Woman in the Dunes (1964)

 Hiroshi Teshigahara's "Woman in the Dunes"

Hiroshi Teshigahara's 1965 film "Woman in the Dunes" is perhaps one of the strangest and enigmatic films I've ever seen. The film's eccentricity stems primarily from its plot. From there, Teshigahara's direction takes Nouvelle Vague-esque turns and really creates a haunting atmosphere. The film is often called one of the greatest Japanese films ever made, as its ambiguity creates a singularly unique experience.

The film's plot centers on a schoolteacher and amateur entomologist named Junpei who leaves Tokyo for a rural coastal village to collect insects. There, he misses the last bus and is forced to find accommodation in the village. The villagers take him to a house located at the bottom of a sand dune, where he is lowered down by ladder. 

The dune house is occupied by an unnamed woman, who shovels sand into buckets for the villagers to pull up and sell. Junpei quickly discovers that he has been lured into a trap by the villagers, as he is now stuck at the bottom of the dune with no way of escaping. The woman tells him they must continue shoveling sand or else their home will be buried (and them along with it). Junpei spends the rest of the film coming to terms with being trapped in the dune, forced to shovel sand to stay alive and forced to shovel sand for the villagers in exchange for food and water.

Of course, the first thing noticeable is the film's allegorical nature. There is a Sisyphusian quality to the plot and an even more contemporary allegory to modern poverty. Our character at the beginning of the film contemplates the necessity of society (or the lack thereof) and muses on how much identification and certification is required to play in society's 'game.' The act of being trapped in the dune qualifies these statements, as it acts as an allegorical microcosm of society itself insofar as the mechanisms for 'keeping afloat' requires appeasing and doing labor for those at the 'top.' 

However, as I kept trying to apply specific context to the allegorical nature of the film, it kept slipping through the cracks time and time again - just as the infinite sand kept sliding down the dune. Although I think this context still largely applies, the film does a magnificent job of keeping you guessing and on your toes. The themes and thematic observations continue to morph and change and, in doing so, act as somewhat of a Rorschach test for the viewer. 

What aids in the atmospheric and almost surreal quality of the film is Teshigahara's ability to create a sense of tactile physical reality - one in which the sand rules all. Continuous shots of sand sliding down dune haunt the film, appearing on repeat time and time again. The visual image of the sand creates an almost paranoaic atmosphere, reminding us of the Sisyphusian nature of what's happening. On top of this, we are constantly bombarded with sand on the bodies of our characters AND every decision our characters make is contingent on the prevalence of said sand as well. 

Because of this, there is a surreal and even horrific tone brought forth. The film feels suffocating. In turn, the allegorical concept of labor and societal economy feels suffocating and unbearable. Junpei's continued acts of attempted escape symbolically act as notions of escaping society itself - which of course becomes impossible. 

To me, "Woman in the Dunes" is an utterly unique experience. At times, I feel as though I'm watching one of the greatest films ever made. Other times, it feels too on the nose and often tedious. However, that tedious feeling puts us right in the spiritual mindset the film is getting at. Being alive in our modern world feels like being trapped in a dune - having to repeatedly shovel sand for our own survival with no sense of liberation in sight.