Rent Woman of the Dunes (1964)

Japanese Classic - Woman of the Dunes review by Steve

Sensual, unique allegory of itinerant entomologist who finds himself trapped with/by a placid, submissive woman who seems to have accepted her life, continually digging out the pit of sand which serves as her home. Intriguing, engaging, and ultimately heartbreaking.

The photography is unforgettable. The pacing is superb. The performance, in particular, of Kyoko Kishidi is a marvel.

Wonderful Japanese art film. Once seen, never forgotten.

Pure and Fearsome - Woman of the Dunes review by joannajuki

This is a hypnotic film. A man is captured by a hidden dune-locked community, but his jailer is a beautiful woman. They are locked together in a life and death struggle against the encroaching sand, and while he takes every opportunity to escape, they can't escape their physical attraction. The grit intrudes and binds them, but she shyly asks, aren't the women in Tokyo more beautiful? He brushes aside this question with a derisive "Don't be stupid."

Pain, pregnancy, quicksand, conspiracy - an uneven playing field between man and woman that sinks them both. The long, intimate takes, the silence of the characters, emphasize inexorable and threatening presence of the sands. I wanted to see it again, having seen it in the 70s, but I still don't remember the ending.

Mesmerised - Woman of the Dunes review by griggs

Woman in the Dunes had me mesmerised and uneasy. Its hypnotic pull was so intense that I felt like I was suffocating along with the characters. It’s one of the few films ever to impact my dreams, leaving me with a sense of intrigue and curiosity. All night, I felt like I had sand all over me and kept tossing and turning to shake it off.