Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Seen it?1985 | 121 min | Drama
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (79% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite a box office loss. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 1 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
A fictional account of the life of Japanese author Yukio Mishima, combining dramatizations of three of his novels and a depiction of the events of November 25th, 1970.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
79% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.8 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$503K worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 165K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Paul Schrader
- Ken OgataYukio Mishima
- Masayuki ShionoyaMorita
- Hiroshi MikamiCadet #1
- Junya FukudaCadet #2
- Yuu TokuiCadet #3
- Junkichi OrimotoGeneral Mashita
- Naoko OhtaniMother
- Go RijuMishima, Age 18-19
- Masato AizawaMishima, Age 9-14
- Yuki NagaharaMishima, Age 5