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Woman in the Dunes

Play trailer Poster for Woman in the Dunes Released Oct 25, 1964 2h 5m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Entomologist Niki Jumpei (Eiji Okada) misses the last bus home when exploring for insects in a series of sand dunes, and is persuaded by local villagers to spend the night in a house at the bottom of the sandpit. An unnamed young widow (Kyôko Kishida) lives there alone, forced by the villagers to dig the sand that they sell to nearby cities for construction. Enslaved to dig sand alongside the widow, Niki plots his escape even as he adapts to his imprisonment.

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Woman in the Dunes

Critics Reviews

View All (33) Critics Reviews
William J. Nazzaro Arizona Republic The camera work by Hiroshi Segawa is often extraordinary in its ability to make a sheet of sand something mysterious and wonderful. Mar 30, 2022 Full Review Michael Kustow Sight & Sound The camera's power to turn fact into metaphor catches the intent of Kobo Abe's book perfectly. Mar 31, 2020 Full Review Jonathan Romney Independent on Sunday The couple's grimly inescapable dilemma becomes hugely complex and terrifyingly resonant -- a sexualised version of the Sisyphus myth, recounted with a distinct touch of Buuelian absurdism. Jun 29, 2015 Full Review Àngel Quintana Caimán Cuadernos de Cine Teshigahara films absurdity with a strong poetic consciousness. [Full review in Spanish] Sep 30, 2023 Full Review Joe Muldoon Battle Royale With Cheese There are few surprises to fans of the novel, but this by no means hampers enjoyment of the picture. May 2, 2023 Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film Teshigahara directed his sophomore effort with a storm that continues to choke viewers with its desolate landscape and allegory of existence Feb 14, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (340) audience reviews
Liam D An mixture of Trippy drama and Psychological Thriller it’s an fantastically written, well acted, beautifully shot and directed film Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/09/24 Full Review Lars N Not gonna lie - it felt long at times. But afterward I also found it to be perplexing, eerie and unshakable in the best way possible. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/28/24 Full Review Audience Member A Masterpiece. Erotic, frightening, philosophical, loving. One of my favorite films. One that I recommend to all. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/28/24 Full Review Sachin E How can a film be so realistic and yet so absurd at the same time? The film revolves around the philosophy of The Myth of Sisyphus. The sand here is an allegory of inescapable capitalism. The working class under capitalism is made to produce wealth for the rich through their incessant and meaningless labor, just like the man and woman who shovel sand for the villagers. As the man asks the woman, "Are you shoveling to live or living to shovel?" we should ask ourselves, "Are we working to live or living to work?" Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/08/23 Full Review mary m This film: Seen it at least half a dozen times and every time it's a revelation. I credit this as one of the film's that opened me up to the world of cinema. If you haven't seen it, you must. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Dave S Imagine if Rod Serling had asked Luis Bunuel and Franz Kafka to create a Twilight Zone episode based on the myth of Sisyphus. The end result would have undoubtedly been something along the lines of Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman in the Dunes. When entomologist Niki Junpei (Eija Okada) finds himself stranded in a remote desert region, the local villagers arrange for him to spend the night in the home of a widow who, strangely, lives at the bottom of a sandy pit. He soon finds that he is trapped, unable to climb out of the hole due to the instability of the sand, doomed to spend his life like Sisyphus, forever attempting an impossible challenge. Tackling themes of alienation, isolation, and the absurd nature of existence, Woman in the Dunes features effectively restrained performances, an intriguing premise, excellent sound effects, and stunning cinematography, making it a totally unique viewing experience. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Woman in the Dunes

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Entomologist Niki Jumpei (Eiji Okada) misses the last bus home when exploring for insects in a series of sand dunes, and is persuaded by local villagers to spend the night in a house at the bottom of the sandpit. An unnamed young widow (Kyôko Kishida) lives there alone, forced by the villagers to dig the sand that they sell to nearby cities for construction. Enslaved to dig sand alongside the widow, Niki plots his escape even as he adapts to his imprisonment.
Director
Hiroshi Teshigahara
Producer
Kiichi Ichikawa, Tadashi Oono
Screenwriter
Kobo Abe
Distributor
Milestone Film & Video
Production Co
Toho Company Ltd., Teshigahara Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 25, 1964, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 8, 2017
Runtime
2h 5m
Sound Mix
Mono
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