Had he lived, the Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima would have been 100 years old this year.  His spectacular death in November 1970 - where his attempted coup d’edat and subsequent ritual suicide / sent shock waves through Japanese society, dividing opinion on whether he was a visionary or a fraud, a revolutionary or a reactionary, a martyr or a madman.  
 

Paul Schrader’s 1985 biopic does much to unpick these various quandaries at the centre of Mishima’s life and work. Using the 1970 ‘Incident’ as a structuring motif, the film explores the author’s biography in relation to several key works, which receive truncated adaptations in a variety of cinematic styles. Visually stunning, the film also boasts a terrific score from American minimalist Philip Glass, and is perfect as both an introduction to the author’s work and a companion piece for those already familiar.

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For those of a more adventurous nature, experience some Mishima-adjacent hi-jinx in our screening of ‘Beautiful Mystery’ on Tuesday 18th November!