Biopics make us groan. No matter how much filmmakers want to try to break away from the formula, there are narrative beats and tropes that always find themselves popping up.
In a stroke of genius, Paul Schrader’s Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters depicts the life of Yukio Mishima, the most infamous author in Japan, whilst intertwining his life with adaptations of the novels he wrote. These dramatisations of Mishima’s books in fact reveal his deeper fascinations and obsessions in a way showing scenes from his real life never could. By throwing caution to the wind, Schrader turns the biopic form into a study of both the art and the artist. All of which is underscored by an impeccable score by Koyaanisqatsi composer, Philip Glass.
A panel discussion exploring the use of music in the film will act as an introduction to the film, featuring:
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Emily Holland - violinist with the Piatti Quartet, performing Cinematic Quartets at the Crucible Playhouse
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Tara Creme - composer for film and TV, notably the documentaries Your Fat Friend, Seahorse, and Panorama: The Chris Kaba Shooting
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Holly Williams - journalist and critic, writing about film for BBC Culture, Little White Lies, and The Observer
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Benjamin Tassie (chair) - Sheffield Programme Manager at Music in the Round, Lecturer in Composition at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Screening ahead of Music in the Round's concert Ravel & Glass: Cinematic Quartets by Piatti Quartet on Thursday 6 November. Book tickets to the concert here.
The concert features the following works:
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HERMAN (arr. Birchall) Suite from ‘Psycho’ (10’)
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GREENWOOD Prospector’s Quartet from ‘There Will Be Blood’ (3’)
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GLASS String Quartet No.3 (18’)
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RAVEL String Quartet in F (30’)
