Japon 2002
A man with no name (Alejandro Ferretis) limps through the Mexican high country in what he intends to be his last journey. It is clear that he hates himself and is tired of life, but in order to prepare for death he seeks first the solitude of the mountains and finds shelter with Ascen (Magdalene Flores), an elderly widow living on the outskirts of a mountain village.
She isn't without her own problems, either, as her nephew is in the process of cheating her out of her barn. Gradually, El Hombre and Ascen found a relationship, which grows with the passing days, as he wrestles with the urge to self-destruct and a compunction to cling on to his new-found life and to help her in her struggle.

Recruiting a cast of nonactors and filming in sublime 16 mm CinemaScope, Reygadas explores the harsh beauty of the Mexican country­side with earthy tactility, conjuring a psychic landscape where religion mingles with sex, life coexists with death, and the animal and spiritual sides of human experience become indistinguishable. A work of soaring ambition and startling visual poetry, Japon is an existential journey through uncharted cinematic territory that established the singular voice of its director.

Director: Carlos Reygadas
Cast: Alejandro Ferretis, Magdalena Flores, Yolanda Villa
Country: Mexico, Germany, Netherlands, Spain
Genre: Drama

DVD9 | PAL 16:9 | 02:07:37 | 7.80 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Espanol
Subtitles: English

Extras:
-- Carlos Reygadas Interview
-- Documentary "Ayacatzintla"
-- Trailer

BD50, 2xDVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 02:14:22 | 46.3 Gb + 13 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Espanol
Subtitles: English

Extras:

Carlos Reygadas - in this new video program, Carlos Reygadas discusses his approach to film-making and the production history of Japon with director Amat Escalante. The program was recorded exclusively for Criterion in November 2017. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (43 min, 1080p).

Deleted Scene - presented here is an alternate ending for the film that was used during its screening at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2002. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

Production Diary - actor Alejandro Ferretis ("the man") documented the shooting of Japon with a Hi8 camera and edited his memories into the film presented here. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (102 min, 1080i).

Adulte - this short film was directed by Carlos Reygadas in 1998 while he was living in Belgium. It is presented with a separate director's note. (7 min, 1080i).

Trailer - an original trailer for Japon. With music and English text. (2 min, 1080i).

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