by Jon Partridge
Woman in the Dunes has a relatively simple narrative, but the themes and symbology woven throughout the film give it remarkable depth. Schoolteacher Niki Junpei (Eiji Okada) is indulging his hobby of collecting insects when he becomes stranded in the desert he is traversing. A local he encounters makes a seemingly innocuous invitation to stay overnight in their nearby village. He is shown to a hut surrounded by sand dunes, and after climbing down a rope ladder is received by his host , a young widow (Kyoko Kishida) who feeds him and prepares him a room for the evening. When he awakens in the morning, he finds the rope ladder to have been removed and himself trapped.
Expected to assist the widow in her tasks within the pit, over the following weeks, months, and years he is tested. Rebelling against his captors, attempting escape, experiencing the necessity of bending to their will, over time he experiences a shift in the nature of the relationship he has with his fellow captive. It is a basic premise, a man basically trapped in a hole in the ground, but an endlessly fascinating one ,ripe for exploring facets of humanity and our response to adversity and futility.
The deal is simple. Dig to supply the villagers with the sand they need and you not only stop the encroaching dunes from swallowing you, but you also receive the supplies necessary to live. The situation offers an intimate look at the shifting relationship between two people, held against their will, each at different stages of their incarceration. One has reached a calm acceptance of her fate; the other is rallying against it, aghast at her attitude and determined to escape. As Niki asks in the film, “do you dig to survive, or do you survive to dig?” Devoid of luxuries, freedom, and choice, Niki is battered by the futility of his predicament and is forced to deal with the psychological fallout. In fact, the film often mirrors the stages of grief for him: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.
The changing relationship between Niki and the widow is the core of the film. His contempt for her shifts as the story develops, his situation becoming more attuned to hers. For the widow, her serenity is a contrast to his petulance. Having already lost her husband and child to the sands, she knows what needs to be done. While romance doesn’t blossom, an erotic undercurrent is palpable from their first meeting, which only deepens. Both conscripted into this haunting tale, it makes for a sexually charged thriller. The encroaching sands are a Sisyphean construct to set up the situation; it’s a little flimsy, but it’s a fabrication you embrace quickly as the film sweeps you along. It’s an endless task to crush a person’s will, combined with their lives being stripped of everything beyond the basic needs of life. As hope fades, Niki finds solace through other means.
Hiroshi Teshigahara shows how deep and vibrant black and white filmmaking can be. The textured detail, shifting landscapes, and intimate camerawork immerse you in the lives of the captive pair. Everything takes on a tangible quality. Sand coats everything and everyone, a continual reminder of their circumstance. Their treatment of it becomes ritualistic. It coats scenes or tension, of fear, of despair, and of eroticism, adding further texture to an already nuanced piece. A musical score from Toru Takemitsu hits the viewer with discordant sounds, adding to the impact. It’s a film that has the grace of a stage play combined with cinematic flair, a work that resonates as strongly today surely as much as it did back in 1964.
THE PACKAGECriterion is the gold standard as home video releases go, and Woman in the Dunes continues to uphold that high tradition. Sourced from a recent 4K restoration of the film, the image quality is impressive. With good detail and contrast, every grain of sand stands out. No artifacts or defects are evident.
Included in the special features is a “video essay” on the film by film scholar James Quandt which breaks down many of the ideas and themes in the film. It offers good insight to help appreciate some of the nuances of the piece as well as its reception upon release and legacy. There are also four short films from director Hiroshi Teshigahara’s early career: Hokusai (1953), Ikebana (1956), Tokyo 1958 (1958), and Ako (1965). While they vary in quality they do provide a way to look at a director honing his craft, a very nice bonus.
Teshigahara and Abe is a 2007 documentary that looks at the collaboration between Teshigahara and novelist Kobo Abe, who also wrote the screenplay. It features interviews with film scholars Donald Richie and Tadao Sato, film programmer Richard Peña, set designer Arata Isozaki, producer Noriko Nomura, and screenwriter John Nathan. A little dry in its content, it is nonetheless interesting and helps frame the pair’s legacy. Finally, the release also includes a nicely produced liner booklet which contains an essay by film scholar Audie Bock and a transcribed interview with Teshigahara from 1980., as well as notes about this new transfer.
THE BOTTOM LINEFrom Abe’s work, Teshigahara crafted a parable of co-dependency and co-despondency. Woman in the Dunes is an erotically charged thriller. Grim in tone but enthralling and visually captivating. This Criterion release is a superb presentation of a film that deserves your attention.
Woman in the Dunes is available from Criterion on Blu-ray and DVD from August 23rd.