Criterion present Carlos Reygadas' 2002 film breakthrough feature film "Japón" on a dual layered Blu-ray with a high bitrate. It is advertised as a "New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Carlos Reygadas". When compared to the DVD, the Criterion 1080P whopping 2.88:1 widescreen image has rounded corners and shows more information on all sides of the frame. The film was shot on 16mm in Cinemascope (Tronchet Scope). The amount of detail is impressive for a film shot on 16mm, making this the best the film has looked to date, outside of a theatrical projection. The colors are intentionally somewhat muted, with a gold and silver hue. The film stock chosen works in creating a somber mood, in line with the main character's despair, with source lighting occasionally creating an overblown or washed-out image (an artistic choice that is no fault of this transfer). Criterion have another fantastic transfer here, one that will surely please fans of Reygadas.

Criterion present the film in 24-bit 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio. The audio sounds good, with a decent separation of dialogue and ambient sounds. The film is notable for not having a score, giving the events of the film a certain amount of realism. There are optional English subtitles on this Region 'A' Blu-ray.

Actor Alejandro Ferretis shot nearly 20 hours of images during the film’s production, which he edited down to 100 minutes presented here as an extra. Sadly, Ferretis died three years after capturing these moments on film. Though the Hi8 camera video quality is limited, this is still a fascinating collection of behind the scenes moments. There are optional English subtitles on this featurette. Also included here is a 43-minute conversation between director Carlos Reygadas and filmmaker Amat Escalante. The two discuss a wide range of topics, including the choice to shoot in 16mm Cinemascope, various stylistic choices, and Reygadas' love of the cinema by way of Marcel Carne, Carlos Saura, Ermanno Olmi, and the Brazilian films of Pereira dos Santos. This is a surprisingly in-depth conversation and a welcome extra, especially in lieu of a commentary. Also included here is Adulte, a 7-minute 1998 short film by Reygadas that reminds one of the works of Ingmar Bergman. This short film was directed by Carlos Reygadas in 1998, while he was living in Belgium. He used the format to learn the technical aspects of filmmaking. When Japon premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2002, it featured a different ending showing the crash that concludes the film, not just its aftermath. The 2-minute scene is also presented here as it appeared in that version. There is also a booklet featuring an essay by novelist Valeria Luiselli, behind-the-scenes photographs, and a selection of Reygadas’s original storyboards and a new cover thanks to Sam Smith.

A fair warning that this film features some scenes of animal violence, and was cut in certain parts of the world, though remains intact here. There are also moments of a somewhat overt and explicit sexual nature. That being said, this feature-length debut from Carlos Reygadas is outstanding, beaming with style and not afraid of moments of contemplative silences. Fans of Tarkovsky, Herzog, and Olmi will certainly find a lot to love here, as the film reminds one of those great directors, while at the same time carving its own unique path. I would recommend that people check out Reygadas' 2012 film "Post Tenebras Lux", as that is one of the best films of the last decade, to my memory.

***

ON THE DVD: The picture quality of 2.65:1 anamorphic 16mm (that's 16mm, not even Super 16) is surprisingly beautiful. Removable English subs. Nice to have some meaty extras (a long director interview and an interesting documentary about an open-air screening of the film for the villagers where the film was shot). Note must be made here that the interview has been appallingly filmed (the camerawoman has left the auto-focus on the DV camera and the focus constantly shifts between Reygadas and the bookshelf behind him - hundreds of times. It really messed my eyes up.) The locations in this film are hands down the best thing about it. Almost worth seeing just for the locations (and a fantastic drunken song by a peripheral extra). I'm sure others will get more enjoyment out of the film than I did.