Love, Death and Fascist Iconography Essay Example for Free

Love, Death and Fascist Iconography EssayTo the fascist blindist, his or her own 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 astounding parallelism in their works. Mishima, in his short story Patriotism, describe the human form with such percentage point and meticulousness reminiscent of Riefenstahls style in her 1930s films. Much like Riefenstahls The give-up the ghost 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 bulge ou t the latters appreciation and fascination of the strong and beautiful Nuba figure as examples of Nazi political orientation 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 conk out character Takeyama decides to commit seppukuritual suicide by disembowelmentas an act of redemption from the debase 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 Riefenstahl scarce symbols of fascist iconography, as Sontag would consider. In its own effect, Takeyama, Reiko and the Nuba become examples of the master race, where every unmatched is beautiful, strong, and does not age (Trimborn McCown 256).Mishima and Riefenstahls works are also parallel in such that their depictions of final stage are detailed, beautiful and about enthralling. In Patriotism, death in is portrayed as a reward, a happy and celebrated honoring that requires the utmost preparation. In the Nuba culture, death is a central event, along with fighting.In the Japanese culture, as testify 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 brios merriest eventsbirth, marriage, loveat times besting even life itself.Mishima writes, each 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 watchful to remonstrate to the exten t of destroying himself take the slightest heed of his death? He did not know and not military issue (par. 63). Takeyamas examination of self not only mirrors the authors suggestions of his own death wish, it also echoes the sentiments of those under the play of a fascist ideologytheir so-called patriotismthat converts their idea of nationhood as something not only territorial, besides 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 resultant role 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). Ab ove everything, Mishima verifies in his work and own life the burden that comes with the duty to abide by ethnical 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/ mental faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/33dTexts/SontagFascinFas cism75.htmTrimborn, Jurgen McCown, Edna. Leni Riefenstahl A Life. New York MacMillan, 2007.