Having read the book and enjoying it, finding it so wonderfully bizarre, I had no intention to watch the movie out of fear it would not live up to its source, something I've experienced in Western films far too often. Also, not knowing much about Japanese cinema outside of a few 'staple' films such as Ran and Seven Samurai, I assumed I might struggle to appropriately appreciate the 1964 film. But, maybe a few weeks ago, I came across a single post in a /r/movies thread which called the movie interpretation a "god tier" example of Japanese cinema which was enough to convince me to check it out. I'm glad I did, and thanks to that user, if they're reading this.
I will try to draw a parallel through the film's use of sand and water, and their effect on the main character, Jumpei, through just three scenes and the sexual tone of each.
Throughout the film we see images of sand acting like water; when he attempts to escape by climbing, numerous shots of sand cascading down slopes, and also through the ebb and flow of their requirement to shovel sand each night. Water also acts as a lifeline for obvious reasons: thirst and scarcity. Shoshu as well to an extent, as you'll see mentioned later.
1. Sand - resistance
The village is accurately referred to as a trap by Jumpei as the houses are literally surrounded by sand walls, a constant threat to safety as, if the sand is not shovelled and removed each night, the sand will eventually swallow them up. This unrelenting force represents Jumpei's resistance to his fate as seen through his first sexual encounter with the unamed women with whom he shares the residence with; a violent encounter, spurned on partly due to the Shoshu Jumpei drinks as well as his physical reaction to the struggle faced in accepting his situation. The scene comes late into the film, over an hour, as we are completely engulfed by his desire to be free, to resist.
The love-making is coarse and rough, reinforced by the focus on hands moving along sand-caked bodies, creating an uncomfortable sensation juxtaposed against her enjoyment which is the main focus of the camera.
2. Water - submission
The next encounter comes after she bathes Jumpei, cleaning away the sand, cleaning away the rough nature of the previous encounter while also in a way representing his coming-to-terms as there is no resistance from either this time, in fact both are willing. Her hands knead his skin, notably the first time we've seen either of them washed and clean, a fantastic reinforcement of the change in tone we experience once again through the woman's sensuality.
Shoshu features here once more as a precurser to their love-making. And while the love-making is off-scene and part of a ploy by Jumpei, it is the second of three such scenes and I feel serves to indicate a key change in Jumpei. The ploy ultimately fails, Jumpei returned weakened in body and spirit, and from this point on we see Jumpei starting to accept his fate.
3. Siv - flow
We see Jumpei as a true resident now. He tries to barter in order to see the ocean, jokes with the woman, becomes more productive. In the last show of desperation we see from him in the film, he smacks the woman's necklace beads into the sand after lamenting his fate and the uncaring of others. The woman, who was working to earn a radio, remarks that the village treats them well and cares for them. After a moment of reflection he helps to recover the beads.
The woman uses a siv to separate bead from sand and it is through this brilliant image that we can point to the final change in Jumpei. The woman remarks about being scared waking up alone with Jumpei having escaped so Jumpei grabs butterflies from his collection and burns them, a clear sign of his past life becoming irrelevant, both to the woman and to the audience. The siv represents Jumpei, the sand is no longer a burden. He flows as does the sand, not resisting but instead just being.
The scene which follows is the final sexual encounter. He is promised the possibility of seeing the ocean if he preforms "you-know-what" for the village crowd as they watch on. The villagers are crude, dressed in nightmarish masks, and beating intimidating drums. Jumpei, now a villager, does what is asked - unsuccessfully - with little care for the woman, in the hope of his reward. While he is fierce and again violent, it is like a conscious rite of initiation as he, like the woman, resigns to 'work' for a reward. Humilation is irrelevant, his pride long gone, and the temptation of the ocean, of water, of submission, envelops him. It is not freedom is he bargaining for, it is merely a drink, a taste. That is all he now wishes for in his new life.
Final word.
Perhaps this might make sense to those who have seen it, perhaps not. I really enjoyed this film and the use of imagery and sound continually generated ideas and themes to compliment the source material. It really is one of the best book-to-film adaptations I've seen and highly recommend both the book and the movie.
And yes, the title is wrong. Woman In the Dunes.
Submitted September 12, 2017 at 02:27AM by computer_d http://ift.tt/2eSDqai
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