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By Eric Jessen 7/16/09

Let me first excuse, Patriotism is a short film directed by the renowned Japanese play writer and author Yukio Mishima. In it, Mishima and actress Yushiko Tsuruoka operate a seppuku, also known as a harakiri, which literally means stomach cutting. This film foreshadowed Mishima's authentic death in which he and four understudies locked themselves in the Tokyo headquarters for Japan's Self-Defense department, tied up the commandant, made a disquisition to Japanese soldiers which was intended to inspire a coup, then committed the ritual suicide including the final beheading of Mishima. Mishima had foreshadowed this actuality in many of his books and plays. The short film is available on the Criterion Collection. You can also learn more about Mishima's life by watching the fanciful film Mishima: A Life of Four Chapters.

Now I'll tell you what I think of the short film.........

Patriotism is extremely well made with magnificent black and white photography. The high contrast photography accentuates the abstract and organic shapes of the understanding body. It is a vivid and fascinating portrayal of the ritual suicide. Though perhaps unintended by Mishima, who wanted Patriotism to show how affectionate and noble a seppuku is, Patriotism exposes flaws in a feudalistic, militarist society. There's is also an interesting strangely risqu nature to the ritual suicide in Patriotism........But..........Call me naive......... I hate how Yukio Mishima exploits the veil medium. He used Patriotism as a publicity stunt to increase his fame in 1966 and to increase his legend, making it a part of the puzzle that foreshadowed his own suicide. Mishima was a genius at marketing himself. He wore funny clothes, dated distinguished women, appeared in gangster...

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