“Yukio Mishima devoted a lifetime to altering the private and political realities he found disturbing. In his writings and actions (both personal and publicized), Mishima promoted a controversial aesthetic that grew out of an obsession with beauty, art, and the Emperor. In 1970, Japan's most illustrious contemporary writer committed seppuku, achieving a fatal ‘harmony of pen and sword.' In his new film, Mishima, director Paul Schrader offers a rich and compelling profile of this literary giant. With his brother Leonard, Schrader has scripted an intricate narrative that weaves three visually distinct strands--Sensei Mishima's last day, biographical flashbacks, and dramatizations from three novels (Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoko's House, and Runaway Horses). One of the strengths of Schrader's approach is that, rather than dwell on the graphic potential inherent in Mishima's final act of samurai honor, he explores the consciousness that was motivated to transform reality. Ken Ogata (Ballad of Narayama) stars in the title role of this Japanese-American co-production. Awarded a special jury prize at Cannes for Best Artistic Contribution, Mishima features music by Philip Glass, art direction by Eiko Ishioka, and cinematography by John Bailey.” Laura A. Thielen