Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)★ 7.9/10

R · JP,US · 120 min · January 1, 1985

  • Drama
  • Biography

Directed by: Paul Schrader

Written by: Chieko Schrader, Paul Schrader, Leonard Schrader, Jun Shiragi, Yukio Mishima

Four chapters trace Mishima’s life through his fiction and his final day, blending reality and literature.

Articles about this

Cast & crew

See all ›

Awards · 0 wins, 1 nominations

See all ›

Reviews

CCarla_GravesSeptember 22, 2025
It’s a distinctive and visually arresting biopic. By using theatrical, minimalist staging, the film explores Mishima’s inner world while interweaving pivotal moments of his life with his creative output. Divided into four chapters, it gains additional emotional depth from Philip Glass’s haunting score, which amplifies its meditative intensity.
CCornelius_ZamoraSeptember 22, 2025
Without some familiarity with Yukio Mishima’s writings, the film can be difficult to understand. It blends scenes from his life with dramatizations of his works, using his literature as a key to his personal struggles. The casting, though, is questionable, as the lead lacks the charisma and presence that Mishima embodied.
AAlexandre JrAugust 18, 2026
Nunca vi algo tão lindo visualmente, parece que nasci e vivi até o dia que assisti Mishima, o pós aguarda o momento que assistirei algo tão bonito novamente.

In these picks