Japón (2002)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Carlos Reygadas

Writer:

Carlos Reygadas (writer)

Release Date:

2 October 2002 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A painter from the big city goes to a remote canyon to commit suicide. To reach some calmness he stays at the farmstead of Ascen, an old religious woman. Although but a few words are spoken love grows. |

Plot Keywords:

Canyon | Singer | Male Frontal Nudity | Animal Sex | Deception

Awards:

16 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Alejandro Ferretis	...	The man
Magdalena Flores	...	Ascen
Yolanda Villa	...	Sabina
Martín Serrano	...	Juan Luis
Rolando Hernández	...	The judge
Bernabe Pérez	...	The singer
Fernando Benítez	...	Fernando
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carlo Reygadas Barquín	...	The hunter

Directed by
Carlos Reygadas

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Carlos Reygadas		writer

Produced by
Carlos Reygadas	....	producer
Jaime Romandia	....	co-producer
Carlos Serrano Azcona	....	associate producer
Gerardo Tagle	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Diego Martínez Vignatti
Thierry Tronchet

Film Editing by
Daniel Melguizo
Carlos Serrano Azcona
David Torres

Production Design by
Alejandro Reygadas

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alex Ezpeleta	....	second assistant director
Bertrand Roland	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Gilles Laurent	....	sound
Ramón Moreira	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Diego Martínez Vignatti	....	camera operator
Thierry Tronchet	....	chief camera operator

Other crew
Rubio Marco	....	production assistant

Thanks
Arvo Pärt	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• No Dream Cinema
• Mantarraya Producciones
• Hubert Bals Fund
• Solaris Film
• Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)

Distributors

• Artecinema (2003) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2003) (UK) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Bodega Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Contact Film Cinematheek (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Eurocine (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Look Now! (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Mantarraya Producciones (2003) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Sharada Distribuzione (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Tartan (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Vitagraph Films (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Moskwood Media (200?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Palisades Tartan (2002) (USA) (all media)
• Tartan Video USA (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Tartan Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Ventura Distribution (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Japan (Europe: English title) (festival title) (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality, nudity and language.

Runtime:

130 min | Argentina:132 min | Canada:122 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Netherlands:143 min | USA:122 min | UK:133 min | USA:128 min (unrated version)

Country:

Mexico | Germany | Netherlands | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (cut) | USA:Unrated | France:U | Australia:MA | Argentina:16 | New Zealand:R16 | UK:18 (cut)

Company:

No Dream Cinema

Trivia:

Director Carlos Reygadas financed the initial shoot of $50,000 himself.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Ayacatzintla (2003)

"Japon" Worth the Trip to Mexican Mountaintop Death

A traveller on a suicidal trek arrives in a remote mountain village. He takes lodging with an elderly woman on the mountaintop, with whom a bizarre relationship ensues. He is eventually unable to kill himself, but death surprisingly strikes elsewhere.

The title is ironic, i suppose, as the iconography and pace oppose the (western?) cultural imaginary of 'Japan': Suicide fails, work is inefficient, landscape is arid, tech. is primitive, speech and emotion and action are low-key and lax, almost indifferent.

Coarse, minimalistic, stunning. Cinematically reminiscent of Herzog.