While we instantly think of George Lucas as the man behind the galaxy’s greatest blockbusters and archaeological treasures, he has a quirky heart that has always longed to delve into the unexpected. Step back 30 years with io9 as they take a look at Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters, a Japanese film directed by Paul Schrader and produced by Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola that is arguably one of the most daring films ever funded by a mainstream Hollywood studio, to the extent that it was banned in Japan.
In a decade ruled by Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters stands out. The structure, which is broken into four thematic chapters, is unique as well as the cinematography and the sets. The score is one of Philip Glass’s best. The result is stunning and self-indulgent, hypnotic and flawed, much like the man it portrayed.
It was also produced by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola. Schrader and they went way back, with the three of them belonging to the generation of film school educated screenwriters and directors known as the “movie brats.” The two of them, Lucas especially, were the biggest names in the business. They had also long been interested in Japan, citing the country’s films and culture as influences. (Still, seeing George Lucas’s name on something like this post-Return of the Jedi somehow seems remarkable.)
