Genius filmmaking. A powerful artistic achievement. Gorgeous sets, great script and beyond all "Mishima" holds one of the most superb scores ever.

It's a fascinating portrait of an obviously deeply disturbed genius. Enigmatic only due to the subject matter, Schrader has created what I think is the most intense and arresting biopic I've ever seen. The climaxes of the individual dramatizations of Mishima's novels are brilliant, especially when accompanied by Philip Glass' fatalistic score, and the otherworldly set design. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is incredible, one of the most interesting films I've ever seen. Score is not a grade.

I like the way the film is made, but I don't 'get' Mishima enough as a person to really appreciate what it's trying to say.

Is it possible that one of the best movies ever made has been seen by virtually no-one? Yes, it is, because that's exactly the case here. "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" is without a doubt one of, if not the, greatest statements about art ever made. Whether you look at the subjects the movie deals with or the sublime presentation of the movie itself, it's clear that something special is unfolding before you onscreen. This movie is the world's most underrated film and a definite masterpiece.

This was an incredibly ambitious project and it pretty much succeeds in every aspect. Also, Philip Glass provides probably the greatest film score ever.

One of the greatest biographies, deftly mixing fact, fiction, and madness into a fascinating human portrait. Gets across perfectly the theme of truth transcending from fiction. Set design is also phenomenal.

This is how to make a biopic, perfectly blending the man with his achievements. Wonderful visual design. A quick and compelling two hours.

I love the three techniques used to tell the story: documentary style for the final day, stark b&w for the flashbacks, and heavily theatrical for Mishima's fiction. The "four chapters" structure is a nice touch too, and the cinematography is gorgeous. The story is fascinating... the first time. This really doesn't have much re-watch value. While I really enjoyed the fiction segments (perhaps more than the rest of it), I felt like I never got a firm grasp on how Mishima ended up the way h

Contains some of the most beautiful and powerful joinings of story, image, and music that I have experienced.

I adored the segments that bring Yukio Mishima's writing to life -- so artistically done and staged extremely well. The modern day segments feel a bit out of place, but no matter. And I know Phillip Glass has his detractors, but I always love his scores because I feel they add such a sense of urgency to the film, and that really works well here.

# 936

When the various aspects of filmmaking--direction, set-design, score, cinematography--succeed both individually and collectively--which happens in this film--that is often the mark of a masterpiece. This is a highly ambitious film and one of the most interesting and creative bio-pics ever (made under difficult circumstances)! A definite candidate for best film of the 80s, imo. (Yes, it could go "toe-to-toe" with *Raging Bull* imo.) Approaching the quality of an *8 1/2*.

Schrader takes the neurosis of Yukio Mishima and interprets it through his writing. This is an incredibly ambitious character study of an author with a flawed mental state and complex personality. The film manages to psychoanalyze Mishima without coming across as disingenuous or gimmicky at any time. It's probably the most honest biopic i've ever seen. The surreal art recreations of Mishima's mind are simply beautiful and deeply unnerving at the same time.

"...a unique and masterful film biography that avoids all the conventional cinematic clichés."