Woman in the Dunes (1964) Suna no onna (original title)

Director:

Hiroshi Teshigahara

Writers:

Kôbô Abe (novel)
Kôbô Abe (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

25 October 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The most provocative picture ever made.

Plot:

Jumpei Niki, a Tokyo based entomologist and educator, is in a poor seaside village collecting specimens of sand insects...

Plot Keywords:

Sand | Entomologist | Insect | Water | Dune

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Eiji Okada	...	Entomologist Niki Jumpei
Kyôko Kishida	...	Woman
Hiroko Itô	...	Entomologist's wife (in flashbacks)
Kôji Mitsui
Sen Yano
Ginzô Sekiguchi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kiyohiko Ichihara
Hideo Kanze
Hiroyuki Nishimoto
Tamotsu Tamura

Directed by
Hiroshi Teshigahara

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kôbô Abe		novel
Kôbô Abe		screenplay
Eiko Yoshida		scripter

Produced by
Kiichi Ichikawa	....	producer
Tadashi Ôno	....	producer

Original Music by
Tôru Takemitsu

Cinematography by
Hiroshi Segawa

Film Editing by
Fusako Shuzui

Production Design by
Tôtetsu Hirakawa
Masao Yamazaki

Production Management
Iwao Yoshida	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Masuo Ogawa	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Ichirô Katô	....	sound recordist
Keiji Mori	....	sound effects editor
Shigenosuke Okuyama	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Mitsuo Kume	....	lighting technician
Yasuhiro Yoshioka	....	still photographer

Other crew
Kiyoshi Awazu	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.
• Teshigahara Productions

Distributors

• Toho Company (1964) (Japan) (all media)
• Gloria Film A/S (????) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Gloria Film A/S (????) (Iceland) (theatrical)
• New Star (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• trigon-film (2007) (Austria) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Milestone Film & Video
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2013) (Japan) (TV)
• Pathé Contemporary Films (USA) (subtitled)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (TV)
• trigon-film (2007) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Suna no onna" - Japan (original title)
"Woman of the Dunes" - , International (English title), UK
"Woman of the Sands" - Canada (English title) (new title)

Runtime:

123 min | 147 min (director's cut)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:18 | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 (re-rating) (1992) | UK:X (original rating) | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Australia:M | USA:Not Rated

Company:

Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.

Trivia:

At one point, the entomologist collects an antlion. This insect is from the family Myrmeleontidae. The larval stage is often called a "doodlebug" in the United States. The insect ensnares its prey by digging out a pit in loose sand. When the prey falls into the pit, it is unable to get out and becomes food for the antlion. This is symbolic of the situation the entomologist himself encounters when he is trapped in the sand pit.

Quotes:

Man:It's like building a house in the water when ships exist. Why insist on a house?
Woman:You want to go home too.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Music for the Movies: Tôru Takemitsu (1994)

Best film analysis of existentionalism.

Harsh and beautiful analysis of existentionalism. All the Sartrean trappings along with an element of Camus are presented in this film better than any other I know. The realization that life is absurd leads the main character to venture towards trying to make meaning out of what is essentially meaninglessness. The intersubjective relationship between man and woman is examined both erotically and violently while the villagers play the crucial role of the everpresent Other. Disturbing ending only underlies the overpowering presence of the sand dunes. The sand being the strongest metaphor in the film, illustrating the belief that life is nothing but a giant and endless egg-timer flowing sand down upon us. Highly recommended.