Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) (4K UHD + Blu-ray)

Paul Schrader’s visually stunning, collagelike portrait of the acclaimed Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima (played by Ken Ogata) investigates the inner turmoil and contradictions of a man who attempted the impossible task of finding harmony among self, art, and society. Taking place on the last day of Mishima’s life, when he famously committed public seppuku, the film is punctuated by extended flashbacks to the writer’s past as well as gloriously stylized evocations of his fictional works. With its rich cinematography by John Bailey, exquisite sets and costumes by Eiko Ishioka, and unforgettable, highly influential score by Philip Glass, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is a tribute to its subject and a bold, investigative work of art in its own right.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

4K digital restoration of the director’s cut, supervised and approved by director Paul Schrader and cinematographer John Bailey, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack

One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features

Two alternate English narrations, including one by actor Roy Scheider

Audio commentary featuring Schrader and producer Alan Poul

Program on the making of the film featuring Bailey, producers Tom Luddy and Mata Yamamoto, composer Philip Glass, and production designer Eiko Ishioka

Program on Yukio Mishima featuring his biographer John Nathan and friend Donald Richie

Audio interview with co-screenwriter Chieko Schrader

Interview excerpt from 1966 featuring Mishima talking about writing

The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima, a 1985 documentary about the author

Trailer

PLUS: An essay by critic Kevin Jackson, a piece on the film’s censorship in Japan, and photographs of Ishioka’s sets

Cover by Neil Kellerhouse