11.25: The Day He Chose His Own Fate

A more straightforward biography by Wakamatsu. He's known for his activist and politics-infused films, but where most of them tend to stand out because of their stylistic choices, 11.25 is a more basic and generic attempt to have a look at the life of a notable figure who took his own life to make a point.

Mishima is a writer with a mission. He breaks into the Ministry of Defense with four like-minded followers, takes the commander hostage, and finds his way to the balcony, where he begins his speech. When he notices that people are making fun of him, he commits seppuku in front of them.

It's an intriguing setup alright, but Wakamatsu's portrayal is rather basic. The film is pretty long and is laden with political speech, performances are decent but none stand out. The speech itself is pretty impressive, but it's a case of too little, too late. Young Wakamatsu would've made a better film out of this.