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Woman in the Dunes

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Woman in the Dunes

Released Oct 25, 1964

2h 5m

Drama

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33 Reviews

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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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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

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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

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诗杨傅

Have you ever seen a damp desert? It is both hope and despair; it is a scream and also silence. It hides traps, yet nurtures new springs. It sparks elusive love between men and women, yet strikes the longing for life. It is the unbearable filth, yet also the emptiness of seclusion. It embraces, yet devours; it is both a burden and vitality; it is madness, yet also utterly meaningless.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/25

Full Review

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

01/25/25

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

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

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Hiroshi Teshigahara

Director

Eiji Okada

Entomologist Niki Jumpei

Kyôko Kishida

Woman

Kôji Mitsui

Actor

Hiroko Ito

Entomologist's wife (in flashbacks)

Sen Yano

Actor

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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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