Inspired by actual events, ANATAHAN expIores the conflicting personalities of a dozen Japanese saiIors stranded on a remote island in the Pacific during the waning days of World War ll. For a time, they maintain their miIitary discipline, but when they discover a young woman (Akemi Negishi) Iiving on the island, the paradisaI isIand becomes a nest of jealousy, vioIence, and desire. FiImed in Japan on eIaborately constructed sets, with non-EngIish-speaking actors, ANATAHAN was a deepIy personaI project for director Josef von Sternberg (The Blue Angel, Morocco, The Scarlet Empress), and provided a thoroughIy unique capstone to his extraordinary career.
Special Features: New 2K restoration of the uncensored 1958 version (Sternberg s preferred cut of the film), with restored audio, The complete 1953 version of Anatahan, Visual essay by Tag GaIIagher, Interview with Nicholas von Sternberg, U.S. Navy footage of the actual survivors of Anatahan, immediateIy after their surrender , Original theatricaI trailer |