Movie fans in Japan are accustomed to waiting months, sometimes years, for new releases to make it over here. It doesn¡¯t normally take four decades. Such was the case with Paul Schrader¡¯s ¡°Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters,¡± a 1985 biopic of one of Japan¡¯s most celebrated, and certainly most controversial, writers.
¡°I guess I knew that this moment would come,¡± said Schrader, speaking to a packed auditorium at the movie¡¯s Japan premiere at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) in late October. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know whether I would be alive to see it.¡±
He certainly didn¡¯t need to worry about pulling a crowd. ¡°Mishima¡± garnered more buzz than anything else at this year¡¯s festival. Tickets sold out in under 15 minutes. (In response to overwhelming demand, TIFF is organizing two additional screenings of the film this weekend.)
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