ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘Mishima’ takes ‘provocative*
look at artists’ confrontations
An artist dunces with a friend in a gay bar
at night. The friend makes a Joke-abopl.t hear- .
list's flabby shoulders Ihstjmd of telling the
friend how hurt ho fuels, the man leaves him
«nd gees home. Thu fri.und phonos him and the
artist arranges.a rendezvous'll* front of liis
house Them he lolls h'is.friond that he can not.
bear , to look at himself in the mirror, so
displeased is he with.his own appearance...'
Such confrontations' between people are
the stuff «tf which Paul.Schrader's "Mishima"
is made ' ■'
. /Mishima' * treats .the. life of the pro-..
• vocaljv'e Japanese writer.and celebrity Yukio.
Mishima. The fl.ltol itself is extremely pro
-vocative.-Any large spectacle .that its adverfls- .
mg in.ight load-uno'-|d expect is absent. Indeed, .
\lhe filftv is veryintimate People talk,.foel
helpless.' .-Pinke (lei isioqs and. carry out s
° actions/-„ ' ".. .
'.Three‘‘ main narrative levels extend
through,.the film simultaneously-: .vignettes-'
', from the .artist's life."filmed in black and'
/ whbef scenes-from three of his novels' filmed.
• • in. loud colors on-stylized set ft;aiuilhe events /
of the last day of-Mishiina s' life, filmed 'In
routed Cptork; in' which’ he and officers- from" •
Ills private arinv.' entered the lapauese A'rim
iloadquarters, tied up tlie i.oiiunaiide'r, and ad-. •
: dressed the garrison from- .the roof.-: These-:*
• soldiers refused to listen, and Mishima i dm f
milled ritual suicide.. . ' .' ; ' . « •
The charac ters in the.fiction, As vveH- afi-.
. Mishima Himself. a re. loners This is consistent
\\ till other Schrader tilms. ini hiding;-"Tax l*.
.. IJfly'er.*'. which he scripted. / Aiiierii aivV
tiigold' and "Cat People." In ' Mishima."'■the
main characters all perform, destructive acts.-/
but these acts are presented as being the result _
.. Jit a constructive private’sean ii not of dfistnic- ..
'. . iiiye social pressures
• /•''*' -Thus-in the first fictional episode .live'.'
young' temple acolyte Mizogui hi. stuck, in a'
world that has neither horizon nor. skv. is en
tranced and paralv/.ed by the beauty’nf the ■
golden pavilion where he works. Deciding to
hum.ft down. h'e.loses his .stutter and breaks
through his claustrophobic universe.
In fHe second episode, the narcissistic;
Osarnu is bored with his friends' discussions
about the wounds of art . Dissatisfied also with
sex. he resolves Uotii problems by first
building up the muscles of bis body, and then
by letting liis new girlfriend tarnish his beauty
.by lacerating it. . •
In the third episode, the focus.of the film
shifts from (he-individual's relation to beauty
andarj-to the indivfdual anil political action,
isao. a young "cadet.‘ leads a group devoted to
' overthrowing Japan's capitalist leadership and
restoring. th«! country ' the .Kmpiiror., thus
restoring’, the sun to ils proper place.. Isao,
assassinates the most powerful capitalist. Tie'.
fhen runs to tl\e. ticean's. edge and commits
"hara.kiri-as the'(pin rises." ^
*; , ■ The past.of theaf.ilm deals with Mishinia'jo
ow.ir ait tempted jmilitaty takeover.anil suicide
; Ip 'the ■standard*'-' I ife of an artist'" film, (hear-- •.
'Hit's vtoi'r'ksVreJpfesetited as' lieing'lhe fruits of '.
• his life^lh "Mishima.’.' however. theclimax of”
• ihe.artist's .life tiecomes a'fourth" stprS’ . *
: before see mg tliefil|fi..l was afraid that thiVV
■"irtusicfybyI'h.illip XJtas.sf and* thg sels.wotdd
■; draw toojimcii attention.-Nut a°t ail.The nip sic*
is resiraintid, .-and’d'Mishima.'s'-' -'orijjy,
Ihealficalily is not really-in the sets, bid ‘iii the.,
.■imporfimcc-'given to decision, an'd-.actipn.
' •.''Sim e - ''•fvii'shima'" concerns, itself with
; Hcftlifitti. Hess. than what the p’roper relation ''
shinijif be lietween art and action .Words and \
. the body*. Urn film takes .high aesthetic ri.sks
.Th'e'r’isks pay off liecausc t he-abst rai l co'ncerjVs
nryordetf.nl Irom the • iiiimediuey" id the ;
.Tinman.r.eiiUiouships ;'•Mishini.c' is'woith see • • •
., iiig.s’ey lira I. tunes•
' Tvtisiiima" is currentlV showing at the Ui
'jo.ti ’'ihhJugh Thursday*. • y••. .*••
. V ' ~ ' I
* By Michael lames
Trial
(kintinuwi from Pag« 1
"I don't see him on a social basis now."
block said.
"I thought lift was a super athlete He was
always running, and I understand he was training
for the Olympics." Block" said. "Now he's focus
ed on school, like he was before with his
running."-.
Donald Prickell. director of rehabilitation for
the Center for Neuru-Kdueational Therapy in
Kugene, told the jury that examinations and
reports . indicate Rosier suffers cognitive and
psvcho-soclal deficits Prickell said Rosier will
need about 10.years of cognitive rehabilitation
Costs for rehabilitation would be about $2,000 in
month for' the first two;years;, he Safd.
It js obvious Ko.sier is .compensating lor his
deficits, Pricked said.
"It was veryClear to me that.this is riot an in
dividual who'can process a large amount of infor
mation;- he's- easily distracted,-'' he said . ‘‘An in
ability to plan, organize and follow through can
become a problem,*', .
Continued on Page fl
uun i
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