3.5/5 stars One of post-war Japan’s most controversial figures, Yukio Mishima was an author, poet, playwright and actor who became an increasingly vocal far-right nationalist in the 1960s. Disheartened by Japan’s adoption of Western democratic values in the aftermath of the second world war, which he felt threatened his nation’s cultural identity, Mishima formed his own militia, the Tatenokai or “Shield Society”. Keisuke Toyoshima’s documentary Mishima: The Last Debate presents newly restored footage from a pivotal meeting that took place on May 13, 1969, between Mishima and a thousand left-leaning zenkyoto student activists, who had taken control of numerous university campuses across the country. A year and a half later, Mishima committed ritual suicide after a failed attempt to inspire a military coup. Interspersed with a number of newly recorded interviews with zenkyoto activists and tatenokai members who were present at the debate, Toyoshima’s film works best as a compelling time capsule of a volatile moment in Japanese history. The film provides ample background information about the student uprisings that had swept across Japan in 1968 and ’69, as they had in France, the United States, and numerous other countries. The student leaders are a particularly striking bunch, not least Akuta Masahiko, who goes head to head with Mishima while cradling a baby under his arm. Most fascinating, perhaps, is the reaction of those present, regardless of which side of the political spectrum they stood on, as the debate unfolds. The zenkyoto arrived en masse, eager to witness their student leaders tear down Mishima, who they regarded as out of touch and fuelled by little more than arrogance and bluster. However, rather than approach these idealistically opposed youngsters with violence or condescension, Mishima engaged the entire room calmly and respectfully. He refused to be deterred by the huge crowd, instead complimenting the students on their spirited movement, yet urging them to reconsider their political affiliation. Mishima remains a fascinating, if deeply divisive figure in Japanese history, and Toyoshima’s film can only go so far in unravelling the enigma. Intelligent, charismatic and prolific, Mishima was also fuelled by a fierce and dedicated sense of national pride that would ultimately consume him. Paul Schrader directed a visually ravishing biopic, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters , starring Ken Ogata, but Mishima: The Last Debate gets closer than ever before to understanding this deeply complex individual who became so violently opposed to the country he loved. Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook