Naked Island 05/16 Blu-ray (Rental)

Director Kaneto Shindo s documentary-like, dialogue-free portrayal of daily struggle is a work of stunning visual beauty and invention. The international breakthrough for one of Japan s most innovative filmmakers who went on to make such other marvelous movies as Onibaba and Kuroneko The Naked Island follows a family whose home is on a tiny, remote island off the coast of Japan. They must row a great distance to another shore, collect water from a well in buckets, and row back to their island a nearly backbreaking task essential for the survival of these people and their land. Featuring a phenomenal modernist score by Hikaru Hayashi, this is a truly hypnotic experience, with a rhythm unlike that of any other film. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES - New, high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack - Video introduction by director Kaneto Shindo, recorded for a 2011 retrospective of his work - Audio commentary recorded in 2000, featuring Shindo and composer Hikaru Hayashi - New appreciation of the film by actor Benicio Del Toro - New interview with film scholar Akira Mizuta Lippit - Trailer - New English subtitle translation - PLUS: An essay by film scholar Haden Guest