Woman in the Dunes

Woman in the Dunes (1964) starring Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida. Entomologist (Okada), gathering insects in the sand near the shore, misses the last bus home and is invited to stay in a house with a woman (Kishida) who lives in a sand pit. He soon learns that he is a captive, and tries desperately to escape. A short time later, he finds himself making love to the woman. Always, the sand encroaches. Will he ultimately escape? Or will he be held captive forever? Or, alternatively, will he accept his fate, fall in love with the woman, and decide to stay? We are left wondering until the very end. The DVD includes a "video essay" which discusses all the analysis of the film, which I'd rather not go into. The simple question: Did I like the movie? I have trouble answering. It was awfully gritty. But it did win the jury prize at Cannes and two Oscar nominations. (In Japanese, with English subtitles.) Grade: B-