(a) strange and beautiful film about a strange and beautiful (and horrifying) man.
It´s rare that I get this late into a review without even mentioning the lead actor. Though the film´s structure demands the most attention, it would not be a success without Ken Ogata´s confident rendition of Mishima. Ogata is equally convincing as the narcissistic bi-sexual Mishima, and the fanatical muscle-bound right-wing Mishima. It´s a very physical and exacting performance and Ogata is more than up to the challenge.
Schrader doesn´t guide the audience to any definitive interpretation of Mishima´s life and death. One thing is clear, though: he is clearly fascinated by the man and through this beautiful and enigmatic film, the audience shares that fascination. For some, this may be nothing more than the appeal of gaping at a gruesome auto accident; for others something more lasting.
Video
The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 wide-screen aspect ratio. Criterion transfer. Looks great. A little dark at times, otherwise magnificent. You know the drill.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. As mentioned in the Extras section, you have the option of listening to Japanese narration by Ken Ogata or English narration by Roy Scheider. Optional English subtitles support the Japanese audio (most of the film), but not the English audio.
Extras
This two-disc set is positively stacked.
Disc One features the digitally restored transfer which is accompanied by a commentary track by Paul Schrader and producer Alan Paul.
The disc also offers somewhat complicated audio options. In addition to choosing to watch with the commentary on or off, you can choose to listen to the Japanese narration by Ogata or the English narration recorded for American audiences by Roy Scheider. For obvious reasons, I chose to watch the film with the Japanese narration.
Disc Two… well, I suppose I´ll start at the beginning with the admission that I have simply not had the time to watch everything.
"Making ´Mishima´" is a 44-minute documentary featuring 2008 interviews with John Bailey, Eiko Ishioka, and Phillips Glass, all recorded for the Criterion Collection.
"Producing ´Mishima´" consists of interviews with producers Tom Luddy and Mataichiro Yamamoto (22 min.) and was also recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2007 and 2008.
An audio interview with writer Chieko Schrader (26 min.), whose husband Leonard died in 2006, was recorded in Los Angeles in 2008 and conducted by David Weisman.
Mishima biographer John Nathan and film critic Donald Richie, who both knew Mishima, discuss the man and his various myths (26 min.)
"Mishima on Mishima" is an interview with the writer for an episode of the series "Á la vitrine du libraire" and originally aired on January 15, 1966.
Saving the best for last, the disc also includes a 55-minute BBC documentary called "The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima" (1985) which covers much of the same ground as the film (obviously) but also includes plenty of archival footage of Mishima. As a public figure who dearly loved his camera time, there is no shortage of Mishima footage. I enjoyed this documentary quite a bit, even if there´s nothing revelatory about it.
The hefty 56-page insert booklet sits snugly in the cardboard case alongside the two-disc folding case, but it consists mostly of pictures. It does include a substantive essay by critic Kevin Jackson, a short piece about the film´s censorship in Japan (see below), and a very brief statement by Eiko Ishioka.
Film Value
As popular as "Mishima" was with international audiences, Japanese viewers never got the chance to see it except on bootleg copies. The film was (and still is) banned in Japan both because of the scandal caused by Mishima, and by censor´s fears about how the film would be received and used by nationalists who view Mishima as a hero and martyr.
Fortunately, this Criterion edition makes it easy for you to watch this strange and beautiful film about a strange and beautiful (and horrifying) man.
Criterion has released a companion piece to "Mishima" with as a separate disc with its own spine number, Mishima´s film "On Patriotism" which is reviewed here.
Schrader doesn´t guide the audience to any definitive interpretation of Mishima´s life and death. One thing is clear, though: he is clearly fascinated by the man and through this beautiful and enigmatic film, the audience shares that fascination. For some, this may be nothing more than the appeal of gaping at a gruesome auto accident; for others something more lasting.
Video
The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 wide-screen aspect ratio. Criterion transfer. Looks great. A little dark at times, otherwise magnificent. You know the drill.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. As mentioned in the Extras section, you have the option of listening to Japanese narration by Ken Ogata or English narration by Roy Scheider. Optional English subtitles support the Japanese audio (most of the film), but not the English audio.
Extras
This two-disc set is positively stacked.
Disc One features the digitally restored transfer which is accompanied by a commentary track by Paul Schrader and producer Alan Paul.
The disc also offers somewhat complicated audio options. In addition to choosing to watch with the commentary on or off, you can choose to listen to the Japanese narration by Ogata or the English narration recorded for American audiences by Roy Scheider. For obvious reasons, I chose to watch the film with the Japanese narration.
Disc Two… well, I suppose I´ll start at the beginning with the admission that I have simply not had the time to watch everything.
"Making ´Mishima´" is a 44-minute documentary featuring 2008 interviews with John Bailey, Eiko Ishioka, and Phillips Glass, all recorded for the Criterion Collection.
"Producing ´Mishima´" consists of interviews with producers Tom Luddy and Mataichiro Yamamoto (22 min.) and was also recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2007 and 2008.
An audio interview with writer Chieko Schrader (26 min.), whose husband Leonard died in 2006, was recorded in Los Angeles in 2008 and conducted by David Weisman.
Mishima biographer John Nathan and film critic Donald Richie, who both knew Mishima, discuss the man and his various myths (26 min.)
"Mishima on Mishima" is an interview with the writer for an episode of the series "Á la vitrine du libraire" and originally aired on January 15, 1966.
Saving the best for last, the disc also includes a 55-minute BBC documentary called "The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima" (1985) which covers much of the same ground as the film (obviously) but also includes plenty of archival footage of Mishima. As a public figure who dearly loved his camera time, there is no shortage of Mishima footage. I enjoyed this documentary quite a bit, even if there´s nothing revelatory about it.
The hefty 56-page insert booklet sits snugly in the cardboard case alongside the two-disc folding case, but it consists mostly of pictures. It does include a substantive essay by critic Kevin Jackson, a short piece about the film´s censorship in Japan (see below), and a very brief statement by Eiko Ishioka.
Film Value
As popular as "Mishima" was with international audiences, Japanese viewers never got the chance to see it except on bootleg copies. The film was (and still is) banned in Japan both because of the scandal caused by Mishima, and by censor´s fears about how the film would be received and used by nationalists who view Mishima as a hero and martyr.
Fortunately, this Criterion edition makes it easy for you to watch this strange and beautiful film about a strange and beautiful (and horrifying) man.
Criterion has released a companion piece to "Mishima" with as a separate disc with its own spine number, Mishima´s film "On Patriotism" which is reviewed here.
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[release]24194[/release]