Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

Is a highly stylized dramatization of the life and work of ultra-nationalistic Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Beyond the four chapters mentioned in the title ("Beauty", "Art", "Action, "Harmony of Pen and Sword"), it is separated into three interspersed components, each with its own distinct visual cue: "present day", November 25, 1970, which is presented in a naturalistic light; flashbacks to his past which provide some history to what led to present day, and which are presented in muted black and white; and dramatizations of three of his written works, in order "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion", "Kyoko's House", and "Runaway Horses", which are meant to provide some insight into his beliefs, and which are presented on stark sets stating its artifice, and in bold color palettes. The final chapter consists solely of present day, which brings together all the components presented in the previous three chapters. In the actions of that day, he, with a handful of members of a "private army" coined the Shield Society by his side, tries to bring back what he considers the purity of Japanese culture which has long been missing in his opinion.