is a 1983 Japanese

pink film in its broadest sense includes almost any Japanese theatrical film that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. The Western equiv ...

(

softcore pornographic Softcore pornography or softcore porn, is commercial photography, still photography or film that has a pornographic or erotica, erotic component but is less sexually graphic and intrusive than hardcore pornography, defined by a lack of visual sexu ...

film) directed by and written by

Rokurō Mochizuki is a Japanese film director who has worked in pink film, adult videos and mainstream cinema. He won the award for Best Director at the 19th Yokohama Film Festival for ''Onibi (film), Onibi'' and ''A Yakuza in Love''. Life and career Early career ...

. A satire of the life of Japanese author and

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

Yukio Mishima, the film was one of the earliest commercially produced gay pornographic films in Japan.

Synopsis

First-year university student Shinohara Itsuro joins an all-male

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

society overseen by Mitani Makio, an intellectual and poet. Mitani seeks to launch a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

against the Japanese government, and intends to die by ritual ''

seppuku , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

'' if the coup is unsuccessful. Upon being initiated into the society, Shinohara is assigned fellow recruit Takizawa to be his '' senpai''; the two have sex after a night of heavy drinking, and become lovers shortly thereafter. Such encounters are a common occurrence within the ranks of the society, with training camp exercises and a rehearsal of Mitani's death by ''seppuku'' both progressing into

orgies In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party consisting of at least five members where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained sexual activity or group sex. Swingers' parties do not always conform to this designation, because at many swin ...

among Mitani and the recruits. The night before the coup, Mitani instructs Shinohara and Takizawa to return home to be with each other one final time. After a night of vigorous intercourse, the couple awaken only to discover that they have overslept and missed the coup. Two years later, Shinohara and Takizawa have become

crossdressers Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes usually worn by a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and self-express oneself. Cross-dressing has play ...

at a gay bar.

Cast

Tatsuya Nagatomo is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with Office Osawa. He is originally from Nagasaki Prefecture. Live appearances *''Goodbye Boy'' *''Matasaburo-kun no Koto: Bokura no Jidai'' *'' Beautiful Mystery'' Voice roles Video games *''Valky ...

*Kei Shiyuto *Akira Yamashina *

Ren Osugi , born was a Japanese actor. For his work in ''Cure'', ''Hana-bi'' and other films, Osugi was given the Best Supporting Actor award at the 1999 Yokohama Film Festival. He often worked alongside Takeshi Kitano and Susumu Terajima. In the DVD comme ...

Production and release

The film was directed by and written by

, with cinematography by Hideo Ito, editing by Makoto Sawada, and music by Pink Box. The film was released direct to adult theaters in Japan in 1983, and was one of the earliest commercially produced gay pornographic films in Japan. In North America, an English-language subtitled version of the film was released by distributor Water Bearer Films in 1993. ''Beautiful Mystery'' is a

, a genre of Japanese

films that often include

exploitation Exploitation may refer to: *Exploitation of natural resources *Exploitation of labour **Forced labour *Exploitation colonialism *Slavery **Sexual slavery and other forms *Oppression *Psychological manipulation In arts and entertainment *Exploita ...

and experimental elements. The film is a satire of Japanese author and nationalist Yukio Mishima and his private militia the ''

Tatenokai The or Shield Society was a private militia in Japan dedicated to traditional Japanese values and veneration of the Emperor. It was founded and led by author Yukio Mishima. Background The Tatenokai was created on October 5, 1968, recruiting ...

'', who in 1970 launched a failed coup attempt which ended in Mishima's death by ''seppuku''. The fictionalized society's focus on physical fitness in particular echoes '' Sun and Steel'', Mishima's 1968 essay on bodybuilding and martial arts.

Reception

Reviewing the film for '' Variety'', critic Dennis Harvey commended the film's performances and script as functioning "on more than a purely titillating plane", but criticized its "too-farcical" ending scene. Gavin Walker of the socialist magazine ''

Jacobin , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = Pa ...

'' called the film "perhaps the greatest critical response" to both "Mishima's own work and to the portentous unintentional comedy that runs through far-right appropriations of Mishima". ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

'' praised the film as "ribald" and "highly entertaining", noting that it is "amazing that he filmwas made at a time when discussion of Mishima's sexuality was a virtual taboo in Japan".

References

External links