Love, Death and Fascist Iconography Essay Example for Free

Love, Death and Fascist Iconography EssayTo the fascist artist, his or her let art is merely a vessel that encapsulates his or her own socially-motivated beliefs. The works of Yukio Mishima and Leni Riefenstahl, for instance, embody the essence of their individual nationalities at the height of their individual careersnationalities that might transcend origin and geography, yet extol culture, tradition, ritual and society.Mishima and Riefenstahl exhibit undreamt parallelism in their works. Mishima, in his short story Patriotism, describe the human form with such detail and meticulousness reminiscent of Riefenstahls style in her 1930s films. Much like Riefenstahls The Last of the Nuba, the naked body is depicted as a means of fascist iconographythe body, perfect and pure in its own way, merges with a bigger community of bodies of like characteristics (Evans 31).Susan Sontags treatise on the works of Riefenstahl, Fascinating Fascism, breaks down the latters appreciation and fasc ination of the grueling and beautiful Nuba figure as examples of Nazi ideology corresponding to the idea of aesthetics for fascists. Sontag writes, Riefenstahls portrait of them evokes some of the larger themes of Nazi ideology the stock between the clean and the impure, the incorruptible and the defiled, the physical and the mental, the joyful and the critical (par. 27).This description is echoed in Mishimas Patriotism, when the lead character Takeyama decides to commit seppukuritual suicide by disembowelmentas an act of redemption from the dishonor incurred when his comrades formed alliances with the mutineers. Mishimas imagery of Takeyama and his wife Reikos preparations for the ritual, as well as the metaphors he uses in describing the couples physical forms conveys a fascination for perfection and beauty a la Riefenstahlremarkable symbols of fascist iconography, as Sontag would consider. In its own effect, Takeyama, Reiko and the Nuba pose examples of the master race, where every wholeness is beautiful, strong, and does not age (Trimborn McCown 256).Mishima and Riefenstahls works are also parallel in such that their depictions of death are detailed, beautiful and almost enthralling. In Patriotism, death in is portrayed as a reward, a happy and celebrated ceremony that requires the utmost preparation. In the Nuba culture, death is a aboriginal event, along with fighting.In the Japanese culture, as evidenced by Mishimas paramount detail in describing Takeyamas death, death is a way for one to demonstrate his or her enduring loyalty and nationalism to the Imperial system. Death in both Mishima and Riefenstahls works surpass carriages merriest eventsbirth, marriage, have a go at itat times besting even carriage itself.Mishima writes, All around, vastly and untidily, stretched the country for which he grieved. He was to give his life for it. But would that great country, which he was nimble to remonstrate to the extent of destroying himself take the slightest heed of his death? He did not know and not matter (par. 63). Takeyamas examination of self not altogether mirrors the authors suggestions of his own death wish, it also echoes the sentiments of those under the spell of a fascist ideologytheir so-called patriotismthat converts their idea of nationhood as something not only territorial, just now equally and incredibly spiritual.The young lieutenant and his bride chose their own death by seppuku, which may be seen as either an honorable and extremely devout approach, or as a self-destructive and deadly consequence of their fanaticism. Mishima unintentionally diverts the readers attention from this concept with his alluring illustrations of fascist ideals and concepts, again reminiscent of Riefenstahls imagery in her Nazi films. Sontag would consider it an absolute expression of fascist art, in the sense that it glorifies surrender, exalts mindlessness, and glamorizes death (par. 36). Above everything, Mishima verifies in hi s work and own life the burden that comes with the duty to abide by cultural traditionduty can be all in one beautiful or ugly, life or death.Works CitedEvans, Mark. Movement Training for the Modern Actor. London, UK Taylor and Francis, 2008.Mishima, Yushio. Patriotism. Trans. Geoffrey W. Sargent. Mutantfrog Travelogue. 27 June 2009. http//www.mutantfrog.com/patriotism-by-yukio-mishima/Sontag, Susan. Fascinating Fascism. University of California Santa Barbara. 27 June 2009. http//www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/33dTexts/SontagFascinFas cism75.htmTrimborn, Jurgen McCown, Edna. Leni Riefenstahl A Life. New York MacMillan, 2007.