Patriotism - Criterion Collection (1966)

Strange, Compelling, Like All of Mishima's Life & Work

This short, cheap film illustrates Yukio's Mishima's devotion to his ideals of patriotism and love & how loyalty is an integral part of both. The one thing that strikes me about Mishima is his boldness. He is completely unshy in his presentation of himself and ideas. This can be a bit unsettling to a Westerner who is used to the common artistic practice of subtlty and metaphor. Mishima just goes for it. It's all there and there's not much to "figure out". I suppose onecould say Mishima is an extremist. This is a man who made a movie foreshadowing his own seppuku. It doesn't get much more extreme than setting your mind on killing yourself as a sociopolitical statement. The isn't really worth $22 to anyone but Mishima diehards but it is definately worth a rental (or two) to anyone remotely interested in this fascinating artist. September 25, 2008

Defining Love and Honor

"Patriotism"

Defining Love and Honor

Amos Lassen

"Patriotism", written, directed and starring Japanese great Yukio Mishima has finally been released in a beautiful edition by Criterion. "Patriotism" (Yukoku) was originally made in 1996 and foreshadowed Mishima's suicide with great artistic vision and a good amount of gore. The movie is the embodiment of Mishima's concerns and skepticism about the growing westernization of Japan. A navel officer and his wife commit suicide in the final act of the film which was shot in black and white thereby giving an eloquence that is captivating. The set is minimal therefore making the contrast beautiful and leading up to the graphic and artistic final act.
Mishima viewed his own life as a work of art and by the time he died at age 45, he wrote 40 novels, 18 plays, 20 books of short stories and over 20 collections of essays. He committed suicide on November 25. 1970 by disembowelment and he united his life with his art.
"Patriotism" is based on a short story that Mishima wrote four years before his death. The Criterion edition contains a new digital transfer of the film which is only 27 minutes long. There is also a documentary on the making of the film, a recording of Mishima speaking to the Foreign Correspondents Organization, an interview with Mishima on love and death. Also included is a booklet with the original short story, an essay by Tony Ryans, critic and historian as well as Mishima's notes on the production of the film.
This is the only film that Mishima ever made and there is no dialog. What we get is a written narrative. The film is striking and startling and even today it is still gory and bloody. The ritualized suicide of a dishonored Japanese patriot is dramatically portrayed and intense. The film hits hard even before the suicide as we are led to think about honor and what being alive means. The film left me shaken for quite a while afterwards and it made me wonder how audiences in 1966 reacted if it affected me this way in 2008. Even though I knew what was going to happen and was prepared for it, so I thought, it most definitely unnerved me.
September 20, 2008

A startling foreshadowing

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film

Patriotism, released as Yukoku in Japan, is film written and directed by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima.

The film depicts the seppuku, or ritual suicide, of an army officer that foreshadows the real life seppuku of Mishima a decade later.

All prints of the film were destroyed at the request of Mishima's widow, but the original camera negative was saved. This release is quite impressive as it is a film that quite possible would never have seen the light of day again, if not for the only existing copy being saved.

This edition contains both the English and Japanese intertitled versions, plus a documentary on the film's production, and interviews with Yukio Mishima.

This is a must-buy film for those interested in Japanese literature and film. August 23, 2008

Wholehearted sincerity

Written, directed, and starring novelist/playwright Yukio Mishima, this short film has a real expressive power. It embodies his concerns and skepticism about Japan's growing westernization. Plus it foreshadows things to come.
A naval officer, along with his wife, commits the Japanese suicide ritual of seppuku in a final act of patriotism.
Filmed in black and white, it harnesses a supremely captivating elegance. It is shot on a minimalist set, and the contrast presented is truly beautiful. The fatal act is quite graphic and artistic.
This disc includes an interview with Yukio. He declares "I pray for a death for the sake of something." A powerful statement.

An amazing piece of work. Plus a perfect companion film to the Criterion release Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. July 31, 2008

Yukio Mishima's foray into the film world is as challenging as you would expect from him....

Yukio Mishima, one of Japan's greatest writers and artists, made only one film, Patriotism, and our good friends at Criterion have released it in this very reasonably priced edition. The film is only 27 minutes long, and has no dialogue (though it has "written" narration). It's really a striking piece of work, and quite startling at times. It is also very gory and bloody, and can even make today's gorehounds grimace. I think the violence and blood in this film are much more effective is because they actually mean something, as opposed to many films today who seem to push the uncomfortable gore quotient with no reasoning or rhyming behind it. Yukio Mishima was an incredibly prolific, intense, brilliant, convulted, complex, and artistic individual, a man of many faces, masks, illusions, and realities, and this DVD is an absolute must for any of his fans. If you're not a Mishima fan, you should still rent/buy this disc, as you may become one. The film deals with many Mishima themes, that of patriotism, loyalty, the code of the Samurai, loyalty, modern vs. feudal Japan, etc., and the film is really quite good. It's staged on a Noh stage, which gives it a very distinct feel. If it was done in a realistic manner, it would have been immensely boring, but Mishima makes good choices by filming it in this manner.

Granted, this film is not the greatest of Mishima's artistic output (that is his Sea of Fertility tetraology), but it's still absolutely fascinating and holds up quite well today. The music in the film is a bit overdone, but as the film progresses, one adjusts and it becomes less intrusive. The DVD also includes snippets of Mishima interviews, and it's absolutely brilliant stuff. Where many "artists/writers" give interviews today and say very little, Mishima encompasses worlds in the few words he says. His talk about death, heroism, heroic deaths, politics, etc., etc. are very provocative and still valid today. He certainly wasn't shy about expressing his opinions, but as many people shout to express their opinions, Mishima's opinions are ones that mattre and really make one think on a deeper level. There is also a 45 minute documentary on the making of Patriotism, with the original crew and producer assembled. They reminisce about the making of the film (which only took 2 days to film), and how Mishima was pretty well organised for a first time director. It's a very good companion piece to the film. This is a great DVD for any Mishima fan, and for any fan of Japanese and world cinema. July 23, 2008

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