Featured Audience Ratings

• Cindy I

  
  An entomologist looking for bugs (he's looking for a specific one that will make a name for him in his peer group) in the sand of a seaside town misses the last bus of the night back to town and is convinced to spend the night in the home of a young woman, who lives in a small… More
  An entomologist looking for bugs (he's looking for a specific one that will make a name for him in his peer group) in the sand of a seaside town misses the last bus of the night back to town and is convinced to spend the night in the home of a young woman, who lives in a small house in a mostly inaccessible sandpit, as do most of the other townsfolk. He slowly realizes that he has been tricked and that he is to stay there permanently. Thus begins a tale that is a metaphor for humans trapped in their existence and why they choose to not change their circumstances, even when given the opportunity...or at least partially about that. There's lots going on here. Beautiful photography of the sand dunes, and a couple of rather erotic love scenes between the two main characters. There is one potential sex scene that is pretty hard to watch, a bit reminiscent (to me anyway) of the "party scene" at the end of REQUEIM FOR A DREAM. The ending is left hanging a bit, and I haven't decided if the man's decision about his situation is a postive thing or a negative one.

• Stella D

  
  the film is certainly gorgeous. the sand is mesmerizing. i didn't find it as 'erotic' as some however. i got the larger point about the futility of most of our activities but i didn't like what it seems to say about male-female relationships. even if it's… More
  the film is certainly gorgeous. the sand is mesmerizing. i didn't find it as 'erotic' as some however. i got the larger point about the futility of most of our activities but i didn't like what it seems to say about male-female relationships. even if it's true! lol

• Randy T

  
  There is enough symbolism here to keep a whole team of cinematic existentialists busy for months. At its core, it's a film about a man who gets trapped in a hole. Too simplistic? Probably. It's the story of an entomologist who gets captured by a group of villagers and is… More
  There is enough symbolism here to keep a whole team of cinematic existentialists busy for months. At its core, it's a film about a man who gets trapped in a hole. Too simplistic? Probably. It's the story of an entomologist who gets captured by a group of villagers and is forced to shovel sand along side the beautiful Kyoko Kishida (I could think of far worse fates). He spends most of his waking hours plotting his escape, but the longer he's there the more he feels obligated to his hole-mate. Is he falling in love? Is he learning the meaning of true freedom? Can he figure out a way to escape? Does he really want to? Is he an 'everyman' and the hole a representation of an oppressive society? Can I find a clever way to end this review?

• danny d

  
  "are you shoveling to survive, or surviving to shovel?" one lead asks this of the other, and it is a telling question because it was the same question that circled my mind through the entire film up until the point it was asked. without question, woman in the dunes is one… More
  "are you shoveling to survive, or surviving to shovel?" one lead asks this of the other, and it is a telling question because it was the same question that circled my mind through the entire film up until the point it was asked. without question, woman in the dunes is one of the most unique pictures ever filmed, and its uniqueness brought with it brilliance. the plot is actually absurd and there are a few questions left unanswered, but teshigahara also made sure to answer the most important questions to make this outlandish story actually seem believable on every level. the acting was superb especially okada playing the lead, and the premise of this non horror film was more terrifying than just about any horror film ive ever seen. the cinematography was astounding, some of the best ive ever seen, and the film was effective in everything it attempted from start to finish. the music was also especially perfect for the film. the end of the film didnt go my way at all, but it wasnt supposed to. a genuine masterpiece of cinema.

• Stephen M

  
  An entomologist, collecting specimens among some coastal sand dunes, is tricked by a group of villagers into spending the night at the house of a woman who lives at the bottom of a sand pit. Finding himself trapped by the steep, unstable sides of the pit, and at constant risk of… More
  An entomologist, collecting specimens among some coastal sand dunes, is tricked by a group of villagers into spending the night at the house of a woman who lives at the bottom of a sand pit. Finding himself trapped by the steep, unstable sides of the pit, and at constant risk of inundation by the shifting dunes, the man is forced to help the woman shovel sand from around the house, not just to protect their shelter, but also in return for food and drink from the villagers, who market the sand as a construction material. The only thing I don't like about this marvellous film is the hero, who constantly evolves but only from one species of asshole to the next; he's just impossible to like. He starts off as a figure of fun, whose petulant behaviour is less a natural response to his loss of liberty than an intellectual's aversion to manual labour. Before resignation finally settles in, he comes to view his sweet and docile companion as complicit in his capture, making the most of nearly every opportunity to treat her abominably. The film is exquisitely photographed and some of the shots of cascading sand are hypnotically beautiful. The spooky avant-garde soundtrack is very effective.

• El Hombre I

  
  This darkly, beautiful and hypnotic tale works perfectly well if taken on a purely aesthetic level. The most immediate and striking thing about it is the look. Complimented by the minimalist soundtrack by Toru Takemitsu, Woman in the Dunes is a powerful piece of work with leisurely… More
  This darkly, beautiful and hypnotic tale works perfectly well if taken on a purely aesthetic level. The most immediate and striking thing about it is the look. Complimented by the minimalist soundtrack by Toru Takemitsu, Woman in the Dunes is a powerful piece of work with leisurely pacing that is not going to prove for all tastes. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=Dunes.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/Dunes.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Lanning :

  
  My sincerest apologies to all my flixster buds who loved this one. Walter, I would like to add this baby to your burgeoning list of "I could not sit through this" movies. No kidding, Walter, I tried three times over three nights. Sorry, flixster friends. It must just be… More
  My sincerest apologies to all my flixster buds who loved this one. Walter, I would like to add this baby to your burgeoning list of "I could not sit through this" movies. No kidding, Walter, I tried three times over three nights. Sorry, flixster friends. It must just be me.

• Lesley N

  
  Two and a half hours of a couple in a hole digging sand. Mostly. It doesn't sound much of a plot, but your brain can use the slow pace to fill in the gaps (why is she there? why is he there? why do the villagers put them there? what's going to happen next?) it's a lot… More
  Two and a half hours of a couple in a hole digging sand. Mostly. It doesn't sound much of a plot, but your brain can use the slow pace to fill in the gaps (why is she there? why is he there? why do the villagers put them there? what's going to happen next?) it's a lot more interesting than it sounds.

• Laura C

  
  Wow. This movie is one of the most interesting horror/psychological thrillers I've ever seen. Nothing compares- the concept is just brilliant! I think I'm going to have nightmares involving sand for a longtime to come!

• Christopher B

  
  I read the novel of this years ago and I've often spoke of it as one of my favourites, but I've only just gotten around to seeing it and I must say I was blown away. A stylish tale by a master of cinema, I hear this being called erotic a lot, but it's so much more.… More
  I read the novel of this years ago and I've often spoke of it as one of my favourites, but I've only just gotten around to seeing it and I must say I was blown away. A stylish tale by a master of cinema, I hear this being called erotic a lot, but it's so much more. The symbolism is fantastic, the futility and destruction of the sand, the pointlessness of standing up against it, and the moderate happiness in accepting it. A true masterpiece that lives up to the classic novel. Can't wait to see the rest of the Teshigahara films in the Criterion boxset.

Read all 10 featured audience ratings