this be my favourite film and i think it be perfect . unlike virtually any other film i can name and i never watch this film and think it would have be good if they would change this or that or whatever . be this the definition of a work of art . i think so . every brushstroke in mishima be perfect and it all flow from the schrader script . i have always sort of liked paul schrader work ( you can not argue with taxi driver and light sleeper be an amazing film ) and but while his write often seem to border on the bombastic and his directing style be usually non existent . this be deliberate and i think and because his film usually deal with a search for redemption and be set in the real world while ugly and harsh . his style suit his theme a he present his character in a simple and realistic way and and let them show the audience the truth of the situation . imagine if schrader have direct taxi driver or bring out the dead and instead of scorsese . but like the protagonist of those two film and while mishima the man be ideal schrader material and right wing and vain and at odds with society and his work be subtle and beautiful . in fact he have a secondary writing career a a woman writer and churn out what can reasonably be describe a romantic potboiler . so you wouldn not necessarily imagine that schrader be the ideal man to capture that subtlety and beauty on film . i think the film show that he be . the script he help fashion split mishima the man into three part while his life and his death and his mind . his life be represent in black and white and still camera and formal composition . his death and for which he will always be best remember and be handheld documentary style . and his mind be represent by the dramatised extract from his novel and each one reveal the thought process of this complex man and who hardly ever write a character that wasn not a reflection of himself . these dramatisation be beautiful to look at and thanks to eiko ishioka remarkable production design and schrader imaginative staging . in all part and the acting be superb and especially from ken ogata a mishima and who capture the essential charm and arrogance and narcissism of the man . the photography be excellent throughout and contains image that the viewer will retain forever . finally and the music be simply superb and perfectly match the image and although write and record before shoot and adjust during the editorial process and then re record . how much the music influence the shoot i do not know and but it bond perfectly to the image . i have see many idea of what various people think the theme of the film be and what schrader be try to say . you know and the big stuff about life and death etc . but i do not think the film be say anything . mishima have already say it and the film simply repeat .