	....	construction coordinator
Shoichiro Takenoshita	....	assistant to production designer

Sound Department
Tom Bellfort	....	sound editor
Lizzie Gelber	....	assistant sound editor (as Lizabeth Gelber)
Soichi Inoue	....	boom operator
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Masashi Kikuchi	....	boom operator
Jerry Ross	....	sound editor
Leslie Shatz	....	sound designer
Leslie Shatz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jenny Stein	....	assistant sound editor (as Jennifer Hodgson Stein)
Giorgio Venturoli	....	sound editor
Shôtarô Yoshida	....	sound recordist (as Shotaro Yoshida)
Jeff Kliment	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Martin Maryska	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Greg Smith	....	machine room operator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Catherine Craig	....	effects camera operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James W. Finnerty	....	key grip (as Jim Finnerty)
Yoshinori Ishizuki	....	still photographer
Munetoshi Kamata	....	grip assistant
Tsutomu Kamata	....	lighting assistant
Toyomichi Kurita	....	camera operator
Kitaro Miyazawa	....	still photographer
Takamasa Nakamura	....	lighting assistant
Kazuhiro Nozaki	....	camera assistant
George R. Schrader	....	dolly grip (as George Schrader)
Kazuo Shimomura	....	gaffer
Chuuji Sueyoshi	....	lighting assistant (as Chuji Sueyoshi)
Kazuo Takano	....	lighting assistant
Yuichi Tamura	....	camera assistant
Kazuhiko Tateishi	....	lighting assistant
Masanobu Tomura	....	lighting assistant
Katsuji Watanabe	....	lighting assistant
Yuji Watanabe	....	lighting assistant
Kagari Yasuda	....	grip assistant

Animation Department
Bruce Walters	....	animator: title

Casting Department
Kei Sugiura	....	assistant casting director
Yoshiro Yamaguchi	....	assistant casting director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Katsumi Harada	....	wardrobe assistant
Toshiaki Manki	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Rick Finney	....	apprentice editor
Kathleen Korth	....	first assistant editor
Tome Minami	....	negative cutter: Japan
Wataru Takahashi	....	assistant editor
Jenny Weyman-Cockle	....	first assistant editor (as Jennifer Weyman-Cockle)

Music Department
Dan Dryden	....	music recording engineer
Philip Glass	....	music arranger
Kurt Munkacsi	....	music producer
Michael Riesman	....	conductor
Elliot Rosoff	....	concertmaster
Elliot Rosoff	....	musician: solo violin
Eric Shendell	....	music personnel manager (as Earl Shendell)

Other crew
Jean A. Autrey	....	production accountant (as Jean Autrey)
Susumu Ejima	....	location coordinator
Mitsuo Endo	....	bodybuilding instructor
Kaname Hayase	....	production accountant
Akiko Hitomi	....	executive production assistant
Akiko Hitomi	....	script researcher
Kenichi Horii	....	production assistant
Keiko Kawaguchi	....	assistant: Mr. Schrader, Japan
Fusako Kawasaki	....	unit publicist
Chiyo Miyakoshi	....	script supervisor
Kazuko Nishikawa	....	production accountant
Linda Reisman	....	assistant: Mr. Schrader, U.S.
Keiko Sakurai	....	production assistant
Kuniko Sato	....	production accountant
Takao Shibaki	....	production assistant
Jun Shiragi	....	scenario conceived in collaboration with
Makito Sugiyama	....	aide: Mr. Schrader
Hiroki Tomohara	....	production coordinator
Hiroko Uchida	....	production accountant
Kappei Uehara	....	consultant: historical art
Kanso Uni	....	action director (as Kanzo Uni)
Christopher Werner	....	title designer

Thanks
Sidney Ganis	....	special thanks
George Hayum	....	special thanks
John Peters	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• American Zoetrope
• Lucasfilm
• M Company
• Tristone Entertainment Inc.

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1985-2006) (USA) (all media)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Wild Side Films (2009) (France) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• Modern Film Effects (opticals)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Donah Bassett and Associates  negative cutting: U.S. (as D. Bassett and Associates)
• Greene St. Recording  music recording facility
• Nonesuch Records  soundtrack
• Russian Hill Recording  additional post-production services
• Sprocket Systems  post-production services

Also Known As:

Mishima (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Mexico:B15 (2009) | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | UK:15 | Japan:(Banned) | Germany:16 | Canada:18A | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

The painting in the art book is one of six pictures of St. Sebastian by Guido Reni. This particular one was painted circa 1615 and is the Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Goofs:

Factual errors: General Mashita wiped the sword with tissue paper, not cloth.

Quotes:

Yukio Mishima (Narrator): All my life I have been acutely aware of a contradiction in the very nature of my existence. For forty-five years I struggled to resolve this dilemma by writing plays and novels. The more I wrote, the more I realized mere words were not enough. So I found another form of expression.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cat People: An Intimate Portrait by Paul Schrader (2002) (V)

MISHIMA: A Troubled Life in Four Chapters

One would think that a film based on the life of the Japanese author Yukio Mishima would be a daunting if not impossible task. However Paul Schrader has indeed made a film "about" Mishima that is both superb & complex. While it is not a literal biography, Schrader & his co-screenwriter Leonard Scharder (his brother) have taken several incidents from his life, including his sucide and crafted what can best be described as incidental tableaus that are visually sparse and stunning. Mishima's homosexuality is almost not there, due to legal threats from his widow, but in spite of this, the film is still terrific, and one of the best films I saw in 1985. I should also mention the important contribution of Philip Glass who did the score, which adds an additional texture to the film, and is superior to the one he did for Scorsese's Kundun. Also notable is John Bailey's fine crisp beautifully colored cinematography and the great production design & costumes by Eiko Ishioka who went on to do the memorable costumes for Coppola's Dracula for which she received a well deserved Oscar. Hopefully this film will soon be available on DVD.